WIRKSWORTH BACK ON TRACK AS A FAIRTRADE TOWN
- peakadvertiser
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The Wirksworth Fairtrade Town Team is delighted to announce that Wirksworth has won back its Fairtrade Town status. The town was first accredited as a Fairtrade Town back in 2009, but in recent years this status has lapsed. Now, however, the Fairtrade Foundation has updated Wirksworth’s Fairtrade status for a further two years.
The new Team has been in action since April. Since then:
• The Town Council has updated two resolutions in support of Fairtrade, and two of its councillors have joined the team.
• A ‘Wirksworth Fairtraders’ leaflet has been produced, showing all the shops and hospitality outlets where Fairtrade goods can be bought.
• The Central Co-op Northern Membership & Community Council supported a Fairtrade wine tasting for Fairtrade Fortnight in September.
• The team campaigned about the conditions of tea workers at the October Farmers’ Market in Wirksworth.
To celebrate its success, and to thank the town for its support, the Fairtrade team put on a free draw. Participants selected a sample of Clipper Fairtrade Tea, and fifteen people found a cross on their envelope, signalling that they had won a £5 token to spend at Sour Cow, the Little Red Sandwich Stop or Willow Blossom Bubble Tea Shop. All these establishments feature in the ‘Wirksworth Fairtraders’ leaflet.
The Team awarded all the shops and hospitality outlets offering Fairtrade goods a window sticker with its logo, advertising the fact that they sell Fairtrade goods.
Siddhraj and Rutvi Odedra, who run Dip’s Place on St John Street, were delighted to receive their sticker. They are continuing the long tradition of Dip’s Place selling a wide variety of Fairtrade goods, including tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate and dried mango. Siddhraj explained that, “Regular customers want to buy Fairtrade goods to support the people at the other end of the supply chain. Sometimes you know that producers haven’t been paid a proper wage, and buying Fairtrade is an easy way of doing something about it. If you see the Fairtrade mark on something, you don’t have to do the research – you know the farmers have been treated decently.”
We would welcome new members, to help us extend our work. We meet about every two months. For more information or to join our group please find the Wirksworth Fairtrade Town Team on Facebook or email us at wirksworthfairtradetown@gmail. com
