We all know that the amazing growth of Fair Trade over the past decade has been
largely due to campaigner action throughout the UK. In recognising the important
role that local activists play, the Fairtrade Foundation has established a Campaigns
Advisory Group, with the overall aim of ensuring that supporters can better feed in to
the work of the Foundation and hold it to account. This is an exciting innovation, giving
campaigners a direct input to future marketing and promotional events and to the future
development of the Fairtrade Towns initiative.

I am the only Scottish-based member of the new group, which had its inaugural meeting
on June 3rd. If local groups would like me to share what I learn and to contribute their
ideas and suggestions for proposed events, particularly Fairtrade Fortnight 2011, I would
be happy to visit meetings where possible, or correspond by email or phone. It is a
great opportunity to put in your tuppence-worth. The next meeting of the group is on
September 14th .

My email address is sue@aberdeenfairtrade.org.uk

Many apologies for my lack of blogging for the past two months (HOW has it been two months?!). They have been action-packed, but anyone who’s ever spent much time around the SFTF office knows it is nothing if not action-packed at all times.

In early September, I headed to Malawi for two weeks to visit Fair Trade projects and key players. My wonderful driver and I clocked up 2,700km in just 12 days. I visited Kasinthula Sugar (and here), in the Southern Region - their sugar can be found in the ‘Help Make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation’ sugar packets we hand out at events - and Karonga in the Northern Region - from where Just Trading Scotland sources the fairly traded rice provided by several Scottish local authorities in their local school meals.

There were several stops along the way, and I enjoyed giving a wee presentation about the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and our Fair Trade Nation campaign to a COFTA seminar for Malawian Fair Trade leaders working to set up a regional Fair Trade network.

Pictures coming soon….

We’ve got several new volunteers and interns starting and continuing (most of whom can be found on our People page), working on website projects, fundraising, communication and much more. We couldn’t do it without each of these skilled people giving their time and we can’t thank them enough.

Don’t forget to check for updates on information on our upcoming Scottish Fair Trade Campaign Day, taking place in Edinburgh on Saturday 14 November, 10-4. Spread the word and come along to take part!

Off to London soon for the Fairtrade Foundation’s Supporters Day Conference on Saturday, squeezing in some meetings with friends and partners as long as I’m in London. I hope to see some of you there!

All the best,
Betsy

 Saturday July 18^th marked another step forward for Fair Trade in Aberdeen, when the former Third World Centre, which traded until March 2009 in St Mary’s Chapel, Kirk of St Nicholas,  re-opened in new premises at 101 George Street.  Established in 1983, the Centre was one of the first Fair Trade shops in Scotland and was the driving force behind  the campaign that led to Aberdeen’s becoming a Fairtrade City in March 2004. 

 Fair Trade products have come a long way in twenty-five years and as well as those products that carry the Fairtrade Mark, the new shop will also stock a large range of goods from the wider Fair Trade market.   Supermarkets may be improving their ranges, but there will always be room for the shops that go that one step further, what you might call the “gold standard” of Fair Trade. As before, the shop is dependent on the help of volunteer workers and this is particularly important since trading hours will increase.   Fair Trade Aberdeen will be open Monday to Saturday between 10 and 5. 

To my International Fairtrade Friends of past and present, I have some exciting news for you!

Tomorrow (TUESDAY 14th JULY) will see the launch of the new International Fairtrade Towns Website at :
www.fairtradetowns.org 

With over 680 Fairtrade Towns in 18 countries worldwide Fairtrade Towns are truly an international campaign.

There will now be a chance for all Fairtrade Town stakeholders to come together at an international level, emphasizing the fact that we are all part of a global movement working towards a fairer and better world.

Not only will the website provide best tools, materials, reports, films and other Fairtrade Town specific information and resources but it will also include an online social networking forum, offering activists and others from around the world a space to share ideas and inspiration.

This online community will allow members to post and share photos and videos, start a forum or discussion, publicise events and invite others to take part and what’s more this online community is already available at: 
http://fairtradetowns.ning.com/ 

So why not become a member now, start posting and spread the word?

