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The campaign to make Woking a Fairtrade Town is entirely run by volunteers
and there is plenty to do. Whatever you think you can do, we can find a way
to use you whether it's writing letters, manning a stall, talking to businesses
about Fairtrade, helping manage the website, running trade games in schools
or giving talks to adults.
The first step is to fill out our web form
and join the Woking Fairtrade Action
Network. You will receive a regular newsletter which will keep you up-to-date
with what is happening and suggest things you can do. We will mail newsletters
if you do not have email but if you have email we will also send additional
information and requests for help as and when we can.
In order to meet the goals required to become a Fairtrade Town we need to get more coffee shops, restaurants and shops stocking Fairtrade products. It will be a great help to us if you ask for Fairtrade wherever you think you would like to see it. That way retailers will know there is demand out there before we talk to them.
One of the challenges we have in trying to become a Fairtrade Town is to persuade more employers in Woking to make Fairtrade choices for tea, coffee, chocolate etc available to their staff. We have started with the Council which will be specifying a requirement for Fairtrade products when they undertake a procurement exercise in 2004. Aside from getting smaller firms interested, we would really like to have at least one "flagship" employer in Woking offering staff Fairtrade options.
If you work in Woking, please talk to your employer about providing Fairtrade tea and coffee options. Contact us for details of catering suppliers who stock Fairtrade.
Talking to young people is one of the best ways of changing long term attitudes to trade and third world development. We recognise the importance of going into schools and working with teachers to bring Fairtrade issues into the school.
Claire Jackson
is a local primary school teacher who is on the WFAN Steering group. She is
in contact with numerous local schools, supporting them as they find ways to
include Fairtrade in the timetable.
For instance, she helped organise the visit of a 23 year old Fairtrade coffee grower from Nicaragua into 4 local schools during Fairtrade fortnight in Feb/March 2007. With Claire’s help, WFAN recently held a an after-school INSET session for teachers at the Oaktree School, our Fairtrade infants school. Teachers and governors from 14 local schools participated and were able to take away comprehensive packs of information which includes resources about Fairtrade, ready-made assembly plans and details of where to source Fairtrade products for schools. Please contact Claire (see contact us page) if you want to find out more.
If you are involved in a school click here for ideas of how we can help you bring fair-trade issues alive in the classroom, or go to www.Fairtrade.org.uk for resources from the Fairtrade Foundation.
Many churches and church members are already enthusiastic supporters of fair trade practices, and trade justice issues in general. In Woking the churches have supported the campaign for Woking to become a Fairtrade Town and some are now asking about how to become a Fairtrade Church. [More on Fairtrade churches]
We have lots of postcards, as part of the Order Up! campaign, which people can take into coffee shops and restaurants and hand to managers asking for more Fairtrade products to be made available. There is a detachable part that the manager can send off and get sent information about how to switch to fair-trade supplies. If anyone wants some cards for themselves, friends or work colleagues, contact Becca (see contact us page) or the Fairtrade Foundation to get some.
The flash mob that took place in Woking Town Square on the 6th November was a huge success, with over 100 local supporters showing up to demonstrate support for Fairtrade by chanting “bananas!”. The event was covered by the local press and therefore was a good opportunity to get the Fairtrade message across to local residents. Thank you to all that came along to support the event. As the event was organised as part of CSV Make Difference Day, we are delighted to announce that we have been nominated for one of their awards in the ‘most innovative’ category. The award dinner is on January 27th and we have a few tickets for volunteers. Let us know if you want to come along.
We have 6 copies of the DVD Black Gold, all about coffee farmers in Ethiopia. Why not organize an evening at your church or youth group, or simply a evening with friends with a glass or two of Fairtrade wine and screen this film. You will never think the same about your simple cappuccino!
Woking Fairtrade Action Network has a newsletter service and subscribed members receive regular updates of news and activities from WFAN. If you would like to receive these updates please subscribe by sending an email (without any text in the subject line or body of the message) to
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last update: 05/03/2008 | http://www.wokingfairtrade.org.uk/howto.html