OUR STORY
LOVE WHAT WE DO AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW WE GOT STARTED? KEEP READING!
In 1994, the United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States was held in Barbados. The late Dr. Colin Hudson, inspired by the late Dame Nita Barrow, then Governor-General of Barbados, mounted the “Village of Hope” exhibition to demonstrate “sustainability”, the focus of the Global Conference.
In the two-week period of the conference, 45,000 people came to see the exhibits in The Village of Hope. Because of this success, Dame Nita encouraged Dr. Hudson, along with others, to create a permanent version of The Village. From this spark, the Future Centre Trust was established. The concept was led by the vision of Dr. Colin Hudson and guided by the Trustees.
In January of 2000, “the turn of the century”, Counterpart International, a sustainable development organisation based in Washington, DC, expressed an interest in extending its programs into the Caribbean. A partnership with Future Centre Trust certainly seemed mutually fruitful, so after careful consideration, the Trustees of the then Future Centre Trust took the opportunity to establish an international link with Counterpart International. In so doing, the activities of the Trust were magnified and its scope expanded from Barbados to the Caribbean.
Counterpart Caribbean continued for some nine years until 2009 when it was recognised that a more locally focused program was required to move the organisation forward.
In early 2009, a locally based committee was established to assist in the realignment of the goals and objectives of the Future Centre Trust. A newly elected local board moved the organisation from Counterpart Caribbean back to the popular and locally recognised brand of the Future Centre Trust. In so doing, a new energy and focus was drawn for the Future Centre Trust of today.
Today’s generation is truly recognising the benefits of community education on conservation and preservation of resources. The Trust’s current programmes include the Barbados Trailway, Clean Up Barbados, Future Trees, and Green Business Barbados.
MEET THE TEAM
Jessica Bensley
Chairperson and Recycling Director
A specialist in small islands and committed to sustainable development; Jessica is an adept integrator, forging partnerships amongst multiple stakeholders. She has extensive experience in private-public partnerships and tourism.
For over two decades she compiled the first visitor road maps to the Caribbean islands serving over 18 million visitors to the region and working with more than 3,000 private sector tourism service providers and Ministries of Tourism, Environment and Development. In 2009, she created the first satellite Atlas to a Caribbean country, Barbados, collating over 4,000 road names, 100 districts to publish a 256-page Atlas. The Atlas is on permanent display at the Barbados Museum.
Jessica is a volunteer in the first Community Recycling Network in Barbados, a Tony Robbins Platinum Partner, a Climate Reality Leader, a former Mentor for the Barbados Youth Business and a TEDX Speaker.
A qualified Documentary Filmmaker, in her spare time Jessica captures moving stories from around the region and turns them into compelling visual stories to stimulate behavior change around sustainable consumption and production, she also coaches female leaders to Somatic Alchemy with Co-Active Coaching and Movement.
Claire Worme
Financial Comptroller and Donation Nation Director
Claire Worme is an entrepreneur and creator. Having been in the fashion manufacturing and retail world for all her working life, she is well aware of the environmental impact the industry has on the environment. Since closing her company, DINGOLAY & CO. in 2018, the idea of an initiative such as Donation Nation has been in the incubation stage as she discussed and pitched the idea to anyone she thought would be on board.
With years of experience in business management, marketing, accounting, project coordinating and a passion for upcycling and crafting, it was fortuitous when the building at FCT became available and Lani contacted her to champion the project. Voted on as a Director of the Future Centre Trust on July 20, 2020, with the roles of Financial Comptroller/Donation Nation Co-Coordinator as her mandate.
With 10 years’ experience on the annual Valentine’s Ball organizing committee of the Because of Jenna Trust, co-producer of Layers of Love (a BOJT pop-up fundraising shop) and a retiree with time to devote to building and championing this cause. Her goal is to create the opportunity for Barbadians and visitors to ‘pay it forward’ by donating unwanted items while at the same time experiencing the benefits of philanthropy.
Barney Gibbs
Future Trees and The Barbados Trailway Director
As a board member of the Future Centre Trust (FCT), and the Project Lead for Future Trees, The Trailway Project and the Trees That Feed Foundation, Barney Gibbs has planted 1000s of now mature palms along the ABC Highway with Government and has been recently involved in several fruit tree planting initiatives. As the newly appointed Chairman, the FCT is moving ahead with the rail-to-trail project to mark its 25th anniversary, and commemorate its founder, pioneer environmentalist Colin Hudson. The project aims to provide a healthy means of transport and recreation for Barbadians and visitors, while also improving food security and creating economic benefits for nearby communities.
Barney Gibbs, a long-time social entrepreneur, is the owner of Adopt A Stop Caribbean, a company that installs and maintains solar bus shelters in Barbados, St. Maarten and St. Kitts and Nevis. He uses his Masters in Land Economy from Cambridge University to implement green transport solutions in the Caribbean.
Lynne-Marie Simmons
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Director
A lawyer by profession, Lynne-Marie Simmons holds a Bachelor of Laws degree with Second-Class honors from the Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies (1994) and a Master of Law with Merit from King’s College, London (1998) where her learning included International and Comparative Trust Law. She is admitted to practice law in three jurisdictions – in Barbados as an Attorney-at-Law (1996), in England and Wales as a Solicitor (2000) and in the British Virgin Islands as a Barrister-at-Law (2001).
Lynne-Marie also has training and experience in the field of Compliance and Risk Management and she is a licensed Corporate and Trust Services Provider who is actively involved in the international business and financial sectors. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Barbados Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – STEP.
In August 2018, Lynne-Marie was appointed by the Hon. Mia Mottley, Q.C., M.P, Prime Minister of Barbados, to be a director of the Barbados International Business Promotion Corporation (Invest Barbados), an economic development agency of the Government responsible for attracting and sustaining international investment for Barbados. She served in this capacity until the end of her 3-year appointment in July 2021.”
Kammie
Holder
Marketing and Public Relations Director
To say I am unorthodox, naïve, introverted perhaps would make some blush with laughter. My passion for social justice, equality and the environment drives me to see the world different to most persons. Taking the road less travel often puts me in conflict with the status quo.
The last 33 years of my life have been spent as an entrepreneur in the insurance field of which 26 as managing director with emphasis on new innovative product development.
Assisting the vulnerable both locally and internationally working with Rotary International is part of my charitable ethos. Human rights of the aged, children and non-attendance of young girls at school are major concerns.
Professionally I hold the American Insurance College LUTCF (Life Underwriter Training Fellow) and FSS (Financial Service Specialist) designations. Past experience as board member Rotary Barbados South and FundAccess. Final stages of a Master’s in Business Leadership & Sustainability at University of Cumbria. To leave the world a better place is my motto through empowerment of the vulnerable. Always willing to stand alone for what is right for there can never be any compromise for doing what is right!
Tessha
Myers
Treasurer
Tessha is a seasoned accounting professional with 20 years of post-qualification experience in both public and private practice. She attained her Certified Public Accountant’s designation through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados.
After completing her designation, Tessha completed various leadership courses and in 2022, successfully obtained her MBA with the University of Illinois – Urbana Champagne.
She is the mother of three, an avid reader and has not given up (yet) on the attempt to learn a foreign language.
