Fairtrade Yorkshire

Celebrating its 20th birthday as a Fairtrade City, roads leading into Hull will be marked with a Fairtrade sign.

Priory Way, Hessle Road, Boothferry Road, Anlaby Road, Priory Road, Bricknell Avenue, Endike Lane, Raich Carter Way, Wawne Road and Ganstead Lane are the chosen locations for the signs.

Hull City councillor Julia Conner states that “Hull has shown ongoing support for fairtrade for 20 years, challenging unfair trade practices and making a stand for decent workers’ rights, safer working conditions and fairer pay for farmers and workers globally.”

We have known for some time that all roads lead to Hull but now they will be marked with a Fairtrade sign.

Mark Dawson of Fairtrade Yorkshire commented “the signs are a visible symbol of the commitment of the City of Hull to fairness and justice for those who produce the goods that we all enjoy.”

Fairtrade Settle is celebrating the putting up of two Fairtrade Town signs in prominent places: on Skipton Road and close to the Football Ground.

Fairtrade Community signs erected in Settle. Photo by Tim Smith. 

The variety of Fair Trade goods available in the town has been greatly increased by the establishment of a regular Fair Trade stall. This is held on the last Wednesday of every month at St John’s Methodist Church. Melanie, Chair of Fairtrade Settle describes the new sale as “a great initiative.”

Mark Dawson, of Fairtrade Yorkshire comments “Fairtrade Settle is Yorkshire’s newest Fairtrade Town and it’s great to see them hit the ground running,”

There’s certainly no settling down. Fairtrade Settle are on the up.

Fairtrade Footballs from Bala Sport are back

There’s a choice of three balls to choose from and two are available in sizes 4 and 5. The Club Match Football, only available in size 5, is £29.95. The Team ball costs £21.95, and the Play Training ball is £16.95. A 15% premium has been paid on every ball to the producers Bola Goma based in Sialkot, Pakistan, but as yet the balls are not certified Fairtrade. The aim is to certify future production once enough profit has been raised from the first batch of sales. Let’s help Bala Sport realise this!

Skipton Fairtrade will be giving two of the footballs as prizes in this year’s Fairtrade competition for schools and a Club Match ball to Skipton Ladies Football team to use in a friendly match at a special event in the summer

Buy online  https://balasport.uk/

Throughout 2025 Hull will be marking it’s 20th year as a Fairtrade City. In 2025, in addition to our regular campaigns and events held to promote the Fairtrade message and ethos of social justice that fair, ethical and sustainable trade brings, there will be a couple of new initiatives to mark this 20 year milestone. To start the celebrations, for the first time, Hull will have Fairtrade City signs at a number of the boundary signs as people enter the city, and in the summer, one of the main city centre flower beds will designed as the Fairtrade logo.

Hull Fairtrade Partnership is looking forward getting out and about in the year ahead, and showing that, as our Fairtrade City banner says “ Hull has always had time to stand up for social justice”. For further information contact Sharon.clay@hullcc.gov.uk

Namaste, a BAFTS member (British Association of Fairtrade Shops and suppliers) based in Skipton has a spectacular range of seasonal gifts – from stocking fillers and tree decorations to clothing and home furnishing. We love them!

See the full range of over 3,000 fairly traded, recycled, sustainable and eco friendly products at   https://www.namaste-uk.com and shop as an individual customer and get free postage on orders over £50 or set up a wholesale account with no minimum order.

Fairer World shop in York

84 Gillygate
York
YO31 7EQ

York’s renowned dedicated Fair Trade shop, stocking a wide range of gifts, crafts, food and beverages. The ideal place to buy gifts for a loved one or pick up stocking fillers.

Open Monday to Saturday 11.00am to 5.00pm.

Between now and Christmas the Fairer World shop will also be opening on Sundays, 11.00am to 4.00pm.

New products include: socks, earrings, silver jewellery, Palestinian olive wood crafts, soap and candle pots, single everyday and handmade cards, Christmas cards, Advent calendars, Christmas / year round wrap, plus seasonal food favourites: Zaytoun caramelised, chilli and smoked almonds from Palestine, chocolate from Divine, chocolate truffles from Cocoa Loco and a range of beer breads from South Africa.

