Stourbridge still a Fairtrade town

Local efforts to support Fairtrade over the last two years and the backing of the Stourbridge Fairtrade Town Group by Dudley Council have resulted in the town’s continuing title as the borough’s first Fairtrade Town. The group is particularly grateful for its steering group for its dedicated and innovative ideas providing direction and ambition.

Many local people, shops, schools, churches and organisations have helped the group to promote Fairtrade locally in many ways, whether it’s stocking Fairtrade Goods, putting up displays about Fairtrade, running competitions or simply promoting the benefits of Fairtrade. As well as local supermarkets smaller shops like Stourbridge Health Store in Victoria Passage, Ecomaniax and Fair and Square in the Ryemarket all stock Fairtrade and ethically produced goods.

Dudley Council is a Fairtrade Council supporting Fairtrade within the authority and promoting events run by the borough’s two Fairtrade towns, Stourbridge and Sedgley during Fairtrade Fortnight. The council hosted a pop-up exhibition in the council house during this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council said:

My congratulations to Stourbridge Fairtrade for their continuing hard work and dedication to championing Fairtrade.

This is a challenging time for all of us, but it’s heartening to see what committed people can do to improve working and living conditions for people on the other side of the world and is another example of how the people of the borough are compassionate and doing what they can for those in need.

Kate Williamson-Smith, a member of Stourbridge Fairtrade said: 

We will be celebrating 10 years as a Fairtrade Town in September and the support of so many Stourbridge folk for Fairtrade could be seen at the recent Coffee Morning and Chocolate Tasting Event at St Thomas’s Church Hall on 29 February. The event was buzzing and a great success thanks so much to everyone who came and supported it.

Local schools, Brownies and Guides and Sunday schools had produced wonderful, colourful art works on the theme of chocolate growers in West Africa. Local stores such as Waitrose and Tesco’s donated Fairtrade chocolate and we also had Fairtrade chocolates and chocolate drinks from Aldi, Sainsbury’s, and the Co-Op for tasting.

Fair and Square” in the Ryemarket displayed a tall cocoa tree created by the children at St James’s Primary School in Wollaston. Sarah Mason, Deputy Head at St James’s helped so much to create the art exhibition. All you supporters bring fairness and flourishing to growers around the world. Thank you.

Fairtrade brings Fair Prices and the important Fairtrade Premium to growers in the developing world.

To find out more about the Stourbridge Fairtrade group and their latest campaign to help keep Kit Kat Fairtrade, visit www.facebook.com/stourbridgefairtrade or
www.stourbridge.com

For more information on Fairtrade visit www.fairtrade.org.uk