Working Towards A Fair & Sustainable Banana & Pineapple Trade
  • Newsletters
  • Resources
  • Video
  • Contact Us
Banana Link
  • What We Do
    Our ObjectivesOur AchievementsEUROBANWorld Banana ForumRethinking Value ChainsInternational Alliance for Sustainable Family FarmingMeet The TeamWork for us
  • Why We Exist
    All About BananasThe Problem With BananasGood Practices In The Banana IndustryAll About PineapplesSustainability Standards & Certifications
  • Where We Work
    CameroonColombiaCosta RicaDominican RepublicEcuadorGhanaGuatemalaHondurasPeruThe PhilippinesWindward Islands
  • Our Projects
    BananEx (TR4)Banana Occupational Health and Safety Initiative (BOHESI)Education & Empowerment In West AfricaGender Equity Across Supply ChainsImproving & Increasing Women’s EmploymentMake Fruit Fair
  • Trade Unions
    Union-To-Union ProgrammeGMB International Solidarity FundCOLSIBACameroonColombiaCosta RicaDominican RepublicEcuadorGhanaGuatemalaHondurasPeru
  • Gender Equity
    Women In The Banana TradeWorld Banana Forum & Gender EquityPractical Progress to Gender EquityGender Equity Across Supply ChainsImproving & Increasing Women’s Employment
  • News & Blog
  • Donate

Meet The Team

Banana Link Staff & Directors

Home » What We Do » Meet The Team

Agathe Caublot
Project Officer

Agathe joined Banana Link in February 2020. Her role involves providing assistance in various aspects of Banana Link’s work and supporting the coordination of the Rethinking Value Chains Collective. Being fluent in French and English, Agathe also carries out translation work for both Banana Link and the RVC collective.

Agathe has lived in France, Australia, Malaysia, and most recently the UK. Alongside her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics, Agathe undertook consultancy work for the Fairtrade Foundation and interned at International Senior Lawyers Project, an NGO that provides legal assistance to governments and civil society organisations supporting just, accountable and inclusive development.

Anna Cooper
Project Coordinator

Anna has been working for Banana Link since 2005 and is currently based in France. Her role involves the coordination of activities on labour rights, health and safety and gender equity within the World Banana Forum as well as the coordination of a new international civil society network on ‘Re-thinking Value Chains’. Alongside her part time role for Banana Link, Anna has also worked as trade union officer for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign and as a facilitator of Carnival Arts and Circus workshops for local community groups in London and Marseille.

Anna is also a lead member of a local Cooperative project in Ardeche, France – Le Collectif du Moulinage de Chirols

Lee Harbour
Finance Manager

Lee started his career as an accountant focusing on nationwide recycling contracts working closely with the local authorities. He then moved into various commercial roles with Bernard Matthews and Reckitt Benckiser.

At this point Lee decided to change direction and move into small organisations within the not for profit sector, this started with his role as Finance Manager at Banana Link. Alongside this role he has a small portfolio of other not for profit clients and has subsequently set up an accountancy partnership concentrating on not for profit organisations within Norfolk. The move allowed him to align his work with personal ethics.

He cares where his food comes from and how it is procured which was further reinforced whilst studying the mechanised food industry whilst completing a Philosophy MA so Banana Link seemed like a perfect fit.

Paul Lievens
Policy & Communications Coordinator

Paul has a background in policy and communications at the Office of Fair Trading, the then UK government consumer protection and competition policy agency.

Before joining Banana Link in 2015, he was Communications Manager at the Pesticide Action Network UK, and a brief spell as interim Digital Communications Manager at Farm Africa.

In addition to working part time at Banana Link, Paul provides occasional communications consultancy to the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, specialising in pesticide issues.

Hella Lipper
Director

Hella joined Banana Link as Director in 2019, having worked in the banana industry for many years.

Hella started to work within the banana sector in 1992 and did so until December 2018, having started in Fairtrade organisations importing fairtrade bananas in Germany. In 1999 she left Germany to work with WINFA to help and set up Fairtrade in the Windward Islands. During her time in Germany and in the Windward Islands she was also active in Euroban, organizing among other things the 1st International Conference for Women in the banana industry in 2000 in Hannover.

In 2007 Hella came to the UK working for a UK importer for bananas and later a retailer, still being responsible for Fairtrade bananas (among other products).

 

Simon Nobbs
Director

Simon has been a Bananalink director since 2008, leading as a treasurer.

Simon has brought in his experience as a finance manager in private and public sector and joined Bananalink because of his concern for the livelihoods of the poorest in the world after spending six months on mission in Managua, Nicaragua.

Simon is a qualified CGMA and currently systems accountant at Essex PFCC FRA.

Alistair Smith
International Coordinator & Director

Alistair founded Banana Link in 1996 after ten years of development education work on international issues in East Anglia and its farming community. The idea of focusing on a specific sector of the world economy came from a challenge by French colleagues for a concerted effort to explore how the ‘hidden’ social and environmental costs along the chain from producer to consumer could be incorporated and thereby transform a whole industry.

Hannah Thompson
Translation Coordinator

Hannah joined Banana Link in 2017 after completing a Modern Languages degree at the University of East Anglia which included a year abroad which she spent in Trujillo, Peru. It was at university Hannah became aware of Banana Link and its links to Latin America after she developed an awareness and understanding of the political and social issues faced by many people there.

As well as her work at Banana Link Hannah works for the charity, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Jenny Webber
Chairperson

Jenny became involved with Banana Link in 2014 when she went to Cameroon to facilitate a reps’ empowerment and training programme with FAWU.

She had been a council gardener and trade union activist for many years, in the National Union of Public Employees, particularly involved with women’s organisation, education and International Solidarity.

In 1998 she started work for GMB as Training and Development officer with responsibility for workplace learning and facilitating reps’ training.

Jenny retired in 2010 and is now a director of Banana Link and continues to be a GMB branch activist supporting workers’ education and women’s organisation.

Holly Woodward - Davey
Project Officer

After graduating from SOAS, University of London, in 2008, Holly worked for a UK Black and Ethnic Minority infrastructure charity based in London, and later for Freedom from Torture. In 2011 she moved to the Dominican Republic where she volunteered and then worked as a Montessori pre-school teacher. While living in the Dominican Republic she met her husband and became fluent in Spanish. Holly moved to Norwich with her husband and son at the end of 2019, and began working at Banana Link in early 2020.

Our Objectives

World Banana Forum

Our Achievements

Rethinking Value Chains

EUROBAN

Get Involved

Newsletter
Donate
Contact Us
Banana Link  

49 Colegate
Norwich
NR3 1DD
United Kingdom

Navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • All About Bananas
  • All About Pineapples
  • Trade Unions
  • Gender Equity
  • News & Blog
  • Our Partners
  • Our Projects
  • Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settings Read More
ACCEPTREJECT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT