Woking Fairtrade Action Network: WELCOME PAGE

News update 29 June 2009

Fairtrade cosmetics now available!

The Fairtrade Foundation has just announced that beauty products have now joined the range of Fairtrade options available in the UK. People can now buy lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels from five companies including Boots, Bubble and Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal's Yard. Each beauty product contains one or more Fairtrade-certified ingredient, such as cocoa butter, shea butter, sugar or brazil nut oil, benefitting disadvantaged producers from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, 57 beauty products have been licensed by the Fairtrade Foundation and we know many more will follow.
»Posted by Becca | 29 June 2009

The Lightbox

The new cafe at The Lightbox - called Palette - the Art of Taste - now has Fairtrade coffee, apple juice and orange juice. The new owner, Nigel, is committed to using local and ethically sourced products. A big thank you to all the local campaigners who have repeatedly let The Lightbox know that we would like to see Fairtrade products available there, given that Woking is Fairtrade Town!
»Posted by Becca | 27 April 2009

Pa Pa Paa

Pa Pa Paa, which works with Comic Relief and Divine Chocolate to provide educational resources about cocoa, has launched Pa Pa Paa LIVE!

For a small fee, it enables schools to bring Fairtrade to life in the classroom with online video broadcasts from a rural school in Ghana attended by Kuapa Kokoo farmers' children. Go to www.papapaalive.org for more details. If your school does not have a permanent link to a school overseas, then this is a perfect way to get kids engaged with life elsewhere and to put questions directly to children living in Africa. [See also the schools page on this website.]
»Posted by Becca | 27 April 2009

Fairtrade Fortnight
23 Feb - 8 Mar

We had two cotton producers from Cameroon visiting Woking schools for a day. We also launched a new Fairtrade Directory for Woking in the Peacocks on Saturday 7th March.

The big event was another of our great debates. The title was Is there time to be Fair? Is climate change more urgent than global poverty or civil liberties? and we had a great panel to help us explore the tensions between these issues. They were:

    • Kate Allen, Director Amnesty International UK (AI is about to launch a campaign about human rights and poverty);
    • Andy Atkins, Executive Director Friends of the Earth (formerly with Tear Fund so he also knows a lot about poverty in developing countries);
   • Barbara Crowther, Head of Communications Fairtrade Foundation (Barbara knows so much about Fairtrade and is the person you often hear answering those tricky questions on the radio.)

The event was held at Christ Church, Woking on Saturday 28th February. »Posted by Becca | 25 February 2009

Schools competition winners

Image of schoolkid Two of the winners of the Schools competition for Powerpoint presentations are Connor (Connor's presentation) and Rory (Rory's presentation) . (May take half a minute to download).

»Posted by Billy | 25 February 2009

Traidcraft resource pack for Fairtrade Fortnight

Traidcraft have brought out a number of exciting resources for Fairtrade Fortnight 2009, including a church pack full of sermon notes, prayers, reflections, project case studies, event ideas and youth activities suitable for Fairtrade Fortnight and beyond. There is also, free of charge, a fundraising pack and a DVD.
See www.traidcraft.co.uk/fairtrade fortnight.

Or, the packs can be ordered from 13th Feb from 0845 330 8900, quoting the following codes:
Church pack – 49564
Fundraising pack with DVD – 51308
»Source: Anne Witton of Traidcraft | 07 January 2009

Thorntons now selling Fairtrade chocolate

I just found out that Thorntons in the Peacocks are now selling 3 different Fairtrade chocolate bars. I can attest to the tastiness of the milk chocolate one! »Posted by Becca | 25 November 2008

Awareness of Fairtrade Mark rises to 70%

Latest research commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation and launched to coincide with World Fair Trade Day on Saturday 10 May 2008, shows more UK consumers than ever before – 70% of the population – recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark, up from 57% in 2007.

The research also shows that more people understand what the Mark is about, with 64% of the population linking the Mark to a better deal for producers in the developing world, and that people are really being influenced to buy Fairtrade products. 1 in 4 of the UK’s shoppers now regularly buy several products carrying the Fairtrade Mark.

Of course in Woking we are not surprised by this. We have had so much support at our campaigning events and know there are hundreds of people spreading the Fairtrade message week in, week out, across the town. Just keep up the good work! »Posted by Becca | 23 July 2008

Woking Successfully Renews Fairtrade Town Status

Having originally been granted Fairtrade Town status in October 2005, we were required to renew this status after 2 years to ensure Woking still meets the criteria set by the Fairtrade Foundation.

We heard in July 2008 that we had been successful and were complimented on our schools work and the efforts to engage with members of the mosque in particular. For a copy of the letter from the Fairtrade Foundation click here. »Posted by Becca | 23 July 2008

Photo: the Mayor & Billie at the 2005 celebration reception at Trinity Methodist Church. Attendees included many of the local councilors, representatives of shops and cafés selling fairly traded goods, churches and community groups using Fairtrade products and Fairtrade supporters from across the Borough.

(click to enlarge)

Keeping track of Fairtrade products in Woking shops

If you have spotted Fairtrade products somewhere that you have not seen before, please do let us know. Here’s what we know about that is new:

We are delighted to see the range of Fairtrade products in our local M&S grow to include lots of food products as well as cotton underwear and T-shirts.
Spotted recently in Debenhams is the new range of men’s cotton T-shirts from Maine and supported by Olympic rower Steve Redgrave.
We’ve heard that the new Café in Knaphill, Valentino’s, is offering Fairtrade coffee. If anyone has been in to check it can you let us know?
Becca confirmed that the three Threshers stores in the area are all selling a number of Fairtrade wines.

»Posted by Becca | 23 July 2008

What is FAIRTRADE? Through selective buying, you can ensure that the producers at the bottom of the supply chain, such as poor farmers, get a fairer share of the money you spend on their goods. [More on Fairtrade]
What is the WOKING FAIRTRADE ACTION NETWORK? Our Network promotes the use of Fairtrade products in the borough of Woking. We made Woking a Fairtrade Town.

WFAN Steering group meetings

Please see red box bottom left of screen for steering group info.

Fairtrade banner made by schools

We would love to have another chance to show it off our fantastic banner, made some time ago from entries to our competition by local schools. So if you have an event at which you could display it, contact Becca. Just bear in mind it is very large - 30m x 1.5m.

The message is the Fairtrade Fortnight slogan from that year: Change Today – Choose Fairtrade.

BLACK GOLD – the Movie

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!

For more information about the film, go to www.blackgoldmovie.com or contact Becca.

Can you take Fairtrade to Work?

The Fairtrade Foundation has recently designed materials to promote Fairtrade in the workplace. We would really like to know what offices and other places of work in Woking, however big or small (major companies, garages, estate agents, hairdressers, whatever), use Fairtrade now. If your place of work doesn't, what about planning a tasting session during Fairtrade Fortnight? What about talking to whoever orders coffee and tea for your workplace about using Fairtrade? More and more workplaces are switching, realising that employees feel good about working somewhere prepared to make ethical choices. Do contact WFAN if we can help.

You could also go to the Fairtrade Foundation's website www.fairtradeatwork.org.uk, which contains resources specifically for those wanting to encourage their employers to make the switch. You could also simply send the witty Fairtrade at Work viral to colleagues (www.fairtradeatwork.org.uk/FT_s_8_2.html).

Some past news items

PHOTOS