Yorkshire, the UK’s first Fairtrade Region has had its status renewed by the Fairtrade Foundation. Adam Gardner of the Foundation congratulated Fairtrade Yorkshire on its success in promoting Fairtrade to the good Yorkshire public and to specific groups including: local authorities, the media, businesses, schools, and other places of education, and faith and community groups.
Fairtrade supporters in York celebrate the renewal of Yorkshire’s Fairtrade Region status.
Yorkshire has enjoyed its status now for 16 months and during that time Fairtrade Yorkshire has gone from strength to strength. Highlights from this period include the visit of banana farmer, Aimeth Angulo, to Yorkshire. Aimeth toured the region from Immingham to Skipton and Malton to Hebden Bridge, by way of: Bradford, the East Riding, Harrogate, Holmfirth, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York. At each location she attended events, gave talks and spoke to local people to tell of the benefits that Fairtrade brings to producers from poor communities. Fairtrade Yorkshire has also helped organise several school conferences and has issued Fairtrade in Yorkshire schools awards to recognise the achievements of many schools in promoting Fairtrade.
Local Fairtrade campaigns in Yorkshire have enjoyed a great deal of success in the past year and a half. The Fairtrade Towns family is soon set to welcome Horsforth, Immingham, Keighley and Skipton. Fairtrade Doncaster has enjoyed a relaunch, significantly raising the profile of Fairtrade in the Borough.
In the status renewal process Fairtrade Yorkshire has identified a series of goals to work towards over the next two years, these include:
Encouraging more towns and boroughs to work towards Fairtrade status.
Collaborating more closely with Development Education Centres to promote Fairtrade awareness in schools.
Working alongside Yorkshire-based businesses.
Increasing our media profile in South Yorkshire and in feature publications.
Holding more events and conferences in different parts of the region.
