FT in Rochdale
Fairtrade in Rochdale…...What has already been done?
Rochdale becomes a Fairtrade Borough - March 2006
After three years hard work, Rochdale has officially been named a Fairtrade Borough by the Fairtrade Foundation. This prestigious national award recognises towns, cities and boroughs acoss the UK that have met a set criteria in their work to promote Fairtrade in their community. The work has been led by the Rochdale Fairtrade Forum - a group of volunteers committed to promoting Fairtrade within the borough's community. Well done to everyone involved.
Support of Fairtrade Fortnight (26 February to 11 March 2007)
Fairtrade Fortnight runs for the first two weeks in March every year. It is a national event, co-ordinated by the Fairtrade Foundation. It involves thousands of people across the UK and events vary from Fairtrade coffee mornings and Fairtrade information stands, to an around the UK bike ride promoting the Fairtrade Mark. Local groups such as the World Development Movement, churches and schools organise events each year.
This year in celebration of Fairtrade Fortnight 2007, Rochdale Council & Rochdale Fairtrade Forum held an event entitled FAIR FOR ALL at Touchstones on the 1st of March. The main aim of the event was to raise the profile of Fairtrade and show people how they can make a difference simply by using their own purchasing power. More than 50 people attended the event including the mayor and the leader of the council and everyone who came had a great time. At the fun packed evening the people of Rochdale were able to purchase Fairtrade food; learn about Fairtrade from a selection of speeches, art, and theatre provided by the young people of the borough and test their knowledge of Fairtrade in an interactive quiz.
Production of Rochdale Fairtrade Guide 2007
A new guide has been produced in time for Fairtrade Fortnight 2007. The guide is a celebration of Rochdale achieving Fairtrade Borough status and helps to provide a clear message to the developing world that Rochdale cares. It has been produced by the New Consumer and brings together local businesses, retailers, caterers, community & faith groups, schools and individuals who support and were instrumental in helping Rochdale gain Fairtrade borough status.
The colourful guide is available from the Tourist Information Centre, local libraries, community centres and Council Offices.
The Next edition of the guide will be produced in time for the next fair-trade fortnight, if you are a business and you stock or serve 2 or more fair-trade products, please call Hazel Stobbs on 01706 922 027 and we can feature you on the website and in the guide.
Support for ‘Make Rochdale a Fairtrade Borough’ campaign
The Fairtrade Town initiative has been developed by the Fairtrade Foundation (the organisation responsible for licensing and raising awareness of the Fairtrade Mark in the UK). It is a nationally recognised award for Towns and Boroughs who actively support Fairtrade. The initiative:
- Helps promote the Fairtrade Mark to people across the UK.
- Helps to get more shops/cafés and businesses to support Fairtrade by selling or serving Fairtrade products thus making them easy for people to buy.
- Helps communities in the UK to help communities in other parts of the world.
To achieve Fairtrade Borough status, Rochdale had to meet 5 goals. These goals required Rochdale Borough to identify all retail outlets, cafe’s, workplaces and community organisations (including churches and schools) that stock or serve and promote Fairtrade products.
We have identified quite a few (see FT friendly) and have now reached the Fairtrade Foundation target but we still need more to help spread the Fairtrade message so if you are a shop, cafe, workplace or community organisation and you use or sell Fairtrade products, please let us know. You will be entitled to inclusion on these pages, within the next Fairtrade guide and a free poster for display on your premises - don't forget its good for business.
What else can you do?
- Make Fairtrade products part of your weekly shop or try to buy a fairly traded product once a month for example.
- Buy Fairtrade Tea or coffee for a meeting you are organising or attending.
- Ask for Fairtrade products in your supermarket, local grocery shop or café - perhaps they don't stock them because they are unaware of Fairtrade.
- Get your workplace to switch to Fairtrade tea & coffee.
- Tell a friend or relative about Fairtrade.
- Get up to date information on national Fairtrade initiatives and obtain Fairtrade promotional items from the Fairtrade website - see
- Organise a Fairtrade event.
- Get involved in Rochdale Borough Fairtrade Campaign.