Saturday 5 October sees Yorkshire celebrating the 25th birthday of the Fairtrade mark. We’re planning for around 150 campaigners and volunteers to amass in Hull’s Trinity Square to create a giant human mosaic in the shape of the Fairtrade mark. The volunteers will be a mix of local supporters of Fairtrade and Absolutely Cultured volunteers.

Here are the timings:

10-4 fair trade stalls in Trinity Market
10.30 – 11.30 registration and collect your hats and T shirts
11.45 gather in Trinity Square
12 noon – the Lord Mayor will kick off the event and the drone will start to take video and stills
12.30 likely end of mosaic

There will also be other activities throughout the day including performance art on the square and craft workshops inside Trinity Market.

Watch That’s TV Humber’s interview with our Co-ordinator, Joanna and Eve from Samsara Crafts one of Hull’s fair trade shops. They talk about the event and the 25th birthday of the Fairtrade mark.

Here are some responses from Hull Fairtrade campaigners who are getting involved on the day:

Hull has a long history of fighting for what is right going back to before the days of Wilberforce.  That spirit is alive and well today, giving rise to Hull as a Fairtrade City and all that involves.

Chocolate has been one of our passions and we are proud to have the Divine Chocolate UK warehouse within our city boundaries, and chocolate has often figured highly in our campaigning for Fairtrade. 

Over the years we have engaged with many communities, schools, churches, businesses, etc., and Fairtrade Labelled chocolate has often been the product that started the conversation, the label leading on to talk about Tea and Coffee and all of the thousands of products which are traded in an ethical and sustainable manner. 

So for Hull to be a focal point for 25th birthday of the Fairtrade mark, is just brilliant!

Peter

We first heard about Fair Trade back in 1981 when it was still a relatively new concept.  The ideas gradually became more widespread until in the late 1990s Fairtrade labelled products burst into the supermarkets.

Now we can get delicious Fairtrade coffee and tea everywhere, even on holiday.  To be part of this expanding movement is exciting and exhilarating.  However, more needs to be done, so we are still actively taking part in promoting Fairtrade , including the 25th birthday party for the Fairtrade Mark.  We hope that in another 25 years there will be no need for the Fairtrade Mark.  All trade will be fair!

Chris

How can you help?:

1. If you are available for a few hours 11am to 1pm on Saturday 5 October this is your chance to become part of a nationwide campaign. The event will be filmed and photographed and the resultant photos and film will be used in local, regional and national publicity for the 25th anniversary. You can just turn up and join in on the day, come along to Trinity Market Hall by 11.30 and we’ll make sure you have the right clothing. All volunteers will receive a goodie bag as a Thank You.
2. Download the flyer and Press release here and share them with your networks.

Fairtrade 25 Year celebration

Press release – Hull Fairtrade at 25

25 years – product press release

Fairtrade at 25 PHOTOCALL

The Facebook event is here. Please share it with your networks.

1. If you’re holding your own celebration of Fairtrade’s 25th birthday, or if you want to show your support via your social media, you can get resources and download social media images here.

It was fantastic to see Fairtrade Yorkshire represented at the Beeston Community Eid celebration on Saturday.

Yorkshire Day falls on Thursday 1 August 2019 and we’re planning on making a splash about Fairtrade Yorkshire on this special day.

Here’s how you can help promote Fairtrade Yorkshire on social media:

1. First get your Fairtrade Yorkshire logo –  Either print the A4 version (available by clicking here) or email joanna@fairtradeyork.com to order some of our specially printed cards.
2. When you visit one of Yorkshire’s tourist attractions, iconic buildings, parks, artworks or bridges for example, simply get out your logo and take a photo.
3. If you wish you can email your photo to joanna@fairtradeyork.com for inclusion on our Wall of Yorkshire Fairtrade for Yorkshire Day.
4. On 1 August post your photo on social media, tagging Fairtrade Yorkshire and including the hashtags #FairtradeYorkshire and #YorkshireDay – any photos emailed will be posted on your behalf.

Wall of Yorkshire Fairtrade

Saturday 11 May is World Fair Trade Day, a global event promoted by the World Fair Trade Organisation.

The theme of this year’s event is Fair Trade Innovates and you’ll find plenty of information about the impact of fair trade organisations and how they are innovating on the World Fair Trade Day website.

FLAG, {Pocklington Fairtrade and Local produce Action Group} joined the All Saints Church coffee morning on February 19th to promote awareness of Fairtrade and raise money for the Fairtrade Foundation.  Information resources from the Fairtrade Foundation, “She deserves” were displayed and  Fairtrade refreshments were served. There was a sale of goods sourced from Fairer World, a cake stall with cakes made from Fairtrade ingredients and the raffle of a hamper of Fairtrade wine, chocolate and groceries. Lots of people attended the event and it was an enjoyable occasion.

