FairTrade Events 2008
Fairtrade Fortnight 2008
25th Feb - 9th March
Schools Fairtrade Event
March 4th 2008, 5.30-8pm at Pacific Road Arts Centre. Launch of a Wirral Fairtrade DVD organised by school children, businesses and community groups from across the Borough. Live music, street dance, African drums, Fairtrade smoothies and chocolate!
A Fair World?
We live in a world where the majority of people live in poverty, whilst the rest of us live in a society of greed and waste.
Millions of communities in developing countries suffer exploitation at the hands of companies who control international trade markets.
Unpredictable and unstable markets mean large companies can manipulate contracts with local producers in a way that protects their interests and maintains profit levels.
The effects felt by these trade-dependent communities include the threat of losing land, jobs and homes.
International Trade is one of many factors contributing to world poverty. Others include, the effects of war, famine, disease, corruption and debt.
The development of Fairtrade has led to moves towards re balancing world poverty by offering farmers a better deal.
Fair World Action Group
The Fairworld Action Group started meeting in the June of 2004 to try to address some of the issues at local level. The group is made up from members of the community, Soroptimists, church workers, environmentalists, and generally interested people. Everyone is welcome.
We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 6pm in the Oxton Green Community Shop on Christchurch Road, Oxton, Wirral. For more information call 0151 653 2269 and ask for Jo.
When the Fairworld Action Group was formed its first aim was to gain the Fairtrade Borough status for Wirral. The group which meets in the Oxton Green Shop has consistently worked hard to encourage cafes, shops, and businesses to sell and promote Fairtrade and they have issued regular press releases to raise awareness of Fairtrade.
The council has supported this venture and in April 2006, Wirral was awarded the Fairtrade Borough Status.
We continue to promote Fairtrade in a variety of ways and are working with the council to help develop its commitment in a practical way. We plan to widen the Fairtrade issue by considering other campaigns initiated by Labour Behind the Label Movement, the Trade justice Movement and the affects of big multinational companies.
During Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 we launched the Fairtrade Guide To Wirral outlining where Fairtrade goods can be obtained. This was produced by New Consumer magazine and has been funded by Wirral Council and the Co-operative Bank.
Working alongside the borough campaign is the Fairtrade in Schools Project. Over the years we have reached out to many schools across Wirral offering advice and resource information, talks to staff, school councils, assemblies and class activities.
The Fair Enough Event at the Pacific Road Arts Centre in April 2006, organised with a 6th form working group was a great way of linking up the pupils from many schools and community groups across Wirral. The students worked with us to deliver the bands, fashion show, models, gymnasts, dancers, schools feedback session, displays, and stalls. It was at this event that the Mayor received the Fairtrade Borough Award.
We enjoyed a very successful event during Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 where schools shared ideas about Fairtrade activities, enjoyed dance and drama and listened to a visiting coffee grower from Uganda. We highlighted the launch of the Fairtrade Guide To Wirral, and look forward to spreading the Fairtrade message even wider through the distribution of these guides.
FairTrade Fortnight 2008
We are already planning for a Fairtrade Event during Fairtrade Fortnight on March 4th 2008. It will be in the Pacific Road Arts Centre. We will launch a Wirral Fairtrade DVD organised by school children, businesses and community groups from across the Borough. There will be live music, street dance, African drums, Fairtrade smoothies and chocolate! So put it in your diaries! If you have any ideas for the event please call.What can I Do?
Ask for FairTrade whenever you buy from shops or cafes, or if you go to school or church events, brownies, mums and tots, coffee mornings, charity events etc.If you have tea or coffee at work get FairTrade. Do they serve FairTrade in the staff canteen?
Join our FairTrade Action Group and have your say.
Fairtrade outlets in Wirral
Download fairtrade.pdf to find your nearest shop or cafe which sells Fairtrade.The Fairtrade Foundation
www.fairtrade.org.uk] For all Fairtrade Information - products available, farmers stories, resources for schools, Fairtrade Towns, information for running coffee mornings etcFairtrade in Wirral Schools
www.fairtradeschools.org.ukBritain's Fairtrade Shopping Boom
Did you know that Britons eat half a million Fairtrade bananas every day? Or that more than three million cups of Fairtrade tea, coffee and hot chocolate are drunk daily in the UK?
It's a fact that Britain is the biggest supporter of Fairtrade goods in the world and the number of shoppers keen to back the scheme is continuing to grow.
Around £140 million was spent on goods bearing the Fairtrade logo last year and sales increased by more than 50 per cent, according to official figures from the Fairtrade Foundation.
More than 800 products now carry the logo of the scheme, which promises farmers in developing countries are paid a fair price for their goods.
Coffee is the best-selling Fairtrade product in the UK, with many high street cafes including Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Pret A Manger offering drinks made with Fairtrade beans.
The number of shops and restaurants selling Fairtrade goods has more than trebled since 2003 and shoppers can now buy bananas, chocolate, tea, flowers, wine and cooking oils that support the lives of farmers in 49 developing countries across the world.
Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said figures showed that shoppers genuinely cared about the origins of their goods and wanted to make sure farmers benefited from their purchases.
Fairtrade Vending Machines in schools
Vending Machine Ban Helps Third World and Fairtrade:
An unforeseen outcome from the government's ban on unhealthy vending machines in schools could be a windfall for third world producers, according to a vending machine specialist.
Many schools depend on the income generated by the sale of crisps and chocolates from the machines that will be banned following Ruth Kelly's announcement.
Since healthy option machines rarely generate the same income, schools are looking at other options, such as hot drinks to make up the shortfall. Appropriately for 2005, many of those machines are now stocking products that are endorsed by the Fairtrade Foundation.
Mike Steel, from Fairtrade Vending in Kent, said that recent weeks have seen an appreciable rise in the number of schools asking about the Fairtrade option "Vending machines that stock only Fairtrade products are very attractive to young people, particularly since the publicity over Live8 and the G8 summit. Drinks can also replace chocolate and crisps in terms of income generation." His local education area of Medway has already asked him to put together a presentation for 20 of their senior schools. "The government ban on unhealthy vending machines in schools could result in thousands of pounds worth of additional sales for third world producers", Mr Steel said. "It's good to think that children in some of the most poverty stricken areas of the world will benefit from something that also encourages better health amongst our own youngsters".
Back to top