Fairtrade Fortnight events are going on all over the region.

NORTH YORKSHIRE

27 February – 6pm – SOFA SESSION Spurriergate Centre, York. This is our flagship event for Fairtrade Fortnight 2020.

Speakers include: Cocoa farmer Rosine Bekoin, Rachael Maskell, York Central MP, Sarah Wakefield, Food Sustainability Manager, Co-op, Sophi Tranchell, Managing Director of Divine Chocolate, Sophie Jewett of York Cocoa House and the Fairtrade Foundation’s Julia Nicoara, Director of Public Engagement.

Rosine Bekoin, a mum of five, is one of the 25 percent of women in Côte d’Ivoire who does own her own land. She runs a 2.5-hectare farm, which she inherited from her mother and is a member of CAYAT cocoa co-operative. Rosine used to sell her cocoa to local middlemen but struggled to make a decent living. After joining the farming co-operative CAYAT, she received training in quality and good agricultural practices helping to increase her production by 50 percent. This was a welcome boost to her income, which she put towards building a new house. She also found the training on women’s rights as part of the Women’s School of Leadership transformed her entire outlook on life, and has seen her advocate for other women ever since.

Rosine Bekoin, said: “Before the Women’s School of Leadership, I was full of doubts. I’ve never been to school before, and I can’t even speak French properly. On the first day, I couldn’t understand anything. On the second day I thought, if I look inside myself, I have potential. Then I woke up and I joined in. Today, I’m strong. I’ve changed all those misconceptions, and I can stand proud and say I am capable and can do things on my own. Before I was an invisible woman. I’m so grateful I was taught about what was hidden inside ourselves. I am a leader today for many people because I am very confident.”

Now, through her role as secretary of the women’s society, Rosine is helping more than 400 women who are collectively investing their Fairtrade Premium in income diversification projects, such as a communal vegetable garden. Growing food crops to sell locally provides a good source of additional and independent income, particularly for the women who don’t own land. Ever entrepreneurial, the group is expanding into chicken rearing too, which has a positive effect for their fellow farmers. They are able to buy bags of organic fertiliser produced from the chickens at a much reduced rate.

Click here to download the poster: FF20_Flagship_events_leaflet_York

Click here to download the press release for this event.2. Press release She Deserves regional events

28 February 10-30 till 12noon BIG BREW Fairtrade coffee morning at Fylingthorpe Methodist Chapel.

28 February – 1-2pm – FAIRTRADE TEA WITH COUNCILLORS – Celebrating 10 years of Scarborough as a Fairtrade Town, Scarborough Town Hall

29 February – 10am FAIR TRADE & LOCAL CRAFT FAIR Friends Meeting House, Malton

29 February – 9.30-1.30 POP UP SHOP & ACTIVITIES Skipton Library

29 February 10.00a.m-12.00noon FAIRTRADE COFFEE MORNING at Cayton Methodist Church, Scarborough.

29 February 2.00pm-4.00pm FAIRTRADE AFTERNOON TEA St Andrews URC, Ramshill Road, Scarborough.

6 March – 7pm FILM SHOWING The Kite Runner, Clements Hall, York

7 March 10.00a.m -11.30a.m. FAIRTRADE COFFEE MORNING at Scalby Methodist Church, Scarborough.

EAST YORKSHIRE

18 February – 9.45 COFFEE MORNING All Saints Church, Pocklington

26 February 10-12 FAIRTRADE CELEBRATION Guildhall, Hull

3 March LORD MAYORS TEA Guildhall, Hull (invitation only for local campaigners)

WEST YORKSHIRE

22 February – 10-1 BIG BREW St Edmunds Church, Leeds

1 March – 8.45 – 9.45 BREAKFAST Bradford Cathedral – Book your place here.

4 March – 5.30-7.30 FAIRTRADE KIRKLEES GALA Huddersfield University Book your ticket here.

5 March – 6.30-8.30 CURRY NIGHT WITH FAIR TRADE KILOMBERO RICE The Flying Duck, Ilkley  £6 per head. Contact hils38@aol.com to book.

7 March – 10.30-1.30 COFFEE MORNING Methodist Centre, Chapel Allerton, Leeds

7 March – 10-3 FARTRADE STALL Albany Arcade, Halifax. Poetry Competition winner to be announced at 11am by Holly Lynch MP.

7-8 March 11-3.30 POP UP FAIR TRADE STALL The Gallery at The Manor House, Ilkley

19 March – 11-3.30 FAIR TRADE FAIR Leeds University

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

26 February – 7-9pm PALESTINIAN FARMER VISIT  Showroom cinema, Sheffield. Find out how Fairtrade helps Palestinian farmers growing for Zaytoun.

THROUGHOUT FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

Skipton based fair trade company Namaste is donating £1 to Child Rescue Nepal for every £10 spent during Fairtrade Fortnight. Click to visit their website 

Don’t Give Up On Fairtrade this Lent
Lent is a time when many of us choose to make a small sacrifice for a few weeks. For lots of us this includes giving up chocolate, which has the added benefit of making our Easter celebrations that bit sweeter, but have you considered the impact of your choice on the millions of cocoa and sugar farmers who rely on our chocolate consumption for a living.
Fairtrade Fortnight starts on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and we’re asking you not to give up on the Fairtrade farmers this Lent. By pledging to make sure all the chocolate you eat this Lent is Fairtrade – and talking to others about your choice – you can help support farmers around the world to have a better life.

When we ask Fairtrade farmers what they want us as campaigners to do, the answer is nearly always “Buy our goods!”
So while giving up chocolate for Lent might feel like the right thing to do, it leaves cocoa (and sugar) farmers out of pocket.
So this year we’re saying “Don’t Give Up On Fairtrade this Lent”
By making sure you only eat Fairtrade chocolate in Lent – instead of giving up altogether – you can help farmers around the world.
Because the Easter message is partly that one person can save the world and Fairtrade is a way for you to be that one person.

So instead of refusing all chocolate by saying “Sorry, I’ve given up chocolate for Lent” now you can say “I’ve pledged only to eat Fairtrade chocolate during Lent” and start a conversation with someone who may not know how important Fairtrade is to farmers.

You can download our leaflet below and this Fairtrade Fortnight look out for stories from the cocoa farmers themselves to help you explain why you’re not giving up on Fairtrade this Lent. Some of these will be “storybombed” by Fairtrade campaigners and supporters, some will be in the national and local press and some will be available on the Fairtrade Foundation website and social media.

Dont Give Up on Fairtrade – download the leaflet

Bradford Cathedral has become the first cathedral to re-commit as a Fairtrade place of worship,

Bradford Cathedral’s commitment to Fairtrade began with an award back in 2009, spearheaded by
Canon Andy Williams and his wife Jennie.
The cathedral continues to focus on Fairtrade by ensuring all its tea and coffee provisions are
Fairtrade as well as running a stall every Sunday after the morning Eucharist selling a whole range
of goods including chocolate, cooking oils and biscuits, as well as seasonable items like advent
calendars.

Click the link below for more details

Bradford cathedral Renewal publicity with latest photo