Directors Report and Accounts 2021/22 - Report - Page 2
WELCOME
WELCOME TO YOUR SPRING
QUARTERLY RETURN (QR)
The season of new beginnings, spring is a time of hope. As
Please get in touch if you would like some copies for friends,
this newsletter goes to print, our thoughts are very much
family or groups in your local area.
resolution to the conflict.
This year, our AGM took place online for the second year
Here in the UK, many communities felt the impact of
It was fantastic to see so many of you taking part in our Q&A
extreme weather conditions in the earlier part of the year.
session, which provided an interesting and lively debate. A
The debate continues whether the recent rainfall and high
full overview of our AGM is on pages 6 and 7.
with the people of Ukraine as we all hope for a peaceful
running, with over 100 of you joining us on Friday 11th March.
winds are the direct result of climate change. However, there
is no doubt that it is a real and growing issue for the farmers
Some of you may remember that in April 2020, Shared
we support.
Interest was recognised with a third Queen’s Award for
Enterprise in the category of Sustainable Development. This
This Fairtrade Fortnight, we joined the campaign to shine
prestigious accolade means that The Prime Minister has
a light on the critical role that Fairtrade plays in climate
advised Her Majesty the Queen that Shared Interest’s work
justice. Smallholder farmers are working hard to increase
is beneficial to society, the environment, and economy. Due
their resilience to environmental changes but unfortunately,
to Covid restrictions, we were unable to receive the Award
many lack the support needed to put in place the adaptation
officially at that time. We were therefore honoured to attend a
and mitigation measures urgently needed. This year, we
formal presentation on 10th March, featured on page 4.
brought farmers and supporters together in a series of
online events that focus on the varied challenges faced in
We are dedicating the Award, and indeed this issue of QR, to
different regions. If you wish to watch any of these online,
our friend and colleague Ann Colquhoun. It is with a heavy
the recordings are available on our website at
heart that I share the news that Ann passed away recently.
shared-interest.com/past-events and you can read a
Many of you knew Ann as Membership Account Manager
detailed summary of our African sessions on pages 8-13,
and will have been in touch with her, whether through
as well as highlights from the event hosted by our charity
correspondence or in person at our supporter events or AGM.
Shared Interest Foundation.
She was a valued member of the Shared Interest team for
over 20 years and will be deeply missed by us all. We have
Your Summer QR will include an overview of our virtual
written a special tribute to Ann on the page opposite, which
events from Latin America. In the meantime, news from this
includes some treasured memories from her time with us.
region comes from Northern Peru, featuring our front cover
story of CECAFE co-operative. This ambitious group of over
We are continuing to collect messages and recollections
800 coffee farmers are working hand in hand with nature to
to compile a commemorative book to celebrate Ann’s life
increase their climate resilience. Read about the
at Shared Interest. If you wish to share something with us,
co-operative’s innovative approach on pages 14 and 15,
please email membership@shared-interest.com
including how one family has passed down knowledge from
grandfather, to father, to son.
Until next time,
generation, in this case budding fair trade supporters, as
and colourful publication and accompanying resources are
available for our young members, and we have also continued
Patricia Alexander
Managing Director
to introduce them to schools and community groups.
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SHARED-INTEREST.COM
The Shared Interest team was deeply saddened by the death of much-loved colleague and
friend, Ann Colquhoun, earlier this year. One of our longest-serving members of staff, Ann
was a highly valued employee of Shared Interest for 21 years. She carried out numerous roles,
bringing her skills and experience to our Customer Service and Finance departments and, for
the last 16 years, to Membership. Ann became a fountain of knowledge to the Shared Interest
team, always there with words of wisdom and recollections of times gone by.
Many of you will have known Ann in her role of Membership
Account Manager. It is highly likely you may have spoken
to her on the telephone, or corresponded with her over the
years. Ann was also in regular attendance at our AGM and
Supporter Events and enjoyed meeting members. She would
always say it was lovely to ‘put faces to names.’
Ann joined the organisation on 20th September 2000, when
the structure was somewhat different to today. There was
no independent Membership Team and Ann worked for
Malcolm Curtis, who retired as Head of Lending last year,
after serving 22 years. He said of that era: “One of the biggest
contrasts between then and now was the lack of technology.
There were no emails and we had a Producer Liaison Officer
who would travel for about three months at a time, to seek
producer customers in different parts of the world.”
Ann would speak fondly of her own trip overseas to visit
potential customers in 2001. Away for the best part of a month,
she visited Indonesia and the Philippines, meeting with a
pottery producer and a handcraft centre; both went on to be
financed by Shared interest for several years.
Ann was a highly regarded member of the Membership Team.
Head of Member Engagement Kerrey Baker said: “Ann was
greatly missed at our recent Queen’s Award event, having been
“THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD
FOR A WHILE HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF ANN.
WE REMEMBER HER AS QUIET, UNASSUMING
AND FRIENDLY - IN FACT, AS ONE BOARD
MEMBER PUT IT, LOVELY. SHE WILL REMAIN
LONG IN OUR THOUGHTS.”
Shared Interest Chair, Mary Coyle
at Shared Interest for the previous two award ceremonies in
2008 and 2013. In 2008, she accompanied Managing Director
Patricia Alexander to Buckingham Palace where the Queen
hosted a reception for The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
winners.”
These recollections and more will be part of a special book
compiled in tribute to Ann. We would love to hear from
Back in the UK, we have also been working with the next
we launched our latest Little Book of Fairness. This bright
IN TRIBUTE TO OUR FRIEND
AND COLLEAGUE, ANN
Front Cover: Leider Delgado, collects coffee plants from the
CECAFE co-operative greenhouse in Lonya Grande, Peru.
Patricia recalls: “Ann was thrilled to be asked to the reception
members who would like to share any messages or memories
at the Palace. She talked about the experience, who she had
with us, to celebrate Ann’s life at Shared Interest. Please
met and how proud she was of Shared Interest for months
contact membership@shared-interest.com or call us on
after the event. It was pleasure to accompany her on such a
0191 233 9102. The book will be shared with Ann’s family and
special occasion.”
friends. Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.
Polaroid Image: Ann meeting Her Majesty The Queen
at the Queens Award presentation in 2008.
SHARED-INTEREST.COM
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