Our family values
The RO’s ethos of embracing family values is borne out by the appreciation we have for our dedicated team of staff and our committed support of local charities in Hertfordshire.
People
The RO has been a family run company for more than 90 years and during that time has been blessed with extraordinary length of service from many of its staff.
In the last eight years alone we have been able to add six more names
to the board for those who have worked for the RO for more than
25 years. The average length of service for head office staff is currently over 13 years, providing the organisation with tremendous stability.
As the business expands new people join, bringing with them different ideas, enabling the organisation to progress, whilst at the same time retaining the core family business values that define the RO.
Charity
Supporting and getting actively involved with a variety of organisations that help the lives of those most in nee d within Hertfordshire is a core value which, much like the business itself, we intend to build on and develop year on year.
The Graham Rowlandson Foundation, the family charity now in its twentieth year, has supported almost 100 charities across the county with grants from a few thousand pounds to amounts in excess of £70,000. Projects have ranged from broadening the understanding and awareness amongst the general public (and indeed healthcare professionals) of the fantastic work done by hospices in Hertfordshire, to supporting a furniture upcycling charity providing purpose and opportunity to individuals recovering from addiction and mental illness.
Ultimately the Foundation likes to fund projects where resources and relationships can be brought together for the benefit of good causes, applying an ‘In business to do business’ approach to charity.
'For more than a decade, HCF has worked in partnership with the RO to support its local charitable giving. It is clear that the RO’s commitment to be ‘In business to do business’ goes far beyond its commercial operations and extends to its long-term commitment to help those most in need in Hertfordshire. We would urge other businesses to follow their lead and engage in impactful, rewarding, local philanthropy.'
Helen Gray
Foundation Director | Hertfordshire Community Foundation hertscf.org.uk