About Us

The Cherry Tree Trust is a privately funded charity (charity no. 1014) established 18 January 2011 in Barbados. The Trust operates solely on funds received from private donations and uses its earnings to cover administrative costs. Charles Pink, one of the founders, is a retired banker who spent seven years living in the Caribbean. Charles developed an appreciation for the Caribbean and wanted to contribute to its development. His idea was a simple one: Foster growth by finding a way to support small businesses.

Small and micro businesspeople typically find starting out or expanding a business very challenging. This is usually due to difficulty in obtaining funds as they are unable to provide security/collateral or trading records. The Cherry Tree Trust recognized this need, and under our newly established Cherry Tree Lending brand, we continue to provide small and micro- businesses with the opportunity to start or expand their businesses. We offer unsecured loans at a low-interest rate to qualified applicants. This ultimately contributes to the ongoing socio- economic development of Barbados.

Vision

To foster economic and social growth by enabling small businesses to get started or to get support to grow.

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
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
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
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

Lana Alleyne
Lana Alleyne

Director

Lana is an experienced Marketer who has worked on both the advertising agency and corporate business side and therefore knows how to speak the language of both. With a career of over 20 years in Mark... more

Tyson Carmichael
Tyson Carmichael

Director

Tyson is a Program & Project Management leader on large-scale projects in business transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions , and restructuring. He leverages his technology background in his profession... more

 Patricia Deane
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
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
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
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

Beneficiary Testimonials