News update 29 Jul 2011

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Easy Bean

Easy Bean (www.easybean.co.uk) has launched the first ready-prepared meals to carry the Fairtrade Mark. The two products - African Palava and New Mexican Chilli are now available at around 100 of the main Sainsburys stores as well as in selected Waitrose stores, John Lewis, Ocado and other outlets.

Easy Bean aditionally offers four non-fairtrade bean products. All dishes can be eaten heated for a quick and tasty lunch or added to rice or a jacket potato for a healthy evening meal.

African Palava is a West African hotpot with a profusion of brown beans, free range chicken, peanuts, sweet potatoes and spinach. New Mexican Chilli is a vegetarian recipe and includes red beans with sweet peppers, tomatoes, spiked with jalapeño.

Christina Baskerville, who established Easy Bean in 2007, says : "I was excited by the nutritional benefits from beans as well as their ability to fertilise the soil by putting nitrogen back into the soil as they grow. These benefits are vital in countries with levels of malnutrition and where land can be over-worked by smallholders desperate for enough to eat."

She adds: "Beans have more fibre than many wholegrains, are virtually fat-free and are high in protein. In the UK the broad bean was the most important staple in our diets until Sir Walter Raleigh brought Queen Elizabeth 1st the now ubiquitous potato."

The meals are low in salt, are gluten- and dairy-free and provide two to three of your five-a-day. The one-pot meals retail at Sainsbury's at £3.48.

»Posted by Becca | 29 July 2011

World's longest string of bespoke bunting

Nearly 40 groups around Woking took part in the world record attempt to make the longest ever piece of bunting. We had at least 10 schools, the Lightbox, brownies, beavers, guides, churches, the Ribat Institute, Soroptimists, toddler groups, a book group, youth groups and Woking Amnesty all taking part.

The focus of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight was cotton, and so we hosted a photographic exhibition in Wolsey Place with photos by Trevor Leighton.

The world record currently stands at 2,696 metres of hand-made, bunting triangles. Each flag represents one statement of support for Fairtrade and one Fairtrade cotton farmer.

Fairtrade gives farmers a fair and stable price for their cotton, plus a social premium for their community, for more information on Fairtrade cotton visit fairtrade.org.uk(cotton).

During Fairtrade Fortnight we brought all the Woking bunting together for a photo before sending it off to the Fairtrade Foundation who will join all the bunting together from across the UK and deliver it to the WTO meeting in November 2011, where the world's longest line of Fairtrade bunting will carry your message and show off support for Fairtrade and trade justice for the farmers behind the label.

Garden Party on behalf of Amnnesty International - 21 June 2010

This pleasant occasion took place in Becca's back garden. The weather was clement and a selection of drinks and specially-designed cakes was available. About 20 people showed up and £305 was raised. See photo.

UBUNTU cola-tasting stall -
Saturday 10.30 am - 4 pm  24 July

Our Waitrose store in Goldsworth Park is one of 91 that are trialing Fairtrade Ubuntu cola and Ubuntu offered support to any Fairtrade Town groups that would do a tasting at these stores - including providing samples, publicity materials, etc.

Waitrose kindly gave us permission to have a stall outside its premises on Saturday 24 July.

»Posted by Becca | 17 June 2010

Environment Day at the Lightbox in Woking-
Saturday 5 June

We had a stall at the Environmental Day at the Lightbox and ran interactive workshops for 7-11 year olds, which allowed them to see what life is like for a cocoa farmer using props provided by Fairtrade pioneer, Divine Chocolate. So we had a bit of a chocolate theme going and plenty of chocolate to taste!

Harvest of Hope - A Taste of West Africa
20 March 7pm

This event comprised an evening of reflecting on the struggles and hopes of Christian Aid Partners in Senegal, with singer songwriter and storyteller Martin John Nicholls at Christ Church, Woking. A West Arfrican style meal was included. The event was very much appreciated by those who went.

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.

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)

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.

Fairtrade Fortnight Events Around Surrey | 1-14 March 2011

Here is a list of all the Fairtrade events I know of that took place around Surrey this Fairtrade Fortnight.