On 25 September 2018 the International Fair Trade Charter was launched.
Fairtrade Yorkshire is proud to be a signatory and supporter. We’d love other Yorkshire businesses and groups to join us. You can pledge support here.

The beautiful medieval interior of the Spurriergate Centre was once again the venue for the Fairtrade Networking Breakfast Meeting organised by York Fair Trade Forum.

This year we were particularly delighted to be visited by CEO of Fairtrade UK, Mike Gidney who spoke to attendees about his recent visit to cocoa farmers in Cote D’Ivoire and the theme of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight activities: She Deserves.

A group of local Fairtrade supporters staffed a stall in Baildon Northgate Co-op on Friday 1st March.  The Co-op staff had set out a display of Fairtrade goods on sale which was decorated with information sheets, coasters and bunting.  Shoppers engaged in conversations about Fairtrade and 65 petitions cards were signed calling on the Government to make sure our trade with developing countries puts poverty reduction first, delivering living incomes for all.    A group of pupils from Baildon Church of England Primary School joined in staffing the stall where they enjoyed discussing Fairtrade with shoppers.

During the week three Baildon primary schools held an assembly on different aspects of Fairtrade.  Baildon Church of England, Hoyle Court and Glenaire primary schools are now working towards Fairtrade status which means that they will undertake to serve Fairtrade where possible and also to learn about Fairtrade in some of their lessons.  Baildon Church of England and Glenaire schools ran cake stalls, raising money towards the Fairtrade Foundation.  Sessions on cocoa farming were also run for the local Beavers and Rainbows packs and a youth group.

Baildon Fairtrade Group ran a competition on Facebook sponsored by Baildon Co-op.  People were asked to like and share the Facebook page for a £50 voucher to be spent at the Co-op. This competition hugely increased the number of Likes and Shares at a time when all Fairtrade groups are being urged to reach a wider public through social media.

Bradford Cathedral has had Fairtrade status for over 10 years and on Sunday March 3rd, held its fourth annual Fairtrade Breakfast, raising money towards the work of Traidcraft Exchange.  A great time of fellowship, looked after by a super team, Fairtrade foods enjoyed and lots of cards signed petitioning the government to keep poverty reduction at the forefront of trade negotiations.

Fairtrade goes to Parliament

Yorkshire MPs back Fairtrade Fortnight campaign for cocoa farmers
More than 70 Members of Parliament met farmers from the Ivory Coast, Rwanda and the Dominican Republic at a reception in Parliament on Wednesday 27 th February as part of Fairtrade Fortnight.
The Fairtrade Foundation’s campaign She Deserves a Living Income is shining a light on the poverty facing cocoa farmers in West Africa, where 60% of cocoa is grown, who earn as little as 74p per day and are unable to pay for essentials like food, send their children to school or buy medicine if they fall sick.
A new report from the Fairtrade Foundation, launched at the event in Parliament, reveals women cocoa farmers often carry the greatest burden and yet get the least reward. It calls on the government and businesses to ensure farmers earn living incomes by 2030 in line with the UN’s Global Goals to end poverty.
Awa Traoré Bamba, who is also the director of Fairtrade cocoa co-operative, CAYAT, gave an inspirational speech about how a living income of £1.86 could transform the lives of cocoa farmers, and why it is vital to empower women. Ms Traoré Bamba said: “Women are very important in the development process. If you want to change the lives of producers, you have to focus on women. In our community we use the Fairtrade premium to redress the balance: to train women, to teach them how to read and write to empower them and we have developed activities that create income for them.”

Images: Above – York Central MP Rachael Maskell with Awa Traore Bamba and Mark Dawson of the National Campaigner Committee

Below: Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin at the same event

We are delighted that the CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, Mike Gidney, will be visiting Yorkshire during Fairtrade Fortnight.

1 March – Tasting stall in Co-op, Baildon

1 March – Fairtrade School Conference, Leeds. KS2 and 3 pupils and teachers are invited to participate in Leeds’ 9th Fairtrade School celebration, organised in collaboration between Leeds DEC and Fairtrade Leeds! Book your school’s ticket here.

2 March – Holme Valley Fairtrade are running ‘Banana Breakout’ on Saturday 2nd March when we will take to the streets of our two local towns: Holmfirth and Honley to hand out free Fairtrade bananas and other goodies and raise awareness of Fairtrade.

2 March – Fairtrade Train at the Worth Valley Steam Railway – Haworth Fairtrade Group will be on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway steam train departing at 11.45am from Oxenhope. They will be handing out samples of Fairtrade goodies to
the visitors and passengers, and will be joined by staff from Oxenhope Co-op, with entertainment by
musicians Ian and Reuben.

