Moneypenny co-founder awarded CBE in Queen’s Honour’s List

The co founder of Moneypenny has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Honour’s List for her contribution to business and the community.

Rachel Clacher co-founded the company, which is based on the Western Gateway in Wrexham, with her brother Ed Reeves back in 2000.

Today Moneypenny is the world’s leading provider of telephone answering, outsourced switchboard and live chat services, with offices in the US as well as the UK.

Here Moneypenny’s team of over 700 annually handle in excess of 15 million calls and live chats on behalf of more than 13,000 companies from its award-winning head quarters – known as ‘the happiest office in the land’.

The company has been listed over six times in ‘Best Companies to Work For in the UK’, with two top 5 listings.

In 2014, Rachel brought Moneypenny’s unique approach to people development to a new charity which she established called the Moneypenny Foundation.

Now known as WeMindTheGap, the charity gives new opportunities in life and work to unemployed under-served young people through providing totally holistic paid traineeships.

The first traineeships proved so successful – 70% of all participants move into full-time work or education – that the charity has now expanded and runs traineeships in Wrexham Flintshire, Liverpool and Manchester.

The charity recently received a £1.2 million bid from the Big Lottery meaning that it will be delivering 16 traineeships across Wales and the North West by 2023.

“I am honoured to be receiving a CBE in the Queen’s Honour’s list,” said Rachel.

“It is wonderful to receive acknowledgement for Moneypenny’s success and for WeMindTheGap.

“I strongly believe in doing the right thing, treating people well and providing ongoing support. This is not about ticking boxes, it’s about business and communities, and helping young people who are operating within a system that often doesn’t communicate.

“At Moneypenny we pride ourselves on our culture and empowering people to do their best and it is wonderful to see that this ethos translates into WeMindTheGap.

“The charity has grown and expanded into the North West and will continue to implement new traineeships each year so young people can transition from ‘prisoners of circumstance’ to ‘pilots of their own lives.”