The opdu Report - Issue 13, November 2002

Bulletin Board
The Occupational Pensions Archives Trust (OPAT)

Alan Herbert, Chairman of the Advisory Council, launched an initiative in August to set up an archive for the occupational pensions' movement. At that time he wrote:

"Occupational pensions are very much the focus of attention at the present time. Over a number of years many employers in the UK have been voluntarily making provision for their employees' retirement by setting up pension arrangements and schemes to encourage employees to save for retirement. The occupational pensions' movement has been hailed by successive Governments as a great success story. This story needs recording so that future generations can appreciate the contributions made by employers to retirement provision in this Country as well as the part played by many individuals, firms, companies, representational and professional bodies in advising and servicing the needs of occupational pension schemes.

Recently a number of pension organisations have celebrated the 25th anniversary of their formation; The Pensions Management Institute, Pensions Research Accountants Group, Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London (SAUL), Edis Partnerships and AP Financial Services. The celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee has brought to mind the significant changes to pension provision over the last fifty years. Next year The National Association of Pension Funds will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its formation which illustrates just how long a number of occupational pension schemes have been running. WH Smith first set up pension arrangements for its employees as far back as 1894.

With the further changes now taking place in occupational pension provision it would be an appropriate time in this Golden Jubilee year for the occupational pensions' movement and all those associated with it to consider setting up a central archive to be known as The Occupational Pensions Archives. It would provide a central source of information to students and others making a study of the history of pensions' provision in this Country. Over the years, as a result of corporate re-structuring, a number of well known pension schemes and also well known names of service providers and advisers have disappeared. It would be good to capture their history and old records.

The aim would be to set up a trust known as The Occupational Pensions Archives Trust to administer the archives at a university or some other institution. As well as financing an archivist it might also be possible over the longer term to set up some bursaries for those wishing to study pensions' management and administration. I have taken a number of soundings over the last twelve months and there seems to be general support for the idea. In order to take the project forward I would now like to gauge support from a wider cross section of those involved in pensions with a view to calling a meeting to set up a steering group to consider all the various issues in more detail."

Alan Herbert has had a number of responses of support and is planning to hold a meeting before Christmas to set up a Steering Group. At the present time exploratory discussions are taking place with interested parties to establish the accommodation and resources that will be available and the funding which will be required. opdu will be supporting the project and making available meeting facilities.