FAIRTRADE GUERNSEY ANNOUNCES NEW PATRON

  To coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight 2021, which runs from 22nd February to 7th March, Fairtrade Guernsey is announcing the appointment of a new Patron. Sir Richard Collas, former Bailiff of Guernsey, succeeds Sir de Vic Carey, another former Bailiff, who stepped down in 2020 after 15 years. Sir de Vic was Fairtrade Guernsey’s founding Patron when the island first achieved Fairtrade status in 2006.

Sean McManus, Chair of the Fairtrade Guernsey Steering Group, said:
“I truly welcome the willingness of Sir Richard Collas to become the new Patron of Fairtrade Guernsey. Very few individuals could step into the shoes of Sir de Vic Carey but Sir Richard brings that rare blend of experience and those hugely valuable skills which do so much to enhance the role of Patron in a community that remains genuinely proud of its Fairtrade Island status.”

Sir Richard Collas, new Patron of Fairtrade Guernsey, said:
“It is an honour to be invited to follow Sir de Vic as Patron of Fairtrade Guernsey and to continue to promote support for, and awareness of, the needs of other communities around the world. By supporting Fairtrade products, we can all contribute to improving working conditions for some of the most exploited and vulnerable workforces and to helping their communities to become more sustainable.”

Sir Richard’s career has been split between law and public service. After a successful career in law that led him to become a partner at Collas Day & Rowland, he was appointed to the office of Deputy Bailiff in 2005 and then in 2012 became the 89th Bailiff of Guernsey. In 2014 he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his services. Since retirement, Sir Richard has become Chair of the Guernsey Community Foundation, director with Help A Guernsey Child and Les Bourgs Hospice, and is involved in a wide range of community activities and initiatives.

Sir de Vic Carey, outgoing Patron of Fairtrade Guernsey, said: “It has been an honour to serve as Patron of Fairtrade Guernsey for the last 15 years. Its continuing success in maintaining the profile of Guernsey as a Fairtrade Island is down almost entirely to the ongoing hard work and dedication of the small steering group supported by the good sense of Guernsey people in seeking out ethically sourced products when they are out shopping. I wish the new Patron and the steering group well.”

Fairtrade Fortnight continues until Sunday 7th March with a focus on how the climate crisis is impacting farmers and food supplies. Islanders are being encouraged to take part in a number of online activities and events to raise awareness of how choosing to buy Fairtrade can bring about lasting change – see Fairtrade Guernsey’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FairtradeGuernsey for full details.