Who's Who?
Meet the TRUE ORIGIN PARTNERSHIPS Board
Meet the people behind True Origin Partnerships, some of whom have been with True Origin for its full journey, others have joined us along the way. All have played a part in getting us to where we are today.
John Riches
John founded and managed True Origin Partnerships, then The Balmore Trust, for its first five years and was Chair of the Board throughout JTS’ first 10 years.
John got involved with fair trade after a couple of visits to apartheid South Africa in the 70s. With a group of friends, he set up the Balmore Trust and the Balmore Coach House, probably the first successful fair trade shop in the UK. True Origin grew out of the importing activities which had been done by the Coach House.
Joyce Davidson
Joyce has been acting Chairperson of True Origin Partnerships since 2019.
Joyce has worked with charities in various capacities, including being involved in the establishment and running of various groups linked to her work as a Consultant Paediatrician. She has been a member of the Iona Community since 1991 and is currently co-regional coordinator for the West of Scotland. She volunteers at Gavin’s’ Mill, a Fair Trade shop in the north of Glasgow, and is currently chair of the Balmore Trust.
Rosalind Jarvis
Ros, a long term resident of Baldernock, has been part of The Balmore Trust, now True Origin Partnerships, since its inception in 1980, serving as its Company Secretary and Treasurer over many years. She edited its newsletters, also for many years, as well as writing a number of newsletters for Coach House staff, among whom she numbered. She introduced and administered the gift catalogue ‘Coach House Alternatives’, which provided extra income for many of the projects supported by The Trust and which has now been taken over by Gavin’s Mill, as ‘Gavin’s Mill Gifts’. Amongst her other contributions was the baking of several hundred of gingerbreads for the CH baking stall.
She is now looking forward, wistfully, to her retirement.
Mary Popple
Mary has been a True Origin Partnerships board member since 2020.
Mary has been involved in trade justice and development opportunities for women for over twenty years.
A member of the St Andrews Fair Trade town campaign group, where her most significant contribution so far has been getting the R&A organising committee for The Open golf championships to become the first Fair Trade accredited major sporting event in the world. She is an Elder of the Church of Scotland and loves walking, art galleries and singing.