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 and the surrounding deep rural areas where much of the local tourist accommodation is situated.
    It is hard not to notice the Fairtrade option now on a walk around the centre of Brampton. Brampton Co-op displays its Fairtrade selection prominently on a dedicated display, as well as stocking the goods in their generic section.
    Brampton Fairtrade Town stickers with their distinctive Moot Hall design are seen proudly displayed in a number of shop windows. And visitors dropping into Laurel House for a warming drink will find the option of Fairtrade coffee or tea prominently displayed on the menu.
    Visit local churches on a Sunday or weekday event and you will be offered Fairtrade refreshment or the chance to buy from a Traidcraft stall. A number of the weekly charity coffee mornings in the Moot Hall are now serving Fairtrade too. And an encouraging number of small businesses in the area are using Fairtrade for their staff and clients.

A small group of local activists worked hard over a period of nearly four years to achieve Fairtrade Town status for Brampton. A number of key factors helped in raising awareness and commitment:
- regular Fairtrade coffee mornings in our Moot Hall;
- the support of staff at all the local schools and the gradual 'conversion' of the local churches;
- the sheer persistence of the campaign groups;
- and, perhaps most significantly of all, the enormous commitment of Brampton Co-op and its manager in stocking and promoting a wide range of Fairtrade goods.
    In the autumn of 2004 the increasing interest and commitment of different sectors across Brampton was brought together in a new
   

steering group to take Brampton into the final move forward to Fairtrade Town status, with representatives from the parish council, the retail sector, the catering sector, education and the Church, as well as the group of campaigners who had guided the project to date.
   Brampton was granted Fairtrade Town status on 6th January 2005, thereby becoming one of the first hundred towns in the UK to be recognised in this way. This achievement was celebrated in Fairtrade Fortnight March 2005 with a wide range of exciting events, including a Fairtrade dinner for those businesses and organisations that formed part of the bid, and a big street celebration and presentation in the town square, both addressed by guest speaker Mr Simeon Greene of Windward Island Bananas.

Brampton's flagship Fairtrade supporters are the staff and children at Brampton Junior School, which achieved official Fairtrade School status in Spring 2007. Fairtrade is taught across the curriculum, regular assemblies continually increase pupils' understanding, a huge range of special projects are undertaken for Fairtrade Fortnight each year, and all visitors to the school are served with Fairtrade refreshments.
   Congratulations to both staff and pupils on this great achievement, which reflects their tremendous hard work and enthusiasm.
   Pupils from Brampton Junior School are also working with local artist Sarah Till on a mosaic to celebrate Brampton Fairtrade Town, which will be erected outside Brampton Moot Hall and unveiled by the Director of Christian Aid, Daleep Mukarji, on his visit to Brampton on 13th October 2007.

As part of Brampton in Bloom, pupils from Brampton Junior School and members of the Brampton Fairtrade Town Group have planted a flower bed in the shape of the Fairtrade symbol at the foot of the Moat, inspired by Keswick's wonderful floral creation; another way of letting all who come here know that Brampton is a Fairtrade Town.
   RAF Spadeadam has become the first military base in Britain to sign up to selling Fairtrade goods on its premises. They are now being much appreciated in a variety of locations around the site.

Kate Allan, tel:016977 3111,