Boost for Fairtrade Yorkshire
The Yorkshire Fairtrade Supporter Conference provided a boost for Fairtrade campaigning in the region. Held at the University of Leeds on 22nd September, attendees were able to learn of the huge amount of activity that was taking place to promote Fairtrade across Yorkshire.
Some of the conference attendees at the University of Leeds
Speakers included: rice farmers from Malawi, Webster Kita and Howard Msukwa; Linda McAvan MEP; Professor Bob Doherty, trustee of the Fairtrade Foundation; Fairtrade Yorkshire Coordinator, Mark Dawson; and Head of Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation, Kevin McCullough.
Workshops were held on: the latest developments in Fairtrade, working with social media, ideas for introducing Fairtrade to young people and Fairtrade in places of worship.
Mark Dawson was elected as the new National Campaigner Committee member representing Yorkshire. He paid tribute to the work of his predecessor, Karen Palframan.
With the addition this year of Fairtrade Embsay with Eastby, there are now 38 Fairtrade places across Yorkshire. In recent years new active Fairtrade groups have been established in Morley, a faiths group in Hull, a renewed group in Sheffield and, two years ago, Halifax achieved Fairtrade Town status.
Rev Matt Wright of Lister Hill Baptist, Horsforth, addresses the places of worship workshop