We have reached another historic milestone for Fairtrade Towns. It is perhaps appropriate that this historic moment should take place on Bastille Day that marks the onset of the French Revolution in 1789.

The launch of the International Fairtrade Towns website may not be quite so dramatic and certainly is less violent, but let’s hope it will ignite the spark that brings people together from all over the world for a peaceful revolution that will bring about a change to our society just as great as that of 220 years ago.

Vive la change!

Bruce Crowther
Fairtrade Towns Coordinator
Fairtrade Foundation, UK

Do you like our new SFTF Fairtrade certified cotton bags? We bought these to help promote the SFTF’s work at the same time as supporting farmers in India. The bags are made in India from Fairtrade organic cotton and help to ensure that cotton farmers in the developing world can improve their livelihoods.

If you think your work place might use bags such as these for promotional purposes, get them to contact Bishopston Trading for competitve prices! www.bishopstontrading.co.uk

Passionate about Fair Trade? Love drinking tea? Try Trumpers Tea! Trumpers tea is an organisation that is passionate about producing great tasting, high quality products at the same time as making a difference by trading fairly.

Claire Trumper founder of Trumpers Tea joined the SFTF at this year’s Royal Highland Show to promote a new Malawian Tea. Claire’s enthusiasm and knowledge of tea and Fair Trade was so interesting. After many, many years of working in the tea industry, Claire was able to answer any questions visitors had, at the same time as offering the opportunity to taste a variety of teas throughout the day.

If you’re attending the Royal Highland Show, pop by and show Claire your support or check out her web site at www.trumperstea.co.uk

This just in from our friends at People & Planet, Edinburgh University:

We’re co-hosting a ‘People’s Fairtrade Tea Party’ to celebrate the end of our petition to get Her Majesty the Queen to drink Fairtrade tea.

So come along to the party, which will be at 5 pm, Monday 22 June on one of the patches of grass by Scottish Parliament, across from Holyrood Palace!

‘On Monday we will be holding the ‘People’s FAIRTRADE Tea party’, outside the Queen’s palace at Holyrood, a week before she has her own tea party.

In case you hadn’t heard about the campaign to get Her Majesty to drink FAIRTRADE tea, have a look here…

It’s a chance to do some basic FAIRTRADE awareness-raising and eat nice cakes.

We have already seen some success… 

THIS MONDAY the 22nd June at 5pm we will be meeting OUTSIDE HOLYROOD PALACE on the huge piece of flat grass the other side from the Scottish Parliament.

We will be having a proper PHOTOSHOOT to send out with our press release, as well as handing out leaflets, getting people to sign the petition, and just sitting in the sun drinking tea.

If you want to come along, bring…

1. Fancy dress. Think mad hatters tea party. Bright colours and big hats. But come in anything you want! It’s our tea party, not the Queen’s, so we can wear whatever we want!

2. A mug to drink tea from.

3. Cake! Some will be provided, courtesy of People & Planet Edinburgh University, but the more the better!

4. Also, if you’d like a seat, bring a chair!

So, if you’re in Edinburgh please come along.’

Edinburgh University People & Planet

Hello!

Over the next few months I will be trying hard to increase the amount of people who are signed up to receive our monthly newsletter. The newsletter we send is important to involving everyone in Scotland, afterall this is a campaign for the whole Nation!

Are you interested in Fair Trade? Are you passionate about helping others? Are you a student seeking valuable work experience as a volunteer/intern? Do you want to get involved in making Scotland a Fair Trade Nation? Are you a Fair Trade organisation/supporter? Do you want to provide suggestions for forthcoming newsletters?

These are just a few reasons for signing up to our newsletter - come on, get onboard and sign up now! Visit our web site at www.sftf.org.uk and click on the link titled ’sign up to our newsletter’ on the right-hand side.

If you need any help signing up or want to give your suggestions, send me an email to: ross.stirling@sftf.org.uk with the subject line Newsletter.