Fairtrade Communities
Fairtrade Community Groups are made up of local people who are passionate about supporting Fairtrade farmers and workers and campaigners can now apply to become a Fairtrade Community or renew their status online.
Fairtrade Community Groups are made up of local people who are passionate about supporting Fairtrade farmers and workers and campaigners can now apply to become a Fairtrade Community or renew their status online.
Campaigners can organise themselves locally into Fairtrade Towns, Cities, Boroughs, Zones and even Fairtrade Islands to work across the five Campaign Action Areas:
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Boosting Fairtrade
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Connecting Fairtrade
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Fairtrade Changemakers
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Fairtrade Ambassadors
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Fairtrade Influencers
In appreciation for their hard work and time, Fairtrade awards these Community Groups Fairtrade status.
Follow this link to find out more and get started with your application/renewal.
Fairtrade Groups in Cumbria
Contact: Rachel Dutfield
About the group:
Arnside was granted Fairtrade status in 2009 and the village has an active group promoting Fairtrade both to the local community and tourists. Activities include coffee tasting mornings, garden parties, cheese and wine evenings, afternoon teas, fashion shows with the Girl Guides, events with the local schools and raising awareness campaigns such as the meet and greet on Arnside Station.
The Fairtrade group has now become an established part of village society and we receive a lot of support for our events. Shortly after our launch we carried out an audit of local businesses, shops, cafes, churches and holiday accommodation providers, with the result that we were able to produce literature with relevant information for residents and visitors so they know what Fairtrade products and services are available in our village, including the Wagtail Deli and Cafe.
Regular activities:
The group has established a Fairtrade garden on the lower promenade at Arnside thanks to the efforts and hard work of Ms Lee Fitton, who has chosen plants that will withstand the weather and salty air. Lee supervised the positioning of a special plaque to let visitors know that the garden has been planted by the local Fairtrade group. The aim of the garden is to publicise Fairtrade as well as providing an amenity for the village. Arnside Youth Group helped plant 100 bulbs which hopefully will go on to provide an attraction for several springs to come.
We have recently re-reprinted our postcards promoting Fairtrade with an attractive view of Arnside on one side. These are available from Arnside House, one of our local shops on the promenade who also stock a wide range of Fairtrade goods.
Group news:
Arnside successfully renewed their Fairtrade status in March 2024.
Every year we try to identify a variety of events to publicise the arrival of Fairtrade fortnight. Fairtrade fortnight is moving to September in 2024. This year it will be held from 9th to 22nd September and celebrates 30 years of the Fairtrade mark. Arnside also celebrates 15 years as a Fairtrade village. The group aim to raise the profile of Fairtrade in the village and will be holding events to mark this milestone.
Arnside Fairtrade group is assisting Arnside School to achieve Level 3 (Fairtrade Achiever) of their Fairtrade status. Last month we arranged for Laura Goad of Cumbria Development Education Centre to talk to the whole school about Fairtrade. Her talk centred on the theme “Thea Discovers Chocolate”.
Planned Events 2024
September 14th // 10am-12noon - Fairtrade Coffee morning at Arnside Sailing Club (on the promenade)
October 12th - Arnside Archive Day, Arnside Educational Institute, Church Hill. Arnside Fairtrade Group will have a display and will also be providing refreshments
Contact: Kate
Local Background
Brampton is a market town with a population of about 4,300 living within the parish boundary. The campaign to promote Fairtrade goods has extended to take in nearby villages in the surrounding rural area and along our nearest section of Hadrian’s Wall where much of the local tourist accommodation is situated.
Fairtrade Status
Brampton was granted Fairtrade Status on 6th January 2005, becoming one of the first hundred towns in the UK to be recognised in this way.
Since 2005
Since becoming a Fairtrade Town many more retail and catering outlets, churches, schools, workplaces, businesses, and community groups have embraced Fairtrade.
Of special note are:
Brampton Primary School, awarded Fairtrade status in Spring 2007
Irthington Primary School, awarded Fairtrade status in 2010
RAF Spadeadam, Britain’s first military base to sign up to Fairtrade
Brampton Medical Practice, Brampton’s largest employer, with over a hundred people working there
All 7 local churches are Fairtrade
Brampton Community Centre, has a Fairtrade café and all refreshments served at meetings are Fairtrade
Brampton Co-op, has new Fairtrade lines arriving all the time, including a wide selection of wines
Brampton Bowling Club
Hallbankgate Hub.
These and other organisations which embrace Fairtrade are listed in the Fairtrade directory, produced by Brampton Fairtrade Town Group and updated regularly.
