Chas Ball graduated from Cardiff University with a BSc (Econ) in 1970. Following graduation, he worked in London for a human rights pressure group and then for the National Union of Students (NUS), coordinating a unit to encourage wider student participation in community action and environment projects across Britain. In 1976 he was co-founder of a book and periodical distribution co-operative, when he moved to Leeds. In 1979 he started work for the Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB) in Inverness, as a Community Co-operatives Development Officer. Building on the success of its pioneering Community Co-operative scheme in the Western Isles, the HIDB was extending support and funding across its regions. Ball's remit was to support communities in Argyll, Highland and the islands of Orkney and Shetland to establish community co-operatives. After two years he moved to Kirkwall, in Orkney, to focus on communities in Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and North-West Sutherland.
In 1983 Ball took up a post with Leeds City Council as a Co-operative Development Officer supporting co-operatives and community enterprises in the local authority area. After three years he moved to the Projects Unit at Friends of the Earth, where he helped support local projects across England to become sustainable businesses, mainly in waste and recycling. Following this, in 1989, he became Executive Director of Save Waste and Prosper (SWAP), a community enterprise which pioneered various early recycling projects and developed a range of national research activities. SWAP provided consultancy services to clients such as ASDA, B&Q and ICI Dulux to facilitate recycling activities and review their environmental practices. After graduating with an MSc in Urban Regeneration from Sheffield Hallam University in 1999, Ball moved into sustainable transport and founded City Car Club (later acquired by Enterprise). As the first commercial car club operator in Britain, City Car Club developed a strong presence in Bristol, Edinburgh, London and Brighton. He left in 2008, continuing in the sector as a consultant and in 2010 joined national transport charity, Carplus Trust (later named CoMoUK), becoming its Chief Executive in 2011. The Trust promoted shared mobility and worked with local authorities and operators to expand car club activities and administered national funding programmes for government agencies in Scotland and England. On retirement in 2015, Ball continued to work in a voluntary capacity with several environmental and sustainable transport organisations.

Barclays have more than 325 years of history and expertise in banking. They began in Lombard Street, London later launching of the world’s first ATM and innovative mobile phone payments services. They move, lend, invest and protect money for customers and clients worldwide.

During the Apartheid regime there was a 16-year campaign to force Barclays Bank to withdraw from South Africa. The campaign started in 1970 as a result of Barclays' involvement in financing the Cabora Bassa dam in Mozambique. Barclays Bank withdrew from South Africa in 1986.

Born in South Africa in 1946, Steve Biko co-founded the South African Students' Organization in 1968, subsequently spearheading the nation's Black Consciousness Movement, and co-founded the Black People's Convention in 1972. Biko was arrested many times for his anti-apartheid work and, on September 12, 1977, died from injuries that he'd sustained while in police custody.

The South Africa Racial Amity Trust was an educational charity formed in 1965 to promote knowledge of the theory and practice of apartheid in South Africa through research and publication, particularly on the plight of children. It was renamed the Bishop Ambrose Reeves Trust (BART) in honour of its treasurer, the former bishop of Johannesburg, following his death in 1980. BART was dissolved in 1996.

Margaret MacKirdy was born in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, in 1830. Margaret was brought up in the Free Church and was actively involved in the School of Industry at Anderston, Glasgow, which had been established by elders of the St Matthews’ Free Church. It was whilst living at 150 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, in the early 1870s that Margaret married John Black, a shawl manufacturer. Their marriage was short-lived when he tragically drowned in the River Kelvin in 1874. The family had a strong friendship with Bailie William Collins, the Glasgow Publisher, also a member of the Free Church. He was on the sub-committee of the Glasgow School of Cookery responsible for finding a lady to be trained at the National Training School of Cookery. Margaret applied and was accepted for the post, teaching at the school from 1 June 1876 until 1878 when she left to open the West End School of Cookery. Margaret also wrote several books on cookery and household management which were published by Collins, including ”Household Cookery and Laundry Work”, “Superior Cookery” and “Hints to Young Housekeepers”. In September 1885, Margaret was created a Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland and in 1891 was elected on the the School Board of Glasgow as a temperance and free educationalist candidate. She was also secretary of the Womens’ Liberal Association, an office bearer of the National Temperance Association, and a Parish Councillor. Margaret died of pnuemonia on 1 March 1903 at her home at 2 Clifton Terrace, Glasgow.

Born on January 12, 1916, in Paul Roux, South Africa, P.W. Botha rose to prominence in the right-wing National Party, which instituted the strict racial segregation system of apartheid. Botha became the country's prime minister in 1978 and authorized deadly force against anti-apartheid agitators, including members of the ANC. He stepped down from power in 1989. He died on October 31, 2006.

Botha was a member of the ANC's 1994 Parliament. He had previously studied at the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow College of Technology. He introduced Brian Filling on stage at the Glasgow Green Rally in 1988, that was followed by a march down to London as part of the Freedom at 70 campaign.

BP is one of the world's leading integrated oil and gas companies.

British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for any of the Home Unions the national sides of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Lions are a Test side, and generally select international players, but they can pick uncapped players available to any one of the four unions. The side tours every four years, with these rotating among Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The 2009 Test series was lost 2–1 to South Africa, while the 2013 Test series was won 2–1 over Australia.