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.
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Awards
Shared Interest Society win the Special Recognition Award at the North East Charity Awards
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Awards
Shared Interest Foundation win Charity of the year at the Charity Times Awards
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Awards
Shared Interest Society shortlisted at the Third Sector Awards in the Enterprise category
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Share Capital
£52m Share Capital achieved
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Share Capital
£50m Share Capital achieved
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Awards
Shortlisted at the Third Sector Awards in the Enterprise category
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Awards
Named in the NatWest SE100 Top 100 Social Enterprises
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Awards
Announced NatWest SE100 Impact Management Champion
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Share Capital
£45m Share Capital achieved
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Awards
Awarded Queens Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category for a third time
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30 years
Celebrate 30th anniversary
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Awards
Managing Director, Patricia Alexander wins the Global Impact Award at the North East Times Impact Awards.
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Membership
Shared Interest reaches 10,000 Share Accounts.
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Share Capital
£43m Share Capital achieved.
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Share Capital
£41m Share Capital achieved.
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Share Capital
£40m Share Capital achieved.
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Award
Won International Impact Award at the UK Social Enterprise Awards
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Share Capital
£39m Share Capital achieved
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Share Capital
£36m Share Capital achieved
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Awards
Won Enterprise at the UK Private Business Awards
Won Money award at the PEA (People, Environment, Achievement) Awards
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Awards
Won Third Sector Excellence Award in Enterprise
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25 years
Celebrate 25th anniversary
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Share Capital
£33m Share Capital achieved
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Share Capital
£30m Share Capital achieved
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Awards
Won Guardian Sustainable Business Award and Big Tick in the Responsible Business Awards
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Strategic Review
Five year Strategic Review undertaken
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Awards
Awarded Queens Award for Enterprise for the second time
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Regional Offices
Office opened in Ghana, West Africa
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Awards
Won Sustainable Finance Award and awarded Highly Commended in the Culture for Success Awards
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Our lending
Share Capital of over £26m, lending money to 101 Fairtrade businesses in 36 countries
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Staff
Staff recruited in Lima, Peru
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Awards
Awarded Queen's Award for Enterprise
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Shared Interest Foundation
Our charitable arm were awarded a large grant by the Big Lottery Fund to train fair trade producers in Rwanda
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Strategic Review
First Strategic review undertaken
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Shared Interest Foundation
The first producer training project undertaken by our charitable arm
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Share Capital
£20m Share Capital achieved
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Staff
New Managing Director appointed and first overseas office staff recruited in Kenya & Costa Rica
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Social Accounts
First set of social accounts prepared
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Share Capital
£18m Share Capital achieved
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Awards
Won the best revenue model in the Upstart Awards
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Charity arm
Charitable arm, Shared Interest Foundation set up
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Awards
Shortlisted in the Enterprising Solutions Awards
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Mission
Mission statement revised
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Member newsletter
50th edition of Quarterly Return published
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Share Capital
£17m Share Capital achieved
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New lending in handcrafts
Community Aid Abroad (who later became known as Oxfam Australia Trading) become a Shared Interest customer
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Fairtrade
Shared Interest extended its Clearing House products to FLO certified Fairtrade producers
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Customers
Pilot study into lending more to coffee producers prepared which led to a collaboration with the World Bank’s International Task Force
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Board
Founder Mark Hayes steps down from the Board
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Share Capital
Members reach 8,500 and Share Capital £16m
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Clearing House
Within a year of establishing the Clearing House, nine producers had drawn on their account and borrowed £57,000
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Awards
Shared Interest receives a Worldaware Business Award, given to small businesses contributing to viable economic development.
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New offices
New offices opened in Collingwood Street
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Council
The Council introduced a system of random nomination of 4 of its 9 members from the membership
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New lending
A facility was approved for Candela Peru who work with Brazil nut gatherers and their families.
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Share Capital
£10m Share Capital achieved
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Share Capital
£5m Share Capital achieved
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Share Capital
£1m Share Capital achieved
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Staff
First representatives appointed to work in Newcastle office
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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
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Shared Interest
Mark Hayes employed by Traidcraft, developed a plan for an alternative investment organisation
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Shared Interest
Mark Hayes contacted Traidcraft with a proposal for a Development Bank
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