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Martin has substantial research experience in the field of ethical trade, ethical finance and social enterprise.

Martin’s work includes:

• Report writing
• Strategic advice
• Blogging and on-line content development
• Project support

Martin joined Impactt in March 2007 after working on a two-year post-doctoral research project ‘Organising Ethical Trade a UK-US comparison’, which focused on the different approaches to ethical trade adopted by UK and US food and clothing retailers.

Martin’s PhD thesis examined the growth of ethical finance for funding social enterprise in the UK. As part of this work, Martin worked with the Charity Bank Limited, the first Charity to be given a banking license by the FSA. During this time Martin conducted a social audit on their lending processes. Martin’s undergraduate degree and postgraduate degrees were completed at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at Birmingham University.

During his studies Martin worked with C21VOX a multimedia arts organisation working across a range of contexts with young people from deprived backgrounds or in need of palliative care. C21VOX were experimenting with multimedia, multi-point web-conferencing and e-broadcasting to bring young people together, and create spaces where they could participate in decision-making processes that affected their lives.

Why did you join Impactt?

During my post-doctoral research I interviewed over ninety individuals and organisations on both sides of the Atlantic regarding their approach to and policies on ethical trade. I knew after meeting Rosey and the rest of her team that I wanted to work for Impactt. I was really impressed by their understanding and approach to ethical trade.

Publications

Bryson J R & Buttle M D (2005) Enabling Inclusion through Alternative Discursive Formations: The Regional Development of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), The Service Industries Journal 25, 2

Buttle M D (2008) ‘I’m not in it for the money’: Constructing and mediating ethical reconnections in UK social banking, Paper submitted to ‘Spaces of Generosity’ special edition of Geoforum

Buttle M D (2008) Diverse Economies and the negotiations and practices of ethical finance: the case of Charity Bank, Environment and Planning A

Hughes A, Buttle M D, Wrigley N (2008) Organisational geographies of corporate responsibility: a UK-US comparison of retailers’ ethical trading initiatives’ The Journal of Economic Geography