Contested Election of members to Shared Interest Council Information on candidates Our Council is made up of a combination of nine elected and randomly selected Shared Interest investors. The role of this group is to represent and reflect the views of membership to the Board of Directors. The main aim is to help keep the Society faithful to its mission and ensure the strategy of the Society and the interests of members remain aligned. In practice, the Council meets three times a year. They receive updates from the senior management team and minutes from Board meetings, with an opportunity to review and discuss them with the Managing Director, Secretary and sometimes the Board.
In accordance with the Society’s rules one non-random member of Council retires each year on the basis of rotation and we are now asking you the members to vote on your preferred candidate. Statements from each of the seven candidates are included in this document and we would ask you to make your choice on the ballot card enclosed.
Please note this is a postal and online ballot only. Booklet to be used in conjuction with Members’ Day & Annual General Meeting Booklet (AGM2015/01) (Ref: AGM 2015/02)
A) Keith Bonham MBE, DL, FCA, BA “Never think your small contribution cannot make a difference. Every bee that enters one of our hives can only carry a very tiny amount of nectar. But when you open our hives and they are bursting with honey, you realise how each bee has played its part. It’s the same with Shared Interest (S.I.) investors.” (Apicoop. QR93). This message reminds me of why I (and my wife) became investors in S.I. in 2002. I am a retired Chartered Accountant, having enjoyed a 35 year career with EY in Bristol from articled clerk to office managing partner, handling a very wide range of clients and transactions as well as helping to grow the local office from 30 to 180 staff. Since retirement I have had a busy but very enjoyable second career as a charity trustee – the two major commitments were as Chairman of Trustees at Bristol’s only adult hospice and at the U.K’s oldest surviving girls’ school (now retired from both); other charities have involved young people, the elderly, cycling, sustainable development, rugby and running – ( I have retired from all but three of these charities.) In 1996 when Bristol regained its County status I was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant and in 2004 I was honoured with the award of the MBE for services to the community. I am a committed member of S.I. attending local members’ meetings and the AGM’s whenever possible. I have cycled C2C and run the Edinburgh 10K for S.I. I should love the opportunity to get more closely involved in S.I. and its development, particularly in its 25th anniversary year. I believe the experiences I have gained from my careers in business and in the not-for-profit sector, together with my energy and enthusiasm, will equip me to add value to the discussions and agendas of the S.I Council.
B) David Brittle I have been an investor in Shared Interest since 1996. Having retired from paid employment two years ago, and now coming to the end of a 3-year unpaid appointment in pastoral care, I am seeking a renewed vocation. I want to contribute to the national and global struggle for equality and justice. It is for you to decide whether membership of Council is part of my, or another’s, vocation. The experience I have to offer is: Work as a software developer from 1970 to 1998, voluntary service on committees within the Manufacturing, Science & Finance trade union from 1982 to 1992 and the Society of Friends (Quakers) from the late 1980s till the present, and training to work at a Citizens Advice Bureau since 2013 have developed my ability to work collaboratively and to understand, analyse and summarise large amounts of complex information. I have also represented the views of groups and individuals in conferences and negotiations. I am a trustee and the treasurer of a small development charity, Wellsprings El Tular, which works in El Salvador, mainly in supporting a rural community called El Tular. I have
been in delegations to El Salvador in 2001, 2005 and 2009, each time with a programme of visits to several projects of different agencies, as well as El Tular. So I have gained some understanding of the issues facing people in the third world.
Shared Interest should consider whether to lend to producers of manufactured goods as well as agricultural commodities and handicrafts. The lessening of dependence on commodity exports is often central to economic development.
As well as voluntary service, I was employed by the Society of Friends in the Manchester area as a warden and administrator from 1996 to my retirement in 2012. This gave me some knowledge of working in the charitable and voluntary sector. My areas of interest include: Friendship links between rich and poor communities, Central America and working conditions.
I have considerable experience of committee work in both the NGOs and government, albeit exclusively in the legal sector. I was a trustee for more than 15 years of the Legal Action Group, a legal policy organisation, and previously a trustee and treasurer of the North Kensington Law Centre. I served for four years on the Civil Justice Council, a statutory body. I am at present a member of an enquiry into access to justice being undertaken by Justice, another legal policy NGO. In terms of my professional life, I have recently retired after 14 years as a District Judge, so I will have time to read papers and prepare for meetings.
C) Martin Canning Without enterprise, development will remain an elusive goal for smaller and weaker economies and without a rebalancing of buyer/seller power, the small producers in these developing economies will remain vulnerable. It is these key features of Shared Interest’s work that persuaded me of the merits of investing in the Society. In a variety of technically based industries operating internationally, I gained over 30 years experience in sales, commercial and business development roles up to senior management level. I was able to put this experience to use, and to gain much valuable understanding, as an Us (formerly USPG) mission companion serving as Business Development Consultant for the Anglican Church of Tanzania for two and a half years (returning in 2012). I remain involved with this work, notably in property development and microfinance. The aim is to engage in appropriate income-generating business to support sustainability. 18 years ago, my wife and I jointly established Traidcraft Backwell, which became one of Traidcraft’s top 20 fair traders. I am convinced of the need for and benefits of fair trade and the continuing need for pioneers to take the approach into new products and producers. I am a shareholder in both Traidcraft and Café Direct and an investor in Shared Interest (since 2007) and believe in investing personal assets for positive impact not simply for greatest return. I am a Reader in Bath & Wells Diocese, serving on the World Mission Group, Zambia Link sub-group. I’m a Trustee of a local charity (Backwell Life) which provides support to the village community and a PCC member serving on the Mission and Outreach committee. I believe my wide-ranging industry experience and direct understanding of working in a developing economy can be of benefit to the Council as it represents members and supports the Society in achieving its aims.