2 March – 10.30 – 1.30 Coffee Morning, Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Allerton, Leeds

3 March, Real Food Ilkley market – Ilkley Fairtrade Group and Ilkley Soroptimists will be running one of the community stalls at the Real Food Ilkley market, 10am – 3pm, to increase awareness of their work and to raise funds for good causes. They will be raffling Fairtrade products kindly donated by the Ilkley Co-op stores. 10am – 3pm

3 March – 8.30 – 9.45 Fairtrade Breakfast – Bradford Cathedral

4 March – 4pm – 7.30pm – Hull Fairtrade Partnership and Hull Faith in Fair Trade are holding a Pancake Day celebration at the Annex, Cottingham Road. Come along for refreshments including pancakes with your choice of Fairtrade toppings, a stall from Fairer World and meet Fairtrade CEO Mike Gidney. Find out how your church, school or business can support Fairtrade.

5 March – 8.30 – 10.10 York Fair Trade Forum is holding a business breakfast at the Spurriergate Centre in York city centre on Tuesday 5 March. All are welcome for free tea, coffee and juice, and toast with a range of Fairtrade and fair trade jams, spreads, honey and marmalade. Meet the CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, Mike Gidney and find out how you can support Fairtrade.

5 March – 11 – 3.30 Fair Trade Fair, Parkinson Court, University of Leeds

6 March – Huddersfield University is holding a Fairtrade celebration on Wednesday 6th March at 6pm at the University campus and celebrates the past year’s Fairtrade achievements and activities of Fairtrade Kirklees members, including local campaign groups, churches, businesses and schools. We ran a similar and successful event last year – a wonderful evening that attracted much positive feedback. This year we’re hoping to broaden our audience and inspire more people and organisations to get involved with Fairtrade.

7 March – York St John University will hold a Fair Trade Market.

8 March – Chocolate Tea Party, St Andrews Church, Penistone S36 6BS – we will provide chocolate cake, Fairtrade tea and coffee and intersperse the chat with short presentations about Fairtrade inspiring women who have succeeded in developing their own businesses.  As this is also International Women’s Day the Penistone group has contacted five local primary schools inviting years 5 and 6 to join in a poster competition illustrating a Yorkshire woman whose achievement or success they wish to celebrate, as an introduction to the theme of Empowering Women. Poster template Fairtrade Poster letter Fairtrade poster Notes for Teachers

9 March – Fair Trade and Local Craft Fair, Friends Meeting House, Greengates, Malton – Come on in for Fairtrade refreshments and shop with a range of local businesses selling fairly traded goods as well as local artisans. Malton 2019 poster A4

9 March, 11am – 2pm, Traidcraft stall in Christchurch, Ilkley foyer next to the Fairtrade cafe.

Sat. 9 th March. 10am – 2pm. Fairtrade drinks and cakes, plus Fairtrade product tastings, in the Old Mall Café, Airedale Shopping Centre, Keighley  The event is to tie in with International Women’s Day on 8 March and the Fairtrade theme of ‘She deserves a living income’.

13 March – 7pm at Bish Bash Pot, Walmgate, York – Join us to celebrate 15 years of Fairtrade City status in York by painting a pot in a Fairtrade theme. Book your ticket here.

16 March – 9.30 – 11.30am, Christian Aid coffee morning, Methodist Church, Burley in Wharfdale. There will be cake and gift stalls. Fairly traded crafts, accessories and food items will also be on sale.

17 March – Fair trade and Brontë Society Spring walk from Thornton to Haworth, celebrating Rev Patrick Brontë and focusing on his social reform campaigning, including universal education. 9am for 9.30am departure from St. James’ Church, Thornton, via Denholme. Arrive Haworth Old School Room approx 2pm for Fairtrade refreshments and to join the ‘Brontë 200’ event commemorating Rev. Patrick Brontë. He was born on 17 th March 1777 and invited to take up the post of perpetual curate in Haworth in 1819.

Additionally Shipley Fairtrade Group has permission to have a table with Co-op FT products, Bertie and Brenda (our inflatable bananas),  and posters in the windows in Saltaire Co-op during Fairtrade Fortnight.

Ilkley Fairtrade is organising a joint competition with Ilkley Soroptimists to find the most inspiring local woman, who will be
presented with a hamper of Fairtrade goodies donated by local supermarkets. The competition links with International Women’s Day on 8 th March and will highlight inspiring female Fairtrade cocoa farmers.

York Fair Trade Forum will be using the foyer of City of York Council’s West Offices for our display boards featuring our past events and successes, along with fair trade leaflets and posters to draw visitors’ attention to Fairtrade Fortnight.