Colin Crooks MBE
MSc Environmental Conservation, 1997
FOUNDER, INTENTIONALITY
“I wanted to deepen my understanding and knowledge of the environment as I am passionate about the natural world we share with so much amazing wildlife. The more I studied, the more it reinforced my commitment to protecting the environment and to setting up enterprises that did that directly.”
Colin Crooks MBE is an award-winning social entrepreneur and environmental champion. His time at Greenwich, where he completed a MSc in Environmental Conservation in 1997, was important as it helped boost Colin’s confidence and ability to engage in debate about environmental issues, while he found that the university was very welcoming of mature students.
During his studies at Greenwich, Colin set up an environmental consultancy called 3Re which pioneered business waste audits and payment by results waste consultancy. This was merged into a new social enterprise called Green-Works which raised the bar on recycling and reuse standards for office furniture and created employment for hundreds of previously unemployed people.
It was with Green-Works that Colin won the Queens Award for Enterprise Sustainable Development at Green-Works in 2009. “I remember when we got the letter telling us we’d been awarded and how excited everyone was in the warehouse. From literally nothing we had built a business that was employing and training hundreds of people and preventing thousands of tonnes of useable furniture going to landfill. To get that level of recognition for our efforts was truly wonderful.”
After Green-Works closed Colin started another social enterprise, Tree Shepherd, which has helped hundreds of low-income people across south London to start their own business. He now runs Intentionality, providing business advice and coaching and helping new social enterprises to get started. One of these enterprises, BirdRun, was launched in February 2022 to raise money directly for wildlife protection by enabling people to effectively place a bet on when the iconic swift would return from its over wintering sites in southern Africa.
Through Tree Shepherd and Bird Run, Colin has been able to lean on the support of Greenwich students. As he explains, “I have recently been involved in developing a hackathon with 40+ students to look in depth at the marketing and sales strategy of Tree Shepherd. Most recently I was supported in doing some vital website testing work by Greenwich students for BirdRun.”
His passion for the environment and giving back to disadvantaged communities came from an early age. “I was brought up very strongly to share. And I think for me I’ve taken that to mean giving a fair chance to everyone and everything. From my earliest childhood I remember being really troubled by development on green spaces around where I lived. I believe very much that there are enough resources and space for everyone and every creature to thrive in if only we stopped to think more holistically and communally.”
Colin’s achievements were recognised with an MBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list for services to disadvantaged people and the environment. The award was a “massive surprise” to Colin who says the honour is “more a reflection on the amazing people who, at every turn, helped make my ideas happen than it was for my ideas”.
And what advice does Colin have for the next generation of social entrepreneurs?
“Start small, test the waters, learn from each step of the way. And most of all enjoy it!”
Colin Crooks MBE
MSc Environmental Conservation, 1997
FOUNDER, INTENTIONALITY
“I wanted to deepen my understanding and knowledge of the environment as I am passionate about the natural world we share with so much amazing wildlife. The more I studied, the more it reinforced my commitment to protecting the environment and to setting up enterprises that did that directly.”
Colin Crooks MBE is an award-winning social entrepreneur and environmental champion. His time at Greenwich, where he completed a MSc in Environmental Conservation in 1997, was important as it helped boost Colin’s confidence and ability to engage in debate about environmental issues, while he found that the university was very welcoming of mature students.
During his studies at Greenwich, Colin set up an environmental consultancy called 3Re which pioneered business waste audits and payment by results waste consultancy. This was merged into a new social enterprise called Green-Works which raised the bar on recycling and reuse standards for office furniture and created employment for hundreds of previously unemployed people.
It was with Green-Works that Colin won the Queens Award for Enterprise Sustainable Development at Green-Works in 2009. “I remember when we got the letter telling us we’d been awarded and how excited everyone was in the warehouse. From literally nothing we had built a business that was employing and training hundreds of people and preventing thousands of tonnes of useable furniture going to landfill. To get that level of recognition for our efforts was truly wonderful.”
After Green-Works closed Colin started another social enterprise, Tree Shepherd, which has helped hundreds of low-income people across south London to start their own business. He now runs Intentionality, providing business advice and coaching and helping new social enterprises to get started. One of these enterprises, BirdRun, was launched in February 2022 to raise money directly for wildlife protection by enabling people to effectively place a bet on when the iconic swift would return from its over wintering sites in southern Africa.
Through Tree Shepherd and Bird Run, Colin has been able to lean on the support of Greenwich students. As he explains, “I have recently been involved in developing a hackathon with 40+ students to look in depth at the marketing and sales strategy of Tree Shepherd. Most recently I was supported in doing some vital website testing work by Greenwich students for BirdRun.”
His passion for the environment and giving back to disadvantaged communities came from an early age. “I was brought up very strongly to share. And I think for me I’ve taken that to mean giving a fair chance to everyone and everything. From my earliest childhood I remember being really troubled by development on green spaces around where I lived. I believe very much that there are enough resources and space for everyone and every creature to thrive in if only we stopped to think more holistically and communally.”
Colin’s achievements were recognised with an MBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list for services to disadvantaged people and the environment. The award was a “massive surprise” to Colin who says the honour is “more a reflection on the amazing people who, at every turn, helped make my ideas happen than it was for my ideas”.
And what advice does Colin have for the next generation of social entrepreneurs?
“Start small, test the waters, learn from each step of the way. And most of all enjoy it!”
