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Fairtrade Fortnight 2023

Our History

For 32 years we have been providing bespoke financial services and a vital means of support to some of the most disadvantaged communities across the globe. 

Click the years below to see how our business has evolved over time.

    • Awards

      Shared Interest Society win the Special Recognition Award at the North East Charity Awards

    • Awards

      Shared Interest Foundation win Charity of the year at the Charity Times Awards

    • Awards

      Shared Interest Society shortlisted at the Third Sector Awards in the Enterprise category

    • Share Capital

      £52m Share Capital achieved

    • Share Capital

      £50m Share Capital achieved

    • Awards

      Shortlisted at the Third Sector Awards in the Enterprise category

    • Awards

      Named in the NatWest SE100 Top 100 Social Enterprises 

    • Awards

      Announced NatWest SE100 Impact Management Champion

    • Share Capital

      £45m Share Capital achieved

    • Awards

      Awarded Queens Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category for a third time

    • 30 years

      Celebrate 30th anniversary

    • Awards

      Managing Director, Patricia Alexander wins the Global Impact Award at the North East Times Impact Awards. 

    • Membership

      Shared Interest reaches 10,000 Share Accounts. 

    • Share Capital

      £43m Share Capital achieved.

    • Share Capital

      £41m Share Capital achieved. 

    • Share Capital

      £40m Share Capital achieved. 

    • Award

      Won International Impact Award at the UK Social Enterprise Awards

    • Share Capital

      £39m Share Capital achieved

    • Share Capital

      £36m Share Capital achieved

    • Awards

      Won Enterprise at the UK Private Business Awards

      Won Money award at the PEA (People, Environment, Achievement) Awards

    • Awards

      Won Third Sector Excellence Award in Enterprise

    • 25 years

      Celebrate 25th anniversary

    • Share Capital

      £33m Share Capital achieved

    • Share Capital

      £30m Share Capital achieved

    • Awards

      Won Guardian Sustainable Business Award and Big Tick in the Responsible Business Awards

    • Strategic Review

      Five year Strategic Review undertaken

    • Awards

      Awarded Queens Award for Enterprise for the second time

    • Regional Offices

      Office opened in Ghana, West Africa

    • Awards

      Won Sustainable Finance Award and awarded Highly Commended in the Culture for Success Awards

    • Our lending

      Share Capital of over £26m, lending money to 101 Fairtrade businesses in 36 countries

    • Staff

      Staff recruited in Lima, Peru

    • Awards

      Awarded Queen's Award for Enterprise

    • Shared Interest Foundation

      Our charitable arm were awarded a large grant by the Big Lottery Fund to train fair trade producers in Rwanda

    • Strategic Review

      First Strategic review undertaken

    • Shared Interest Foundation

      The first producer training project undertaken by our charitable arm

    • Share Capital

      £20m Share Capital achieved

    • Staff

      New Managing Director appointed and first overseas office staff recruited in Kenya & Costa Rica

    • Social Accounts

      First set of social accounts prepared

    • Share Capital

      £18m Share Capital achieved

    • Awards

      Won the best revenue model in the Upstart Awards

    • Charity arm

      Charitable arm, Shared Interest Foundation set up

    • Awards

      Shortlisted in the Enterprising Solutions Awards

    • Mission

      Mission statement revised

    • Member newsletter

      50th edition of Quarterly Return published

    • Share Capital

      £17m Share Capital achieved

    • New lending in handcrafts

      Community Aid Abroad (who later became known as Oxfam Australia Trading) become a Shared Interest customer

    • Fairtrade

      Shared Interest extended its Clearing House products to FLO certified Fairtrade producers

    • Customers

      Pilot study into lending more to coffee producers prepared which led to a collaboration with the World Bank’s International Task Force

    • Board

      Founder Mark Hayes steps down from the Board

    • Share Capital

      Members reach 8,500 and Share Capital £16m

    • Clearing House

      Within a year of establishing the Clearing House, nine producers had drawn on their account and borrowed £57,000

    • Awards

      Shared Interest receives a Worldaware Business Award, given to small businesses contributing to viable economic development.

    • New offices

      New offices opened in Collingwood Street

    • Council

      The Council introduced a system of random nomination of 4 of its 9 members from the membership

    • New lending

      A facility was approved for Candela Peru who work with Brazil nut gatherers and their families.

    • Share Capital

      £10m Share Capital achieved

    • Share Capital

      £5m Share Capital achieved

    • Share Capital

      £1m Share Capital achieved

    • Staff

      First representatives appointed to work in Newcastle office

    • Founded

      Shared Interest founded and registered as an Industrial and Provident Society. At the end of its first five months, £350,000 had been invested to support 13 new projects in the developing world

    • Shared Interest

      Mark Hayes employed by Traidcraft, developed a plan for an alternative investment organisation

    • Shared Interest

      Mark Hayes contacted Traidcraft with a proposal for a Development Bank

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