D) Carlos Dabezies To my mind Shared Interest is so obviously a good idea that it is surprising that it is not much larger. Of course, any expansion depends on the identifying suitable projects for lending. Nonetheless, there may be a problem in spreading the word. One possibility might be partnership arrangements with supermarket chains. Raising the profile of the organisation is a particular area of interest for me. I think
Apart from buying fair trade products, my involvement with fair trade has been limited to being a member of Shared Interest since 1997. I have also been a member of the World Development Movement for 10 years; in my view fair trade has an important role to play in economic and social development in the global south.
E) Vivienne Kynaston I would like to join the Council of Shared Interest first and foremost because Shared Interest enables more producers to benefit from Fairtrade. My involvement in many aspects of the Fairtrade movement means I can offer the following skills and knowledge. Leading Fairtrade Town Steering Group, advising neighbouring towns on gaining Fairtrade status, and starting Fairtrade County campaign. All this involves giving media interviews and talks to schools, faith groups, staff meetings, and other clubs and organisations. I enjoy this very much. Helping organise annual regional Campaigner Days, involvement in planning 2015 International Fairtrade Towns Conference in Bristol, and previously attending Conferences in Malmo and Oslo. Being selected for the Fairtrade Foundation’s Campaigner Advisory Group and then elected to the successor National Campaigner Committee, great experiences that gave me insight into the structures of Fairtrade and issues for campaigners. Traidcraft ‘Meet the People’ tours to South Africa, Malawi and Zambia and Ghana, where I saw the skills and enterprise of the producers but also the challenges in gaining Fairtrade certification and the limitations in the Fairtrade market. I first heard of Shared Interest while I was in Malawi. Another member of the group was a Shared Interest ambassador, a very inspiring person who opened my eyes to ethical investment and Shared Interest’s unique concept. My own motivation is that I passionately believe in the potential of Fairtrade to create a more equal world and eventually true trade justice. It is also fun and always full of new experiences, from thoughtful comments of ordinary shoppers in this country that demonstrate Fairtrade’s success in showing that ethical shopping is possible, to the thrill of seeing Fairtrade certificates on the walls of producer co-operatives and feeling like a small part of making that happen.
F) Ben Quashie I am 68 years old and married with three daughters. I became interested in Fair Trade during my last year at Middlesex University, when l did my final project on Fair Trade. Born in Ghana, I started my working life as a civil servant. I studied nursing in the UK and became a staff nurse, and spent much of my career in social care, before retiring in 2006 to pursue a part-time degree in Development Studies at Middlesex University with BA (Hons) in 2010. The principles of Fair Trade inspired me to join the Enfield Fair Trade Campaign Group. It was there l was introduced to the Shared Interest Society, and since l wanted to raise awareness of Share Accounts, l became an ambassador so l could tell others about what the Shared lnterest Society does. I enjoy working with people with similar interests, and l am committed to supporting and helping the Society to spread its ethos and achieve its goals for the future. Finally, l am a good listener and willing to learn new skills and new ideas, and l would ensure that the Board adheres to the mission of the Society and meets the expectations of our Investors, Donors and Producers.
G) Stephen Rainbow A former Shared Interest Society Credit Officer between 2004 and 2006; Stephen previously contributed to the Society by reviewing and rewriting the company credit policy with a greater focus on risk management, assisted with the first set of social accounts, and assessed the first large value term loan application for a Ugandan tea producer, which subsequently paved the way for similar lending to food producer groups. Stephen is fully bought into the aim of the Society to enable Fair Trade to thrive and flourish worldwide, and left the organisation on good terms with the staff to pursue a career in risk analytics within the banking sector. Stephen currently holds a Senior Manager position within the Risk Model Approval Team at Lloyds Banking Group and has over 14 years’ experience in risk management, having also worked at Marks and Spencer Money and Barclays since graduating from The University of York with a first class honours degree in Mathematics with Economics (BSc). Stephen recognises the importance of the Council in reflecting your views: the members of Shared Interest. If elected, Stephen would strive to represent your views on the Council and would wish to reach out to you for your feedback in order to ensure your views continue to be expressed fairly and accurately during Council meetings, and to ensure mechanisms for capturing your feedback remain appropriate. Stephen has a lot of enthusiasm and experience that he can draw upon for the role and would love to be given the opportunity to further contribute to the future success of the organisation.
Candidates by regional location
G) Stephen Rainbow
E) Vivienne Kynaston
B) David Brittle
A) Keith Bonham D) Carlos Dabezies
C) Martin Canning F) Ben Quashie
Shared Interest 2 Cathedral Square, Groat Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1EH 0191 233 9102 membership@shared-interest.com www.shared-interest.com
The Directors’ Report and Financial Statements and the Social Accounts are available to download from our website. Shared Interest Society Limited is registered with the registrar of Mutual Societies, number 27093R.