Brampton's Fairtrade Group
This is a small but enthusiastic group of local people who promote Fairtrade at numerous events in and around the town throughout the year. The busiest time is the nationally celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight in spring.
Fairtrade Fortnight
This is a special time for the Brampton Fairtrade Town Group when months of planning bear fruit. In the past, Fairtrade Fortnights have had visiting Fairtrade producers from different countries giving talks, Fairtrade cookery demonstrations and fashion shows have been held, Fairtrade coffee mornings and meals organised, Traidcraft stalls run, sponsored walks on Hadrian’s wall taken place, specially made Fairtrade Town Shopping bags sold… and lots more.
More recently, the Fairtrade town group has continued to promote Fairtrade through its popular coffee mornings at the Moot Hall, and at the Farmers’ Market. It has also engaged the younger members of the community by organising Fairtrade art competitions and a very popular Fairtrade banana trail around the town.
Other Work
During the last few years new Fairtrade road signs have been erected on two roads into Brampton, a survey on Fairtrade awareness in the town has been done, window displays have been mounted, a Fairtrade mosaic made by local schoolchildren and permanently displayed in the Moot Hall, a Fairtrade recipe book including Fairtrade recipes contributed by local adults and schoolchildren and a flower bed dedicated to the Fairtrade logo.
This floral display has been part of the town’s Brampton In Bloom competition entry for the last few years. The plants for it are supplied by the Fairtrade Town group.
AGMs
The group were very involved in the initial steps to establish Hadrian’s Wall as a Fairtrade Zone, the first Fairtrade cross country, first national trail, first world heritage site to become Fairtrade.
Renewal of Fairtrade Town status is not automatic, it must be earned. Brampton Fairtrade Town Group work continually to raise awareness of and promote Fairtrade. Since 2005 the group have received praise from the national body, the Fairtrade Foundation for what it has achieved. Fairtrade status has been successfully renewed every 2 years since 2005.
Please help us! Please join us! We are actively looking for new members for the group and helpers for individual events. Find us and our activities on Bramptonlocal@googlemail.com
Our members are happy to talk to groups, organisations and businesses and anyone interested in knowing more about Fairtrade.
We would like every business and organisation in Brampton to sign up to Fairtrade. If you are interested please get in touch. We are always looking for new ways to celebrate and proclaim Brampton Fairtrade Town, so do tell us your ideas
You can help as a customer too: ask your favourite shop or café to choose Fairtrade!
Caldbeck is a small village nestling in the Northern Fells. Together with its close neighbour, Hesket Newmarket, it became a Fairtrade Zone in 2008. Our volunteer run Fair World Shop was established in the 1980s and has been trading ever since. It is open from Easter to Christmas, 1.30-4pm Monday to Saturday. We also run various fair trade events.
St Kentigern’s church at Caldbeck is a Fairtrade church and our primary school is very supportive. The Parish Council actively supports Fairtrade as do many of local clubs and Fairtrade goods are sold in both village shops. However, the main outlet for Fairtrade goods remains the Fair World Shop.
Website: www.carlislefairtrade.org.uk
Find us on Facebook
Contact: Heather
About us:
The Carlisle Fairtrade Group, under the umbrella of the Carlisle One World Centre, represents retailers, schools, colleges, churches and the local government. The campaign for trade justice in Carlisle began with the opening of the One World Centre in the Church of Scotland in 2002. Today, the One World Centre has its own premises on Lowthian's Lane above the Carlisle World Shop, a Fairtrade shop accredited by British Association of Fairtrade Shops (BAFTS).
Fairtrade products are now readily available in many other city centre shops and cafes. A number of local businesses and organisations have now signed up to use and promote Fairtrade products.
Inspired by the opening of the Carlisle World Shop in September 2003, a small group decided to take on the challenge of making Carlisle a Fairtrade city. In March 2005 Carlisle became one of the first 100 towns to receive Fairtrade status. The Mayor, Councillor Ralph Aldersey, officially marked Carlisle as a Fairtrade city at a special celebration on Monday 7 March. Councillor Aldersey said: “I am very proud that our city wishes to uphold the aims of the Fairtrade Foundation, which exists to improve the position of poor and marginalized producers in the developing world. The City Council is committed to helping to promote Fairtrade wherever we can.”
Carlisle has since successfully renewed its Fairtrade City status in 2008 and 2010. The Fairtrade campaign goes from strength to strength in the city as the Fairtrade Steering Group continues to promote Fairtrade. In 2009 Carlisle hosted Cumbria's first ever Fairtrade Business Conference.
