Member of the British Empire (or My Bloody Effort… or so they say) but even though I’m not an elite, bureaucrat with assistants running around me, or ‘born to it’ I’m sure it’s down to my bloody team. My family and friends who merge with being the People Tree team, designer friends, non-execs, trustees and the office team – all brilliant at what they do and change makers in their own right.

I asked my first boss, Chris Fury to say a few words and he did. I thought I’d share it with you:

“I think I need to introduce myself to some people here.
I’m a political adviser in the Conservative Party working in the House of Commons so it is fair to say Saf and I have had our discussions over the years!

One of the things I have always admired about Safia, apart from her energy and enthusiasm is her courage to take risks. Asking me to say a few words here today is another example of that courage. I have known her for some time and I could have brought along some photographs of Jerome’s mother in hot pants when she was the age he is today, pictures of her learning the saxophone and much else besides but it’s OK Saf, you are safe.

But before I talk about the lovely lady, I want to talk about James who has been by her side these past twenty years or so. His belief in her, in Fair Trade and his dedication to the cause have been fundamental to the success of Global Village and People Tree. Today’s ceremony would not have been possible without his tireless effort and his seemingly inexhaustible capability to work into the early morning on their companies while holding down a day job. I think we all understand how important he has been in making today possible.

The lady herself though is an extraordinary soul. We first met in 1981 on a magazine called Creative Review which was in great difficulty to gain readership and survive. As it turned out, maybe the trials and tribulations of being against the wall financially gave her a great foundation for building a Fair Trade business.
She learnt not to give up in the darkest of days. I remember the MD of the publishing company telling me that he had to report to the board and, with the current set of figures, he was afraid they may kill the magazine – what should I do? My reply was instant – lie! She’ll pull it through I said – give her another couple of months. The magazine is still alive today.

Something else she learned at that time was to use young, enthusiastic volunteers and government paid employees (the Tops scheme) and that has been so valuable with Global Village and People Tree.

When her focus turned to the environment and Fair Trade she brought originality, energy and integrity to everything she did. Along with being a mum and seemingly a friend to all struggling in the world, especially women!

First I want to show you this article on The Power of Trade from the Japanese Environment Monitor Nov-Dec1992 – castigating the banks over Third World Debt. Printed on recycled paper of course it was also used to send me a note in Jan ‘93 which I would like you to read:

Now I am going to talk about Global Village – here’s an early catalogue and it is interesting to see its development into the summer version of People Tree here in the UK.

This growth happened through dedication to the cause of Fair Trade and the environment which is why today’s MBE is so well deserved. Rather than having pics of Saf in hot pants I have just bought a couple – the first is of Saf and the babe in Femi, Bangladesh in 1994.

The second one highlights the zaniness of this venture with Saf, Jim and the team in 1992 – it again harks back to Creative Review days when she took the magazine to exhibitions using cut-outs of animals from the magazines comic strip called the Creative Jungle.

Today her single-minded efforts in South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia and many other areas besides have helped make many of the people in those countries enjoy sustainable lives.

People Tree in the UK which she and Jim started here in London ten years ago continues to grow to the benefit of the Fair Trade movement as a whole and to the many, many people who are working in villages and co-operatives around the world making the fashionable clothes which I hope, like me, many of you are all wearing today.

– I am in Fair Trade cotton eco-body undergarments but you will have to take my word for it.

Her energy and enthusiasm remains undiminished and it is a privilege for me to call her my friend and a privilege for me to be here on this worthy of occasions.

Our toast is Safia Minney MBE.”

Chris was great, we started working together when I was 17. My boss left within a week and he became my part time boss. Before two years I’d a team of six people working for me from every ethnic minority group in London. (At that time magazine publishing was very white and middle class – we soon became known as the rainbow department!)

Chris was a great mentor – real faith in people. He’d motivate us by bringing in crates of peaches – we were paid peanuts…publishing is still the same today. I did two jobs to support my passion for publishing and comms. Chris and I remained friends and he mentored me long after I left Creative Review magazine four years later to start my own Marketing Consultancy. When I started People Tree in Japan we kept in touch and when I wanted to launch People Tree in the UK – Chris rose to it and ran it for me.

People often say you shouldn’t do business with friends – I believe the opposite.

Trust is the key to everything it’s also what makes creative energy flow. So I have been very happy to work with friends and mix work with pleasure. I don’t believe the two should be separate – as long as it’s not nepotistic.