UK Gas Station Owner Donates £100K to Digital Charity

When Nakendram Pitatheepan heard a charity leader speak at an industry event in April, he knew he had found the perfect partner for his mission to give back.

The owner of Sterling Petroleum, which operates 30 gas stations across the UK, just donated £100,000 to Pennies. The charity helps retailers collect micro-donations from customers at checkout, replacing the coin jars that disappeared when people stopped carrying cash.

Pitatheepan has quietly followed an unusual business practice since launching his company. He gives away 10% of Sterling Petroleum's net profit every year to support local communities.

His latest gift will fund Pennies' work recruiting more retailers and developing technology that makes donating as simple as one tap or click. When customers check out, they can round up their purchase to the nearest pound or add a specific amount based on their basket size.

The system works remarkably well. About 10% of customers choose to donate, and each participating location can raise thousands of pounds annually for charities of their choice.

The Ripple Effect

Pennies has already proven the power of small change. Over 15 years, the charity has raised more than £80 million for 1,200 organizations across the UK.

Chief executive Alison Hutchinson says every pound Pennies spends generates ten times that amount in social impact. That means Pitatheepan's donation will deliver £1 million worth of community benefit.

Major fuel retailers including Rontec, MFG, Ascona and Moto have already joined more than 180 retail partners using the system. Sterling Petroleum plans to add the Pennies option across all its forecourts soon.

For Pitatheepan, who started as a commission operator in 2014 before founding Sterling Petroleum six years later, giving back isn't optional. He's already donated six figures to causes including local football teams, building a football ground, and supporting an autism charity in Wales.

"This is not an ego thing for me," he explains. "I've been brought up to believe that when you have a certain amount of money, you should share it."

He hopes his example will inspire other forecourt operators to discover how easy Pennies makes charitable giving. The communities that helped him build 30 successful locations deserve something in return.

Now every forgotten penny has a chance to make a real difference.