Reflections from the Very Reverend Albert Bogle on Vine Trust’s 40th Anniversary
The Lost Art of Character Lending That launched a Global Mission
It’s funny how shared experiences can spark memories that deserve to be recorded and honoured—especially as they connect to a milestone like a 40th Anniversary. It happened to me last week. I’m part of an email group that receives a regular blog from my good friend Jock Stein. This week, Jock was bemoaning the passing of the local bank manager.
The rise of the corporate banking world has meant that the role of local decision-makers is no longer required. In fact, many of our communities no longer even have a local branch.
Jock’s story—relating how he, as a fourteen-year-old boy, opened a bank account in Bo’ness only to receive a gift of a painting from the manager, painted by the manager himself—speaks of a world long gone. However, it reminded me of another bank manager from a few years later in Bo’ness, who showed me something of that enduring spirit of human generosity. Jock’s frustration about lost personal relationships in banking struck a chord, or should I say a nerve. The good that has been lost, and the evil that seems to raise its serpent head again and again in the world of finance, somehow needs to be addressed.
That memory brings me directly to the reason for this post. Forty years ago this week, on December 18th, 1985, we opened the Branches gift shop in Bo’ness. The previous month, I had visited the Bank of Scotland manager, Mr. Cochrane, with two local businessmen: Dave King and the late John Meikle. We asked him to open two bank accounts: one in the name of Branches, and another in the name of Vine Trust, to receive the profits from the shop’s trading activities. To start buying stock, we asked for an overdraft of £3,000. John Meikle, the local haulage contractor, looked at Mr. Cochrane and said, “We’ll just shake on that, and I trust you’ll gie us it interest free.” Mr. Cochrane smiled and replied, “How about half a percent, Mr. Meikle?” Both men nodded.
I met Mr. Cochrane in the town 25 years on; he was well retired, carrying a wee bag of messages. I stopped him and asked how he was doing. When we parted, I thanked him and said, “How does it feel to be the man who made it possible for medical ships to sail up the Amazon and street children to find homes?” He smiled and said, “In those days, a bank manager could do these little things.”
Of course, to us it wasn’t a little thing. It was the beginning of a great adventure that was unfolding. In those early days, men like John Meikle hardly darkened a church door, but he continually bought stock at the ‘Cash and Carry’ to donate to the shop.There was a time when bank managers were decent local guardians, involved in Rotary and the local kirk. I also know many a poor family got help from the bank. They called it character lending. The shop still trades.
In February, next year Martha and I will visit Tanzania to see the progress that has been made since those early days. In fact, the story is quite phenomenal. Today, Vine Trust has two medical ships working in the Amazon and two serving communities in Tanzania. Over £35 million has been raised, and more than 4,000 volunteers from around the world have engaged in bringing hope, health, and healing to the most needy.
This week, we mark the 40th Anniversary of that simple handshake in a banker’s office. From that small act of local trust has grown a charity with the patronage of HRH The Princess Royal, facilitating over 2.4 million medical interventions in the remotest parts of the world.
The story of Vine Trust has its roots in community—ordinary people connecting to change lives. It is a testament to the power of local leadership to inspire communities to reach beyond themselves. The history of Vine Trust promotes a model that can inspire corporate companies, politicians, faith leaders, medics, and educationalists to work together. It shows how we can make life-changing transformations in the lives of all who dare to make these simple, human connections.
- Very Reverend Albert Bogle