SHINE welcomes new Trustee: Colin Fyfe
SHINE is delighted to welcome Colin Fyfe, CEO of Unity Trust Bank, as the newest member of our Board of Trustees.
SHINE is delighted to welcome Colin Fyfe, CEO of Unity Trust Bank, as the newest member of our Board of Trustees. Colin brings not only decades of leadership experience, but also a passion for supporting young people and education.
For Colin, joining SHINE feels like a natural step. “There are a lot of linkages between SHINE’s mission and my own values, and I’m so interested because it’s something I strongly believe in,” he explained when asked why he was drawn to the charity.
Colin’s passion for fairness and opportunity has shaped his professional and charitable work for many years. “I am a firm believer in sharing knowledge, skills and experience, and therefore I enjoy working with organisations that have got that purpose. And SHINE clearly has that,” he said.
“Young people need that support and direction more than ever. It’s been a tough time recently for kids and the experiences and opportunities that I had while growing up are tougher to provide these days.
“I’m a big believer in giving people a chance – whether it’s with the education system, whether it’s with employers, whether it’s trying to link them all together – I’m really passionate about it. That’s why SHINE is an exciting prospect.”
Colin has previously been a mentor with The Prince’s Trust, supporting young entrepreneurs at the very beginning of their journeys, helping them to fulfil their potential.
Colin, who lives in Greater Manchester, has an extensive knowledge of the North of England. He was for several years the CEO of Darlington Building Society.
In his current role at Unity Trust Bank, Colin leads a financial institution that is unusual in its structure and mission.
“It’s a traditional commercial bank. However, the big difference is that it is 76% owned by the trade unions. And when they started the bank, they were at pains to make sure that the focus was different. It was about social impact,” he explained.
“In our articles of association, the rules of the bank, everything we do has got to have a demonstrable social impact. And therefore, we are typically working with good people, good businesses, good organisations who are trying to make some level of strong impact in their community.
“So, you can imagine, the education sector is very prominent, along with social housing, healthcare, environmental charities and social organisations. Every time we help one of those organisations that flows through to the people in that local community.
“SHINE also has that local focus, with projects focused on specific places, he said.
“The impact it can have on young people and what that does for their future and the future of that community is a clear opportunity to make a difference,” he said.
“At Unity Trust Bank we’re trying to help people improve their lives, and the earlier you can start with that, the better. For me, that really reflects SHINE’s philosophy. It’s not just about giving young people the chance to grow – it’s also about supporting teachers to grow alongside them. That feels like a really positive opportunity, and I’m excited to see SHINE’s future plans and where the charity can go next.”
Colin traces his values back to his upbringing in Lanarkshire, Scotland, where his family had been funeral undertakers since 1878. “My father and my grandfather gave their all to help those families with perhaps the most difficult time in their life and therefore their humility and ability to support was huge. A lot of that rubbed off on me,” he reflected.
Alongside that early grounding in compassion and service, Colin has benefited from the training and development opportunities of the banking sector. “I’ve experienced a lot of different things, so sharing that learning with other people to help them or to help their charity or their business… it just seems natural to do that.”
Colin is also passionate about tackling the growing mental health crisis, which is having a profound impact on children and young people of every age. Several SHINE projects are focused on improving children’s wellbeing to help them learn.
“The pace of life is incredible. It’s not letting up. There are so many distractions, and I don’t think it’s surprising that the challenges with mental health are only increasing. And the support available is not keeping up with that,” he said.
“Mental health and young people – there’s no quick fix, which is why we all need to roll up our sleeves and get involved.”
Colin speaks with pride about his time with the mental health charity Anxiety UK, where he served as chair. “The passion that the staff group showed and the benefits they delivered… my job was to help and just get out of the way.
“That’s what I find attractive about working with charities – the passion for the subject of the people involved. That passion is infectious – it makes you want to get involved.”
As he joins SHINE’s Board of Trustees, Colin brings a clear sense of purpose.
“I’ve been in numerous boards of charities or social enterprises and I’m on my third spell as a chief executive. I think I can bring that breadth of knowledge. There’s also the passion that we’ve talked about that I will bring, and I will be trying to share what I know while I learn about SHINE,” he said.
“What I hope to gain from my time on the board is a deeper understanding of SHINE’s impact – and how we can build on that to create a multiplier effect so more of the growing demand can be met. The work SHINE does doesn’t have an end point, but its impact will continue to grow. That’s what I want to be part of.”
Fiona Spellman, CEO of SHINE, said: “We are delighted to welcome Colin to the SHINE Board. SHINE has always combined the strengths of specialists in education with leading figures from the business world who bring different perspectives and insight. I look forward to working with Colin in the years to come to help give more children the chance to SHINE.”