Summary As Shared Interest Chair Mary Coyle says in her Welcome: "This years report is indicative of the extraordinary and challenging year we have experienced. No one could have predicted the ongoing disruption of Covid-19. However, it has been inspiring to see the unwavering resilience and commitment of everyone involved in Shared Interest throughout the past 12 months."
implement projects aimed at building sustainable businesses and improving the livelihood of people living in poverty. In our Member Survey, when we asked about knowledge of and support for our charitable arm, 57% of respondents said they were aware of the Foundation and 68% said they would consider donating in the future. This is a substantial increase from a total of 26%, who said they would donate in 2018.
We could not have reached our operational goals, and therefore achieve the impact described in this report, without the support of members, colleagues, donors, volunteers and partners. Our members remain at our heart and we closed the year with 10,456 Share Accounts, 81% being held by individuals. However, the Society membership is diverse and also includes faith groups, fair trade partnerships, small businesses, schools and community organisations. Investment increased by £4.6m, the highest amount recorded in our history and Share Capital totalled £50.7m at the end of the year. During the height of the pandemic, we encouraged people to apply for a Share Account online due to disruption in the post. As a result, we attracted 496 new members to the Society with an average opening investment of £1,494 (2020: £519) and 352 of these were opened via our website (2020: 287). Overall, we saw a net increase of 221 Share Accounts compared to 184 last year. Our charity, Shared Interest Foundation, is supported by donations from 1,049 donors, and grants from Trusts and Foundations. The majority of these donors (899) are members of the Society. This money is used to
Beekeeper Alimatou Ouattara took part in Shared Interest Foundation’s Bees for Business project in Burkina Faso.
Retaining positive and engaged people is significant in Shared Interest’s continued growth and success. We have a team of 36 working across five locations: Costa Rica, Ghana, Kenya, Peru and the UK, speaking 16 languages in total. The majority (67%) have worked for Shared Interest for over four years. Positive statements are embedded throughout our working culture and we have maintained a strong focus on positive engagement, which has proved even more important following the
ongoing impact of Covid-19. Our team has continued to work remotely, undertaking various online training courses and participating in over 87 virtual conferences and seminars. We have continued to support colleagues, preparing for a move to a hybrid home/office working system in October 2021. By forming a Return to Office Committee, and surveying our team, we have made this an inclusive process, and also offered a range of presentations and online training activities to support physical and mental wellbeing as we make this transition. We have been supported by 96 volunteers this year, who were each active in one or more of six overall volunteer roles. With the impact of the pandemic still being felt, especially in relation to events usually attended by Ambassadors and Community Supporters, volunteers turned their hands to different activities where opportunities arose. This included data entry tasks connected to our Member Survey and baseline data entry for Shared Interest Foundation. We have also appreciated the assistance of our translator volunteers this year, providing interpretations of customer surveys, customer interviews and communication materials. We consider stewardship in all aspects of our work and embed a culture of good environmental practice throughout Shared Interest, doing the best we possibly can with the resources entrusted to us. Our Environmental Team raises awareness of topical issues and encourages eco-friendly initiatives. The entire Shared Interest team has been working from home since March 2020, and we have encouraged colleagues to continue being mindful of how we use resources. In terms of our membership, we have continued to promote
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