This interview was first featured on www.indiaincorporated.com, where I write a column called The Social Capital
The Social Capital with Vikas Pota – What giving really means?
Vikas Pota speaks to Nigel Walsh from the world of financial services…
Nigel Walsh is Business Development Director, Insurance, at Capgemini Financial Services.
1. Is giving important? Why?
Yes. Pay it forward, helping others is always more rewarding than helping yourself.
2. What charities do you personally support?
I do a lot of cycling and this is mainly organised by Action Medical Research (www.action.org.uk) that has provided some great research into premature births and much more. Other charities that organise cycling events include BHF (British Heart Foundation).
I also support many other charities through my involvement in Freemasonry and I am a trustee of a national charity focused on health in the community, Hertsmere Leisure.
3. What was your first ever donation to a charity?
Possibly, to the British Heart Foundation.
4. Do you have a focus on where you donate your money?
Children’s charities.
5. Which individuals stand out for their support to charitable causes?
People like David Walliams and Eddie Izzard are a real inspiration. It’s too easy to give money. Giving time, especially training time, goes way beyond leveraging their brand to get more for the charity of choice.
6. What percentage of our income should we give to good causes?
At least one per cent.
7. What do you personally gain from contributing?
That everyone can make a difference, not everyone is as fortunate. There is always someone better and someone worse off than you.
8. What was the last donation you made?
This was my fifth consecutive year as part of a team of 11 cyclists from London to Paris. We raised over £25,000 as part of a bigger group that collected a total of £600,000. Something different awaits in 2012!
9. Have you taken part in any adventure events to raise money?
Cycling to Paris, among other charity bike rides.
10.·Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and charitable giving by companies a marketing gimmick?
No. It brings emotion, usually in a few key individual’s minds, to bear to a brand that by nature can’t have a personality.
Through these in-depth interviews with industry leaders, Vikas Pota asks charity-related questions that unearth the driving force behind their philanthropy and social responsibility.