Fairtrade Fortnight

This year’s fair-trade fortnight runs from Monday 23rd February until Sunday 8th March. As in previous years there will be a range of events running to highlight the campaign, including I hope a number of local events.

Closer to the date, I hope to be able to give a round up of events taking place, so if you know of any taking place, please let me know.

Black Gold Fairtrade Film

Last Thursday evening saw a showing of the ‘Black Gold’ film about fairtrade coffee take place at the Blue Box Theatre in Chorlton.

The showing which had been organised by the South Manchester Co-op Members Group and Withington Co-operative Party had around 100 people in attendance and included visitors from the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa co-operative in Ghana who were over in the UK to promote fairtrade.

Following on from the showing there is a exhibition in the cafe of the Whitworth Art Gallery, Wilmslow Road, Manchester containing a selection of photographs documenting the impact of Fairtrade on coffee farming communities. This runs throughout Fairtrade Fortnight, 25th February to 9th March 2008 further details available here.

Fairtrade Fortnight

This week is the second week of this year’s Fairtrade fortnight, and as part of the efforts to raise awareness of Fairtrade and hopefully promote the efforts of making Glossop a Fairtrade town, Fairtrade Glossopdale has been holding a number of events the last of which are taking place this weekend.

The remaining events are :

Sat 10th March
Fairtrade stall
Co-op, Norfolk Street, Glossop
10am to 4pm

Sun 11th March
Fairtrade stall
St. Mary’s Church, Glossop
After morning mass

Please go along and find out more, or if you cant get to either of these two events contact the group at info@fairtradeglossop.org.uk to get involved.

Fairtrade Fortnight - local activites

Fairtrade Fortnight takes place at the end of this month, and the local Glossop Fairtrade Group has planned a range of events during then.

Most of the events are taking place in various churches around the Glossopdale area with stalls planned for Tesco’s on Saturday 3rd March and the Co-op on Saturday 10th March.

For further details contact the Glossopdale Fairtrade group via their website at : http://www.fairtradeglossop.org.uk/

Fairtrade Fortnight – action requested

I previously posted about the Fairtrade motion that went to the Christmas Council Meeting.

The motion which had been put forward by fellow Glossopdale Labour Councillor Roger Wilkinson, received the support of most of the council at the meeting, with members from across the various political groups speaking in favour.

Well now Glossop’s Fairtrade Group, have contacted the leader of the Council Dave Lomax, to see if the ‘general good feeling’ to the idea of Fairtrade will be backed up with ‘real’ support from the council.

The group are not looking for much, mainly support / assistance from the council to hold a number of events during Fairtrade Fortnight which starts on the 26th February and runs until 11th March.

I hope that some support will be forthcoming, and as soon as I know the details I will post more.

If you would like to get involved in the Fairtrade Glossop Group, they have a website at www.fairtradeglossop.org.uk, and can be contacted via email to : info@fairtradeglossop.org.uk

Christmas Council Meeting

Tonight (Tuesday) sees the pre Christmas council meeting, which will consider a report from the audit and regulatory committee looking at some of the council’s rules and procedures for amongst other thing’s representatives to outside bodies. Recommendations from the executive considering the council’s Gambling policy and the council tax base, and final a motion from fellow Glossopdale Labour Councillor Roger Wilkinson on Fairtrade.

The motion from Roger look’s to support the work that is already been done in Glossop, Buxton and elsewhere within the High Peak by local group working to get ‘Fairtrade town’ status for town’s across the area.

As a member of the Co-operative Group, the motion is one that I look forward to been able to support, and I look forward (hopefully) to seeing the Borough Council, working with local groups to support the aims of Fairtrade. Including I hope some sort of event during the next Fairtrade fortnight which will take place between the 26th February and the 11th March 2007.