Philip Henman
Encyclopedia
Philip Sydney Henman, was a well known and inspirational transport entrepreneur
. He is best known today for being the creator of The Philip Henman Trust.
. After two years in the army, he spent a further two years queuing up at the dole
office during The Great Depression that followed World War I
. He then moved to London, where he found work running lighterage
on two dilapidated ex-army barges on the River Thames.
turned the fledgling The General Lighterage Company, started in 1922, into a huge public international transport company. It later became in 1957 The Transport Development Group and then a Public Limited Company in 1982 re-registered as the Transport Development Group plc. The company now has over 7,000 employees across Europe.
TDG Plc Timeline
1922 The General Lighterage Co Ltd. was formed from the lighterage department of the London Cologne Steam Ship Company.
1950 Became a Public Limited company.
1957 Changed its name to Transport Development Group.
1982 Re-registered as a plc – Transport Development Group plc.
2000 Changed its name to TDG plc.
After ten years the trusts trustees felt a need to restructure and a consultant was brought in to recommend more effective grant making. The Trust now spends all its grant expenditure on long term projects operated by major UK overseas development charities.
Henman was well known for his philanthropy
. He took a personal interest in every cause he supported and today there are many memorials to his charity both in Britain and abroad. His list of Beneficiaries
and benefactors, contained in a small diary that was discovered after his death, shows the enormous diversity of his interests and it is for this reason that the trust today has little restriction on the nature of the charities it will support.
Councillor, a Deputy Lord Lieutenant
of Surrey
, the High Sheriff of Surrey
(1971), the vice president and an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, a Patron of the Royal College of Surgeons
, a member of court of the Worshipful Company of Farmers
and he was given an honorary Doctorate
from the University of Surrey
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He is best known today for being the creator of The Philip Henman Trust.
Early life
At age 15 Henman was severely ill and found himself bedridden for a year with fever and forced to leave his studies at Caterham SchoolCaterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
. After two years in the army, he spent a further two years queuing up at the dole
Unemployment benefit
Unemployment benefits are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. Benefits may be based on a compulsory para-governmental insurance system...
office during The Great Depression that followed World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He then moved to London, where he found work running lighterage
Lightermen
Lightermen were workers who transferred goods between ships and quays, aboard flat-bottomed barges called lighters in the Port of London.-History:...
on two dilapidated ex-army barges on the River Thames.
The General Lighterage Company
Over the next thirty years Henman's natural genius for logisticsLogistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
turned the fledgling The General Lighterage Company, started in 1922, into a huge public international transport company. It later became in 1957 The Transport Development Group and then a Public Limited Company in 1982 re-registered as the Transport Development Group plc. The company now has over 7,000 employees across Europe.
TDG Plc Timeline
1922 The General Lighterage Co Ltd. was formed from the lighterage department of the London Cologne Steam Ship Company.
1950 Became a Public Limited company.
1957 Changed its name to Transport Development Group.
1982 Re-registered as a plc – Transport Development Group plc.
2000 Changed its name to TDG plc.
The Philip Henman Trust
The original aims of the trust since its inception in 1986, were to continue funding causes supported by Henman during his lifetime but its remit has since changed focus.After ten years the trusts trustees felt a need to restructure and a consultant was brought in to recommend more effective grant making. The Trust now spends all its grant expenditure on long term projects operated by major UK overseas development charities.
Henman was well known for his philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. He took a personal interest in every cause he supported and today there are many memorials to his charity both in Britain and abroad. His list of Beneficiaries
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
and benefactors, contained in a small diary that was discovered after his death, shows the enormous diversity of his interests and it is for this reason that the trust today has little restriction on the nature of the charities it will support.
Other achievements
Henman was also a DorkingDorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
Councillor, a Deputy Lord Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the High Sheriff of Surrey
High Sheriff of Surrey
-List of High Sheriffs of Surrey:The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066 At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex -1066-1228:...
(1971), the vice president and an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, a Patron of the Royal College of Surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
, a member of court of the Worshipful Company of Farmers
Worshipful Company of Farmers
The Worshipful Company of Farmers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company became a Livery Company in 1952, and was granted a Royal Charter three years later. The Farmers' Company supports farming students, and otherwise promotes education in agriculture.The Farmers'...
and he was given an honorary Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
.