Summer 2006
Dear Prospective Supporter
So what was it all about,
this move to get Woodhall Spa recognized as a FAIRTRADE community?
Well, of course, it was mainly about ensuring
that the producers in the third world receive a fair and guaranteed
price for their produce at all times whatever the vagaries of the
market. But also to ensure that you the consumer get to enjoy the
wide and wonderful range of products that are now available under
the FAIRTRADE label.
Although most of you will know of the various brands
of coffee and tea on sale in our local branches of Budgens and the
Co-op it is easy to overlook all the other ‘goodies’ already
on sale right here in Woodhall Spa. When we took a stand at this
year’s Woodhall Spa Show a stroll round the Co-op shelves revealed
almost 30 different items of FAIRTRADE goods on sale which we were
able to display including 4 varieties of tea, 9 brands of coffee,
4 different wines, biscuits, cakes, several fruit juices, and of
course the chocolate.
If you haven’t tried the chocolate then you
really have been missing out on one the joys of eating FAIRTRADE,
choose a bar to sample at either of our supermarkets or see a different
range on the internet at sites like www.simplyfair.co.uk.
Needless to say Budgens always has a similarly wide
range of products on sale and now you can enjoy the taste of freshly
made FAIRTRADE coffee at the new Woodhall Spa Hotel after your meal
or at the bar.
Once you recognize that there is a wider choice
than may have appeared at first glance then you will discover all
the other areas in which you can enjoy FAIRTRADE trading. There are,
for instance, complete ranges of cosmetics and household products
available both locally and ‘on line’ at site such as www.onevillage.co.uk together
with a whole world of china and furnishings suitable both for your
own home and as gifts.
Clothing is another area often over looked and particularly
the range of FAIRTRADE cotton products available; those of you who
saw us at the St Andrews Summer Extravaganza might have noticed the
rather fetching tee-shirts being worn by the members on our stand,
again easily available and more importantly not expensive. Thinking
about schools and clothing a recent article in the Observer highlighted
a source of FAIRTRADE school clothes for 4 to 12 year olds available
at www.cleanslateclothing.co.uk whilst
at the same time raising a number of thoughtful issues associated
with the ‘school kit’ area – see separate reprint.
Whilst wanting clearly to raise your awareness of
the possibilities of using and enjoying FAIRTRADE products available
both locally and elsewhere, our prime purpose is to enlist your support
in achieving FAIRTRADE status for Woodhall Spa and in the process
become, we hope, the first village in Lincolnshire to do so.
In order to be able to apply for recognition status we must, as a
community, satisfy the 5 basic goals of the Fairtrade Foundation
namely:
- The local council must pass a resolution supporting FAIRTRADE,
and serve FAIRTRADE coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices
and canteens.
- A range of FAIRTRADE products must be readily available in
the area’s shops and served in local cafés and catering
establishments (targets are set in relation to population)
- FAIRTRADE products must be used by a number of local work places
(estate agents, hairdressers, etc.) and the community organizations
(churches, schools, etc.)
- The group must attract popular support for the campaign
- A local FAIRTRADE steering group must be convened to ensure
continued commitment to Fair Trade Village Status
The Parish Council has already passed a resolution
supporting this campaign achieving item 1. Items 2 & 3 are being
met by the endeavours of our local suppliers such as the Co-op and
Budgens, The Woodhall Spa Hotel, St Andrews School, St Peter’s
and the other local churches. Our thanks to them all.
Item 5 is the reason for our own existence which
just leaves item 4, the local support and this is where we need your
help.
If you are a consumer then just take a look at the
wide range of good quality, and value for money, products already
on sale right here in our village some of which we have mentioned
already. Also, if you have access to the internet, take a look at
the much wider range of goods available from some of the sites highlighted
earlier or just try entering ‘Fairtrade goods for sale’ in
something like Google to see the enormous range available.
If you are a retailer or employer then try the same
thing or go straight to the Fairtrade Foundation site at www.fairtrade.org.uk to
see the benefits of becoming a Fairtrade supplier or simply offering
your staff tea or coffee. If you feel, like some do, that you might
not be able to buy advantageously then please contact us and we will
put you in touch with sources already supplying other Fairtrade communities.
Many of whom like Keswick in the Lake District and Aberfeldy in the
Scottish Borders, both welcoming large numbers of tourists to their
towns, have found little but benefit in the move to FAIRTRADE status.
So that’s it, quite simply, we need your help
both to achieve Fairtrade status and, much more importantly, to maintain
it by demonstrating ongoing and community wide support for the idea
of Fairtrade and the concept of Woodhall Spa not only as the first FAIRTRADE
village in Lincolnshire but, of course, the best!
If you already offer Fairtrade goods for sale why
not display a FAIRTRADE logo at your entrance. We already have the
national ones available and are in the process of producing Woodhall
Spa specific stickers.
Thank you for your support.
Oh, and speaking of support you should know that we have already
received practical and some financial support from both the Lincolnshire
Co-Operative Society and Woodhall Spa Parish Council in mounting
this campaign for which we are most grateful.
Steering Group for FAIRTRADE status for Woodhall
Spa
Chairman – Roger Gurner Tel: 01526 351 358
Secretary – Rachel Lear Tel: 01526 353223
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