Farewell to 'gentle' Fairtrade pioneer; OBITUARY: Tributes to 'humble' Alec Shortley.Byline: Mary Griffin TRIBUTES have been paid to "a gentle, humble man" who pioneered the Fairtrade movement from his Kenilworth home. Alec Shortley opened England's first Fairtrade shop in Kenilworth in the 1970s and devoted the next 30 years to the cause, delivering Fairtrade goods to churches and events across the Midlands. A Coventry boy and former Bablake School Bablake School is an coeducational independent school located in Coundon, Coventry, England. The school motto is "The spirit of opportunity". Bablake is part of the Coventry School Foundation with King Henry VIII School and Coventry Preparatory School. pupil, Alec died last Friday, aged 64, after suffering kidney cancer Kidney Cancer Definition Kidney cancer is a disease in which the cells in certain tissues of the kidney start to grow uncontrollably and form tumors. . His wife, Kath, said: "Nothing was a bother and nothing was too much trouble for him. "He was very passionate about Fairtrade and knew what a huge difference it made to people." The couple met while Alec was studying mathematics at King's College in London. He went on to develop software for some of the earliest computers before pioneering the first satellite navigation systems with a firm which won the Queen's Award for technological achievement. In 1977 the Shortleys started selling Fairtrade goods inspired by two friends who went to work in Bangladesh. The couple, former members of Kenilworth Baptist Church and Abbey Hill United Reformed Church
Fairtrade shop, and 10 years later moving to Talisman talisman: see amulet. talisman amulet with which Saladin cures Richard the Lion-Hearted. [Br. Lit.: The Talisman] See : Charms Square where they traded for 15 years. Juteronomy is now part of the King's Table in Warwick Road and Alec and Kath were preparing to retire. Neil Stevens, UK business manager for Fairtrade charity Tearfund said: "Alec was one of the most gentle, humble and thoughtful people I've ever encountered and that will be my abiding memory. Both he and Kath have been committed from the beginning to following through with issues of trade justice. "They haven't got anything out of it financially but that's not their motivation. It's always been about making sure there are opportunities for people in developing countries." Alec leaves behind wife Kath and children Jo, Martyn and Ian. Following the burial a service of thanksgiving will be held at St John's Church in Warwick Road, Kenilworth, at 2.15pm on Wednesday, April 22. Instead of flowers, donations to Tearcraft to support HIV-affected women in a South African township can be made care of John Taylor John Taylor, or Johnny Taylor may refer to: Academic figures
CAPTION(S): GENTLE... Alec Shortley opened a Fairtrade shop in Kenilworth in the 1970s. |
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