Since becoming a Fairtrade City in 2005, the number of city centre shops, cafés and businesses providing a range of Fairtrade products has grown to more than 160.
Carlisle greatly values its Fairtrade City status and the Fairtrade Group is supported by a part-time co-ordinator,actively raises awareness of Fairtrade through events, working with local schools and publicity.
Regular activities:
Carlisle Fairtrade Group actively supports the Carlisle Schools Network. We have held two major conferences to date and are currently planning our third one for May 2018. In 2017, we held an exhibition in The Old Fire Station, Carlisle called Flag Up Fairtrade. Eight schools took part and, working with local artist Gillian Naylor, the schools created a visual and interesting display telling the Fairtrade story. Schools have also taken part in Fairtrade walks and a Fairtrade Wheelchair Football competition.
Carlisle Fairtrade group promotes the Cumbrian Fairtrade Way, a long distance footpath, by holding an annual walks, taking a section each year. We are working with the relevant authorities on establishing the northern section from Keswick to Gilsland as a recognised national trail.
Other activities of the group include a variety of events focussing on Fairtrade Fortnight but also throughout the year, aimed at raising awareness of Fairtrade. These include fashion shows, quiz nights, bag packing in local supermarkets, coffee mornings, trading at Carlisle farmers’ market, articles in the local newspaper and more.
Update coming soon...
Update coming soon...
Kendal Fairtrade Group
The group was set up in the early 2000s and, with the support of a wide range of other groups and organisations including churches, schools, Kendal Town Council and local small businesses, achieved Fairtrade Town status in 2003, becoming the first Cumbrian town to do so.
We have successfully renewed our status, most recently being awarded Fairtrade Community status in January 2024.
As well as keeping an eye on the sale of Fairtrade products in our cafes and shops we run events throughout the year.
Keswick and District Fair Trade Campaign has been promoting Fairtrade and other fairly traded products since 2003. Keswick became a Fairtrade Town in 2005, and in May 2024 was awarded Fairtrade Community Status.
When possible, we share Fairtrade stalls with the Caldbeck Group.
When we can, we work with the local schools and have regular articles in the local paper. We have a constant presence in social media and have given public talks on global issues. In Fairtrade Fortnight we hold a church service.
We distribute local Fairtrade literature and have recently installed a Fairtrade Sign in a 'Keswick in Bloom' Flowerbed. We make a donation of Fairtrade goods to the local FoodShare and have finance invested with Shared Interest Ethical Investments.
Our history includes a link with a Coffee Farmer’s Co-operative which you can read about on our website. www.fairtradekeswick.org.uk.
We aim to continue encouragement of the purchase of Fairtrade in whatever ways possible.
Contact - Jo Alberti
Update coming soon...
The Fair Trade campaign in Millom is overseen by the steering group, entitled “Millom Fairtrade, Local and Global” or “Millom FLAG”.
Millom FLAG has been given the award for “the Most Inspiring Fairtrade Town in the North Region”. The award was made at the North Regional Conference, held in Sunderland in September 2014.
The choice of Millom for this award was based on the following citation offered by the Cumbria Fair Trade Network:
"The Millom Group has always been an inspiration to all other groups in Cumbria and taught us so much about grassroots campaigning, and how to reach every corner of the community. From the very first meeting of CFTN in January 2004 to the most recent Open Day in April 2014, they have surprised and delighted us with their inventiveness and creativity: from making a large Fairtrade logo drawn in the sand by local school children on a nearby beach (and somehow acquiring a cherry picker from which to photograph it!), to their recent reincarnation as ‘Millom Fairtrade Local and Global’. Since their inception they have banged the local drum alongside Fairtrade and won much support in so doing in an area where farmers were badly affected by Foot and Mouth in 2001. Probably more than any other group in Cumbria they have embedded their campaign in the local community, and throughout they have always managed to keep their Town Council on board. At their recent 10th Birthday Celebration (they were the second community in Cumbria to receive the award), no less than 6 past mayors were present! There is no other group in the county which has that pulling power!"
Find out more by visiting our website.
Windermere and Bowness Fairtrade Group
Contact name: Theresa
About the group:
Windermere and Bowness Fairtrade status declared in 2004 and last renewed in 2016.
Currently there are nine members of our group who are active in promoting Fairtrade within our town.
Regular activities:
Fairtrade sales are held at churches and faith groups in Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside on a regular basis.
We have a Fairtrade sales table at a number of Christmas fayres.