Tuesday 1st: Fairtrade Stall, Guildford Farmers Market (supported by Guildford Borough Council)
Wednesday 2nd: Two Palestinian farmers at Brookwood Sainsbury's doing Equal Exchange olive oil tasting 9.30am to 12 noon
Thursday 3rd: "Black Gold" - screening of the film about coffee at The Chertsey Bookshop, doors open 6pm - Free
Thursday 3rd: Fairtrade wine tasting at Elmbridge Environmental Forum conference/AGM in the Civic centre, Esher
Friday 4th: "Fairtrade in the 21st Century", a talk by Paul Chandler, CEO Traidcraft, 7pm, Lecture Theatre E, Griffiths Building, University of Surrey, Guildford
Friday 4th: Fairtrade refreshments and stall in the Octagon after 10.30am Women's World Day of prayer service at SS Peter & Paul Church, Godalming
Saturday 5th: Fairtrade Stall in Tesco, Addlestone
Saturday 5th: Big Brew Tea Party 2.30-5pm, St John's Church Room, Farncombe
Sunday 6th: Big Brew after Sunday worship at SS Peter & Paul's Church, Godalming
Sunday 6th: Children's Pirate party with story, activities and tea, 2-4pm, Lingfield Community Centre, High Street (£2)
Friday 11th: "Show off Your label", Fairtrade Fashion Show with guest speaker Aurelie Walker of the Fairtrade Foundation, 7pm Trinity Centre (next to Holy Trinity Church), Guildford (sponsored by M&S)
Saturday 12th: "The Great Bunting Event", Station Road, Addlestone
Saturday 12th: Fairtrade stall in Crown Court, Godalming
Saturday 12th: Quiz and Fairtrade supper, 7pm for 7.30pm Lingfield Community Centre (Tickets £7.50 from LDFairtradegrp@aol.com)
Saturday 12th: Fairtrade tombola (every ticket a winner!) all day at The Heart, Walton-on-Thames
Mon 8th-Sat 12th: "The Best of Fairtrade Cotton" - Photographic Exhibition with photos by Trevor Leighton, Wolsey Place, Woking
Sunday 13th: Taysir Arabesi and other Palestinian Farmers will be speaking at St. Nicholas Church Hall, Guildford, at 7pm.
Sunday 13th: Women's Place in the Third World, several speakers with first hand experience, 4pm to 6.30pm, Trinity Methodist Church, Brewery Road, Woking.

»Posted by Becca | 01 March 2011

UBUNTU cola-tasting stall -
Saturday 10.30 am - 4 pm  24 July

Our Waitrose store in Goldsworth Park is one of 91 that are trialing Fairtrade Ubuntu cola and Ubuntu has offered support to any Fairtrade Town groups that will do a tasting at these stores - including providing samples, publicity materials, etc.

Waitrose has kindly given us permission to have a stall outside its premises on Saturday 24 July. Jenniann and I are both available that day but could do with a few more volunteers. Please could you let me know if you can offer an hour or two with this 'tasting', and what sort of time you prefer? We will probably aim to have the 'tasting' stall manned with two people.

»Posted by Becca | 17 June 2010

Fairtrade Surrey Launch Event...
Saturday 12 September 2010 2-5 pm

Fairtrade campaigners across Surrey got a campaign going to make Surrey a Fairtrade County. We wanted people across the county to see that Fairtrade is important to a large number of its residents.

Groups transported giant mugs or Fairtrade inflatable bananas from their respective towns to Guildford. Supporters came from Woking, Dorking, Leatherhead, Camberley and Addlestone. They gathered on the University of Surrey green (GU2 7XH) where there were music, Fairtrade talks, Fairtrade drinks & biccies and some food (burger & ice cream van).

We usde the bananas to build our very own Fairtrade banana tree surrounded by our Fairtrade 'cuppas' for a great photo opportunity!

Fairtrade prizes included: most imaginative transportation of inflatable; low carbon footprint transport to Guildford ... and more.

A side objective of the event was to build a network of campaigners so that experienced groups can more easily support groups which are just setting out on this journey.

John Arnold and Sarah Jewell were the event coordinators (working with David from Surrey Uni and the full Fairtrade Surrey steering group).

»Posted by Becca | 26 August 2010 | updated by Frank Feb 2011

WFAN Steering group meetings

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

Some past news items

PHOTOS

• [Fashion Week 2005]
• [Photo A]   [Photo B]    [Photo C]   [Photo D]    [Photo E]

SEE ALSO news archive

http:/www.wokingfairtrade.org.uk/mainwindow.html