FAIRTRADE supporters in Warrington have plenty to celebrate after the town’s Fairtrade Steering Group was voted overall winner of the 2010 Fairtrade Fortnight Awards.
During Fairtrade Fortnight Warrington had a Mad Hatter’s Fairtrade Tea Party in the Golden Square attended by local VIP’s where over 500 people enjoyed a free cup of Fairtrade tea.
Warrington Market was the venue for the other two main events; The Big Tea Swap Shop and a Strictly Fairtrade Tea Dance. A number of schools also had Fairtrade assemblies, lessons and Fairtrade tuck shops while lots of churches in the town held their own Fairtrade tea events; learning how Fairtrade is transforming the lives of tea pickers, guaranteeing them good working conditions and a fair wage, which enables them to provide for their families and have hope of a better future.
Jackie Hancock, Chair of the Steering Group said: “We decided to enter the awards for the first time and hoped we might win one of the three categories we submitted evidence for. So you can imagine my amazement and delight when I opened an e-mail from the Fairtrade Foundation saying the judges had given us their top award, over all the categories, of Outstanding Achievement because of the “brilliant events, fantastic media coverage and the wide variety of audiences that supporters had engaged with.”
Warrington Fairtrade Steering Group wants to say a big thank you for all the enthusiastic help they had from many local organisations and businesses in the town who support Fairtrade. Their three town centre events simply wouldn’t have happened without the involvement of the Salvation Army, NW Christian Aid, Golden Square management, Warrington Collegiate, Youth Volunteers, and Warrington Market stallholders; especially the Corner Coffee Bar and Fair 4 All.
Jackie added: “It is good to know that we live in a town where so many understand the importance of buying Fairtrade and are keen to encourage even more people to swap their usual brands for products that carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. Believe it or not we are now beginning to plan for Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 which starts on February 28th when the focus will be on Fairtrade cotton with the theme “Show off your Label!”
Picture shows the Fairtrade Steering Group members, The White Rabbit from the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and young campaigners from Warrington Collegiate at the Fairtrade Supporter’s Conference Waterloo Campus, Kings College London.
Top town for Fairtrade
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About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
