About Us

The Cherry Tree Trust is a privately funded charity (charity no. 1014) established on 31 January 2012 in Barbados. The Trust is a charitable organization that earns to support administrative costs while obtaining capital and seed money purely from private donations.

Charles Pink, one of the founders and Trustee Chairperson, is a career banker who spent seven years living in the Caribbean. Whilst there, he developed an appreciation for the Caribbean and a wider interest in being part of its further development. Charles’s idea is a simple one: Foster growth by finding a way to support small businesses.

Small and micro business interests and entrepreneurs typically find starting out or expanding a business very difficult. Often this is due to difficulty accessing start-up or other investment capital due to the inability to provide security/collateral or verifiable trading records.

Our lending branch, Cherry Tree Lending, contributes to job creation by giving micro-businesses the opportunity to create jobs and offering qualified beneficiaries low-interest, unsecured loans, which ultimately contributes to the ongoing socio-economic development of Barbados.

Vision

To distinguish ourself in the marketplace by providing a unique responsive service provided by technically proficient and approachable management team, committed to working with market stakeholders.

Mission

To address an unmet need within the marketplace, thereby fostering economic and social growth by enabling small businesses to either get established or to support their growth.

Values

Ambition - We are ambitious for our beneficiaries and continuously partner with them to realize their potential.

Passion - We care about what we do and what our beneficiaries do.

Partnership - We build close, long term, personalized relationships based on trust.

Meet the Team

Peter Hall

Chairman, Director & Trustee

Peter is a Jamaican, born in Antigua now living in Barbados. The Caribbean is home to him in so many ways. Peter came to Barbados in 2002 and led the Human Resources and subsequently the Marketing fun... more

Renee Kowlessar

Director & Trustee

Growing up in Barbados, Renee swam and played tennis competitively. Going to McGill University in Montreal and securing a job after graduation with one of the then big 6 accounting firms opened Renee'... more

Ella Hoyos

Director & Trustee

Ella N. Hoyos, is a seasoned Attorney-at-Law in private practice. She currently heads the Rockley Law Group, a boutique commercial law firm. She is also a qualified Mediator and Arbitrator. She start... more

Patricia Deane

CEO

Patricia is Vincentian by birth, holds an American citizenship, and currently lives and works in Barbados. Patricia possesses over 20 years of management and operations experience in diverse industrie... more

Sasha Sheehy

Operations Manager, Strategic Planning & Communication

Sasha has traveled and worked across the Caribbean, mainly in the finance industry, for over 15 years. She started her career at JMMB where she gained a broad range of expertise in people management,... more

Ezlon Griffith

Credit Manager

Ezlon is a retired banker who spent 38 years in the industry with Barclays Bank/FirstCaribbean (33) and Butterfield Bank (5). He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of the UK and als... more

Deborah Mahabir-Yearwood

Treasurer

Deborah is Trinidadian by birth and made Barbados her home for the past 28 years. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration specializing in Finance and Business Strategy and worked in the telec... more

Client Testimonials

Randyman’s is a one stop shop for general maintenance, landscaping and pressure washing needs. Backed by 14 years’ experience, we provide service to householders/individuals, businesses and real estate companies.

It was always our dream to take the business to the next level by extending our product range to include a Garden Shop and Plant Nursery. We were unsuccessful in acquiring funding until ironically we were referred to TCTT by one of the lending organisations who had turned us down.

We would definitely recommend the team at TCTT to any new or existing businesses as their overall professionalism, knowledge, efficiency and genuine care for the customer far exceeds any that we have ever encountered so far in Barbados. They gave us hope again that they are still organizations out there that have the best interest of small businesses at heart. Kudos to the team, keep up the excellent work!

Randy and Trudi Duncan

TRADING AS RANDYMAN’S GARDEN SHOP AND PLANT NURSERY- -CLIENTS FROM DECEMBER 2014

JEM’s Gourmet Chocolates started in 2009, specializing in chocolate dipped strawberries, edible fruit arrangements, chocolate covered oreos, marshmallows and oreo truffles. We decided to expand our products and services by handcrafting products made with fresh cow’s or goat’s milk and organically grown fruits and herbs. Our services also include private chocolates classes, parties and tastings.

This dream is becoming a reality due to the assistance from the Cherry Tree Trust. From the initial phone call, The Cherry Tree Trust team was nothing short of helpful. With every email, there was a quick response. The process included several introductory and informative meetings but the best part was getting the email stating that my application was successful.

In comparison to other financial institutions, what I admire most is that sense of belonging. Even though I had no idea if I would be successful or not, the Cherry Tree Trust, throughout the entire process, kept in contact and gave updates as to how everything was proceeding. The entire process was pleasant and I am happy to be a part of this family of entrepreneurs.

Due to the help and mentorship provided, JEM’s Gourmet Chocolates has a real opportunity to be a true success.

Melissa Batson

TRADING AS JEM’S GOURMET CHOCOLATES-CLIENT FROM NOVEMBER 2014

Fifth Element Designs Inc. is a clothing design and distribution company of the brand The 5th Element – www.the5thelementexpereince.com. The company really got off the ground in 2013 with a timely loan from The Cherry Tree Trust. I’d seen their flyer at the office of the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries, and after reading it, realised it was a great solution to partially finance my company. Obtaining an unsecured loan is virtually impossible from traditional banks and other financial institutions and it is wonderful that The Cherry Tree Trust provides this unique and invaluable service.

The process of application was surprisingly easy, and I was very pleased to be selected for the interview process. I was also very surprised at the speedy reply after the interview. It was a positive one, so of course I was ecstatic! The short length of time I had to wait for disbursement was also a happy surprise.

It is a tremendous boost to my professional and personal confidence that the management team of The Cherry Tree Trust, which is made up of very high caliber professionals with international standards, could believe in my vision and be willing to help me achieve it.

I would wholly recommend The Cherry Tree Trust as a funding option to serious business start-ups.

Andrea King

FIFTH ELEMENT DESIGNS INC. – CLIENT FROM APRIL 2013