Founded in 1946, Roffey Park is a charitable trust which is internationally recognised for developing innovative learning approaches that enable individuals to achieve their full potential both at work and in their wider lives.

Since then, Roffey Park has built on this reputation for research and innovation in management development.  Despite many changes in business techniques and processes, we have held true to our founding principles.  We believe in the link between personal well-being and productive working – with our tutors providing a high level of individual attention and direction. 

Everything we do is built around an intimate understanding of the working individual and how organisations function.  We have 60 years’ experience in helping organisations and their people cultivate more collaborative, creative, enjoyable, adaptable and productive ways of working.  Our experience is grounded in a programme of research, the results of which identify current and future trends at work as well as the challenges of organisational life. 

Our Purpose

The findings of the Management Agenda confirm the growing recognition that it is the people in an organisation that are the key to success. What marks out the high performing companies in the 21st century is how talent is nurtured, how organisational development is viewed and whether employees share a collective purpose.

According to the Sunday Times survey ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’, trusting employees to do what they are good at was identified as one of the main factors in building a company that outperforms its rivals.  Underlying this is the need for highly motivated individuals with the right skills and the ability to get the best out of colleagues and from customers. Self-awareness and the ability to empathise with others are key requirements.

Organisations can only achieve their objectives by the actions of individuals and it is through individuals that outstanding companies create a sustainable difference. That is why Roffey Park designs its bespoke programmes around each organisation’s individual needs but, within that, tailors the content and experience to each individual participant. This makes the learning powerful, long lasting and, as testified by managers time and time again, proven effective.

60 years ago a group of enlightened men and women had a vision and desire to make a real and practical difference to individuals and the organisations they work for.  Today, this vision is affirmed in our updated purpose:

To work with organisations and their people to create a more enlightened way of working. To shed light on organisational issues and create clarity where there is confusion.  To promote creative business and enlightened working by awakening the potential of working people.

We achieve our purpose by being a leading authority on human nature at work. By understanding the impact of human nature on the nature of business.   By working intimately with organisations and their people to cultivate more collaborative, enjoyable, adaptable and productive ways of working.

Board of Trustees

Roffey Park's Board of Trustees and Directors is drawn from individual members and representatives from member companies of the Institute, and is chaired by Alison Ritchie, BSc (Hons) FRSA.  Alison's career for over 24 years was in telecommunications at BT and she was the first woman to be appointed to the most senior executive committee in BT. Senior roles with the company included Group Procurement Director, Group Regulatory Affairs Director, Chief Executive of BTopenworld, (BT's internet company) and Chief Broadband Officer.  She also served as Chair of BT’s Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Group and was a member of the company’s plc Board Sub-Committee on Community Support. Non-BT interests have included director roles at Partnership Sourcing Ltd and the British Quality Foundation. In 2007, Alison spent a year attached to London Business School's Women in Business Centre as Executive-in-Residence.

Best Companies

For the past three years, Roffey Park has achieved 'First Class' accreditation from Best Companies. The accreditation process focuses on workplace engagement as an integral component of an organisation's success, and the results demonstrate how fulfilled, motivated and engaged our staff are.  

Equality & Diversity

Roffey Park has an Equality and Diversity Group which is chaired by the Director of Resources and includes staff at all levels and from various departments who have volunteered to take these issues forward.  Activities range from providing disability awareness training to staff to publishing articles in the press.  Our Equality and Diversity vision is available here.

Environmental Management

The Roffey Park Environmental Group known to staff as REG is also run by staff.  It focuses on energy efficiency, water and waste management and recent initiatives include optimisers on our main boilers, significant extensions to recycling facilities and rainwater collection. You can view our solar hot water installation as a best practice case study on the BIFM Sustainability in Facilities Management website.  Click here for our environment policy.

Company and charity registration