Fairtrade Pickering’s Annual General meeting, at the Memorial Hall, was well attended .  The annual report listed the many achievements of the group during the past year, including the successful One World Week event which will be repeated again this year.

Guest speakers were Fairtrade Yorkshire Coordinator, Mark Dawson, and Janice Gwilliam of Fairtrade Malton and Norton.  There were plenty of questions for the duo and the lively evening was rounded with Fairtrade refreshments and delicious cakes.

Mark Dawson stated; “it is great to see so much Fairtrade activity going on in Pickering.  It is important that we have a strong presence in our market towns and Fairtrade Pickering is a fine example of a friendly, active group that promotes our cause so effectively in a rural community.”

Professor Bob Doherty at the York Fair Trade Forum AGM

Fair trade activists gathered at the Priory Street Centre, for the York Fair Trade Forum Annual General Meeting.

A full team of enthusiastic candidates was elected, to help run the group and its many activities that take place across the city.

Helen Harrison gave an annual report which highlighted the thriving nature of the group.

Guest speaker, Professor Bob Doherty, of the University of York Business school, praised the role of grassroots activists in the Fair Trade movement.

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“The best presentation I have ever seen,” was the response from the Fairtrade Foundation’s Education Campaigns Manager, Kate Jones after watching a Leeds’ school present on how they became a Fairtrade School.

Six children from Otley All Saints school wowed Kate Jones with their visual and humorous presentation which gave lots of examples of the activities the children have been involved in to raise awareness of Fairtrade. The presentation was part of the Global Fairness School celebration at Leeds Civic Hall on October 18th, which was opened by Deputy Director of Children’s Services at Leeds City Council, Paul Brennan.

Mr Brennan used his speech to promote Leeds Child Friendly City initiative by drawing parallels between Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech to the struggle for all children to access their rights today.  Other workshops were delivered by theatre company Blah Blah Blah on freedom from slavery, Just Trading Scotland on the 90kg rice challenge, YMCA on Ugandan street children and Leeds DEC on ethical trade and modern day slavery. “I’ve got lots of ideas to do a Fair trade day at school” remarked one 9 year old participant.

Fairtrade Skipton are set to achieve their ambition of Fairtrade Town status.  Fairtrade Coordinator, Liz Roodhouse, attended the Skipton Town Council meeting this month and gave a presentation.  Following a discussion afterwards there was a unanimous vote and a resolution was passed in support of Fairtrade.  Fairtrade Skipton now have a council representative on their Steering group and are ready to begin the application for Skipton to join the ranks of proud Fairtrade Towns.

Cynthia Dickinson and the Fairtrade Wakefield group have produced this fantastic banner to promote Yorkshire’s status as a Fairtrade Region.  The banner will be taken to many Fairtrade events across Wakefield District.

The group are working towards Fairtrade status for Wakefield and they have received the backing of the Bishop of Wakefield and shadow cabinet member, Yvette Cooper.

Charlie Bridge of Fairer World in the new look shop

Fairer World, the renowned Fair Trade shop at 84 Gillygate, in the centre of York, has a bright new look.  Following a refurb earlier in the year, the emporium is sporting a fresh, modern style worthy of a TV makeover.

Fairer World has York’s largest range of Fairtrade and fairly traded products including: food, beverages, crafts, gifts, jewellery, clothing and accessories.  Well worth a visit next time you’re in York.

Read more on Fairer World’s website, www.fairerworldyork.co.uk.

Alice with the leading sheep.

Skipton Girls High School are the proud owners of a ‘lost Fairtrade sheep’.  Skipton pupil, Alice, designed the sheep which now stands in the drama studio window, looking out on one of the main routes into Skipton.

The sheep is part of a Dales Tourism promotion for the Yorkshire Grand Depart, the first leg of the Tour de France race which comes to the county next year.  Our fine woolly friend sports the winning yellow jersey and is proud to display two Fairtrade logos.

Prince Henry’s Grammar School’s winning entry to the MDG15 competition

A Leeds School has won a national competition with their art work raising awareness of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Students from Prince Henry’s Grammar School came top with a colourful batik design.

“We wanted to show how the Millennium Development Goals are a careful and delicate balancing act, with rays of hope radiating from behind as we move closer to achieving them,” said year 9 student Max Behrens.

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include targets to reduce the number of people living on less than one dollar a day and ensure that every child is able to complete primary school.

“The MDGs are really important Goals to achieve better lives for some of the world’s poorest people.” said competition organiser Alison Huntley from Leeds DEC. “Some great progress has been made, for example in 2000, 102 million children of primary school age were out of school. This number was reduced to 57 million children, in 2011, but that is still far, far too many children missing out on a basic education.”

“We are so proud of our students who took part,” said Art teacher Natalie Sadler “This work is part of our commitment to Global Learning as a school.”

See all the entries to the MDG15 competition here.

Fairtrade Yorkshire film winners woop for joy with Greg Mulholland MP, Hannah Langdana from Leeds DEC and teacher Jen Lansdown.

This year’s Fairtrade Yorkshire Film competition was won by children from Ireland Wood Primary school in Leeds, with their film entitled “Fabulous Fairtrade Yorkshire”! The school was presented with a certificate and cheque for £200 by Leeds MP Greg Mulholland and Fairtrade Yorkshire chair Hannah Langdana, at an award ceremony at the school on Friday June 28th.

“The children from Year 4 researched how Fairtrade enables farmers in the developing world get a fairer price for their products, before they created the film” said their class teacher Jen Lansdowne. “The children absolutely loved making the film and the school is so proud of their achievement!”

The competition set schools across Yorkshire the task of making a film to celebrate Yorkshire’s status as the UK’s first Fairtrade Region.

Greg Mulholland said, “Ireland Wood worked really hard to produce this excellent film. They provide a great example of how we can all make a difference every time we go shopping.”

See the video again here:

Each year Fairtrade Rotherham give a prize to the Rotherham College student who has made the most outstanding contribution to the promotion of Fairtrade.

This year’s winner, Ashley Dalton, is seen here with his certificate, presented by Councillor Ken Wyatt of Rotherham District Council.  The presentation took place at an awards ceremony where Ashley received a Fairtrade gift bag.

During Fairtrade Fortnight fundraising is held at Rotherham College for good causes nominated by Fairtrade Rotherham.