Fairtrade is now official for the town

Feb 27 2008 By Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride is now officially a Fairtrade town.

At a special reception in the Civic Centre council chambers on Friday, the certificate confirming its Fairtrade status was presented to South Lanarkshire Provost Russell Clearie by Joan Wright, chair of the East Kilbride Fairtrade Group.

Around 60 people attended the reception where wine — fair trade, of course — was enjoyed along with the opportunity for committee members and guests to celebrate the special moment.

Central List MSP and Scotland’s Minister for External Affairs Linda Fabiani, who was instrumental in her home town of Strathaven becoming Scotland’s first Fairtrade town along with Aberfeldy, opened proceedings by telling those present about her recent visit to Malawi.

She explained that she was there to discuss Scottish-funded development projects taking place.

Others attending the reception included the managers of Claremont Amateur Football Club, whose team won the 2007 Fairtrade football competition and East Kilbride businesses and charities who stock Fairtrade products, including the Co-operative in the Village, Starbucks in the town centre and Oxfam.

Speaking at the event East Kilbride Fairtrade group chairwoman Joan Wright said: “We are inspired that many individuals and organisations in the town have taken up the Fairtrade challenge.

“From Fairtrade breakfasts in primary schools throughout the area, to the Co-op's Mad Hatters Fairtrade Tea Party, there are lots of events to choose from.

“We will build on our achievement and want to work with the council, schools, shops, workplaces, churches and cafes to stock more Fairtrade products.

“Over the coming year we want to support imaginative events that raise peoples' awareness that buying Fairtrade does make a big difference to producers lives.

“Making trade fairer is also about changing trade rules so poorer countries are not disadvantaged and we hope to campaign on this too.”

Anyone holding a Fairtrade themed event is asked to contact Kirsten Robb on 07963273209 or robbkirsten@yahoo.co.uk to add it to the Fairtrade Festival Fortnight events list. Likewise, businesses, cafes, schools, churches or workplaces who are interested in getting their organisation Fairtrade status or stocking fair-trade products should also contact Kirsten and check out www.fairtrade.org.uk.

The current office-bearers of the local Fairtrade Group are: chair, Joan Wright; secretary, Kirsten Robb; vice-chair, Joe Fagan; treasurer Cameron Slorach.

Joan runs a Fairtrade interiors business, Cameron Slorach and his wife Pip worked as doctors in Africa and Joe has campaigned on many issues including fairtrade.

Among the activities being held to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, which started this week, are:

This Friday, February 29, South Lanarkshire Council is providing Fairtrade lunches at local primary schools and on Saturday there is a coffee morning in East Kilbride Old Parish Church hall between 10am and noon.

On Monday, Kirktonholme Primary school is holding a Fairtrade breakfast and throughout that week Central Library will put on a display of the entries in the schools’ fair trade poster and poem competitions.

Between 5.30 and 7.30pm on Thursday, March 6, a coffee master will lead a fair trade coffee tasting session at Starbucks.

Until March 9, all East Kilbride shops who sell Fairtrade products will be putting on special fair trade displays.

St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School is also running a special fair trade cafe during the fortnight.