Palestinian ceramics from Hebron make for the ideal Christmas gifts

The Fair Trade shop in Harrogate

It’s a bijou shop in the heart of town in St Peter’s Church Porch, Cambridge Street HG1 1RW but at this time of year it extends and has a dedicated Christmas shop. The shop has a range of jewellery, stylish and contemporary accessories, cards, brightly coloured wooden toys made in Sri Lanka from sustainably sourced rubber wood as well as a large collection of Christmas decorations. Some items in the shop have been imported by Namaste. Staffed by friendly volunteers and open from 10am to 4pm every day of the week it’s a treasure trove if you’re looking for a present at any time of year.

Whitakers chocolates

A Skipton based family business sine 1889, have added some new festive lines to their Christmas collection – milk chocolate Merry Christmas bar, Festive Spice Honeycomb crisps and Dark Gingerbread crisps boxes. Look at their full range, Fairtrade, gluten free and vegan  https://www.whitakerschocolates.com  Free deliveries on all orders over £50.

For Fairtrade Fortnight, Fairtrade Pocklington held an evening to support Chocolate Has a Name

The ‘Chocolate Has A Name’ project aims to add value to cocoa farming in Ghana by teaching the skills of chocolate making.

The event took place at All Saints’ Church on Friday 20th September and was a celebration of cocoa and its impact on culture in Ghana.

The audience was treated to poetry and art inspired by cocoa and fair trade. There was traditional West African storytelling by Nana Essi, who also led a session of cocoa mindfulness. Attendees also got to taste a powerful (but non-alcoholic) drink served in a dried gourd.

Wendy Voke, Nana Essi and Judith Micklem

Joanna Fianu gave a passionate talk about her experience of fair trade projects in Ghana.

Audience member Clive Dawson commented ‘It was a fun evening. There were so many fascinating elements to it; I didn’t know what was coming next!’

Joanna Fianu adds cocoa beans selected by Pocklington folk on to a Ghanaian art work

During Fairtrade Fortnight this year we were delighted to welcome rice farmer Howard Msukwa to Yorkshire. Howard visited Skipton and talked about how climate change is affecting rice growers and also about the difference that Fair Trade can make to help producers.

Howard was welcomed by Councillor Clare Nash, Mayor of Skipton and Liz Roodhouse, Chair of Skipton Fairtrade.

Howard is from Malawi and produces Kilombero rice, which you can buy from True Origin.

During Fairtrade fortnight Howard visited schools, churches and community groups to speak about the challenges faced by the smallholder farmers and their communities.

True Origin is a fair trade food importer seeking to support smallholder farmers in the global south by building mutually beneficial and empowering partnerships. In 2009, Howard was instrumental in forging a partnership between Malawian rice growers and JTS (now True Origin), a relationship which has developed and strengthened over the last 15 years.

True Origin buys and markets aromatic Kilombero rice from the farmers and over the years has been involved in the funding of a variety of projects supporting seed multiplication, education, ploughs, oxcarts, wells and irrigation. Currently True Origin Partnerships is working with the farmers on various projects including supporting groups of women farmers to develop a business making fuel briquettes from waste rice husks; and is exploring longer term irrigation solutions with the farmers.

Bradford Cathedral celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight with their third annual Big Brew. Members of the congregation enjoyed Fairtrade tea, coffee and cake and took part in a quiz, responding to questions about the changing circumstances of different Fairtrade producers.

Sunday 22nd September marked the close of Fairtrade Fortnight 2024. It’s 30 years since products first hit the shelves with the Fairtrade mark, and this year those taking part were asked to BE THE CHANGE by choosing Fairtrade.

The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts, says:

“Keeping the complex and often overwhelming subject of global trade justice and the role our consumption levels contribute to climate change is an ongoing task. This was our third Big Brew and our involvement in Fairtrade as Bradford Cathedral dates back around twenty years, but we can’t rest on our laurels. Our congregation, like many others, want to be engaged in this work but there are so many other competing issues to be involved it would be understandable to let this slip from their priorities. They did, however, participate in this year’s Big Brew with generosity and enthusiasm.

What we are learning, as the Eco Group, is that little and often is the way to keep this important topic as part of the conversation. As we celebrate 30 years of the mark, we look forward to supporting Fairtrade organisations, like Transform Trade, for another 30 years!”