Brampton
Carlisle
Cockermouth
Eden Valley
Egremont
Kendal
Keswick
Lakes Parish
Millom
Windermere & Bowness
About Fairtrade Towns
To become a Fairtrade town or area you must meet the following five criteria:
1. The local council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade and agrees to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in its offices and canteens.
2. A range of Fairtrade products is readily available in the area's shops and local cafes/catering establishments.
3. Fairtrade products are used by a number of local work places and community organisations.
4. The town attracts media coverage and popular support for the campaign.
5. A local Fairtrade Steering Group is convened to ensure continued commitment to its Fairtrade Town status.
For more details of Fairtrade Towns nationally, visit the Fairtrade Foundation
Web site.
1. The local council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade and agrees to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in its offices and canteens.
2. A range of Fairtrade products is readily available in the area's shops and local cafes/catering establishments.
3. Fairtrade products are used by a number of local work places and community organisations.
4. The town attracts media coverage and popular support for the campaign.
5. A local Fairtrade Steering Group is convened to ensure continued commitment to its Fairtrade Town status.
For more details of Fairtrade Towns nationally, visit the Fairtrade Foundation
Web site.
Local Information
You may well have heard of the Lake District, but have you heard of the Eden Valley? Nestled between the Lakes and the Pennines, the Eden Valley is a hidden gem: we're sure Adam and Eve would have chosen this as their Garden of Eden if the climate had been right for the wearing of fern leaves! With a population of around 50,000, large towns such as Penrith, Shap, Alston and Appleby, and many small villages, Eden is the home of the Eden River, the Lake District mountains, Wordsworths Daffodils and Shap Abbey. Hit hard by the foot and mouth crisis of 2001, Eden also has some major rural poverty, with a huge mix of people from a variety of social strata. Eden is a vibrant, growing district with plenty to see and do.
Background
Fair Trade goods have been available in Eden for a long time! Charity shops, supermarkets, cafes, churches, schools and Bed and Breakfasts didn't need a group meeting to convince them of the need for fair trading. But meeting together surely helps, and the key gathering for our group was in January 2005 when a Cumbria-wide Fair Trade group gathered in Ambleside. Inspired by this meeting and the fantastic people there, two Edenites raced back to Penrith and set up the first Eden group meeting. With the open, cosy, welcoming arms of the Bluebell Bookshop for our gatherings, the group has grown from strength to strength.
We received the unanimous support of Eden District Council for our work. Not only did the Councillors welcome our proposal, but they lauded our efforts, spoke on our behalf, and passed our motion unanimously - since then the Council has given us unstinting support, with the key help of the Tourism Officer, the Press Officer and of course the Chair of the District Council.
With lots of hard work, data gathering, (and the technical support of the Bolton Fair Trade Guide producers), by summer 2005 we had produced our first Eden Fair Trade Guide. Then, with enough press coverage and a decent proportion of businesses, schools and churches on board, we submitted our bid to the Fairt Trade Foundation - and were awarded status as a Fair Trade Zone on 29th October 2005. We celebrated this event by inviting our MP, David MacLean, to answer our questions on Trade Justice - a good humdinger of a debate, and a great way to celebrate.
It's been a whirlwind experience, but one full of learning, understanding of the issues, and perhaps most importantly to building of trusting relationships between members of the growing network, and with businesses in the area. We are particularly excited that many of the secondary schools in the area: Ullswater Community College, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Appleby Grammar School, and many of our primary and junior schools are including fair trade issues in their citizenship curriculum elements, and are themselves, in some cases led by highly motivated and able pupils, opening Fair Trade Tuck Shops, and working towards Fair Trade Status for their schools.
We received the unanimous support of Eden District Council for our work. Not only did the Councillors welcome our proposal, but they lauded our efforts, spoke on our behalf, and passed our motion unanimously - since then the Council has given us unstinting support, with the key help of the Tourism Officer, the Press Officer and of course the Chair of the District Council.
With lots of hard work, data gathering, (and the technical support of the Bolton Fair Trade Guide producers), by summer 2005 we had produced our first Eden Fair Trade Guide. Then, with enough press coverage and a decent proportion of businesses, schools and churches on board, we submitted our bid to the Fairt Trade Foundation - and were awarded status as a Fair Trade Zone on 29th October 2005. We celebrated this event by inviting our MP, David MacLean, to answer our questions on Trade Justice - a good humdinger of a debate, and a great way to celebrate.
It's been a whirlwind experience, but one full of learning, understanding of the issues, and perhaps most importantly to building of trusting relationships between members of the growing network, and with businesses in the area. We are particularly excited that many of the secondary schools in the area: Ullswater Community College, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Appleby Grammar School, and many of our primary and junior schools are including fair trade issues in their citizenship curriculum elements, and are themselves, in some cases led by highly motivated and able pupils, opening Fair Trade Tuck Shops, and working towards Fair Trade Status for their schools.
The Bridge Youth Café
Sampling the Fairtrade Chocolate Fountain in the Youth Café
NEWS
‘Fairtrade Fortnight (March) 2008 marked that 1st Birthday of the Bridge Youth Cafe on Wordsworth Street, Penrith. Run by the Methodist Church as part of their outreach programme to young people, the Bridge Youth Cafe is wholly committed to Fairtrade in its outlook, ethos, and sourcing. Making their own FT buns, serving FT tea/coffee, using FT sugar, and promoting FT issues wherever possible, they are working hard to break down injustice in our world.
The recent AGM of the Eden Valley Fairtrade Group was captivated by a fascinating talk on Trade Justice and the cotton industry in South India by Amit Vatsyayan who works for Oxfam. It was moving to be reminded how shopping ethically, with fair-trade principles, really can change the lives of ordinary people around the world.
Another highlight of our 2008 Fairtrade Fortnight was a magnificent FT ceilidh held in the St. Andrew’s Rooms, with over 200 dancers, including lots of enthusiastic young children (and their parents!) showing again how attractive, and relevant FT is to young people. With FT stalls, a FT raffle kindly donated by the Penrith Cooperative, and FT snacks and drinks, a great fun time was had by all. The Earthquakers Ceilidh Band was magnificent, and kept our toes tapping all night.
In Eden we are working towards Fairtrade Status for Penrith, Alston and Appleby and are excited by the developments in all these towns towards their own FT status.
The latest edition of our Guide is due out in the summer of 2008. We hope that it will be double the size of the first one, with over 100 entries.
There’s so much on the ground going on all the time: FT coffee mornings, fashion shows, new products available on our supermarket shelves, fantastic new items of clothing and household goods in our locally owned shops and boutique – we’re overwhelmed by the continued and growing commitment to Fairtrade. One major highlight for us recently has been Fairtrade Status being awarded to Ullswater Community College, our local comprehensive secondary school in Penrith. Other schools are working towards FT status, and many have made commitments to stock staff rooms with FT goods.
The recent AGM of the Eden Valley Fairtrade Group was captivated by a fascinating talk on Trade Justice and the cotton industry in South India by Amit Vatsyayan who works for Oxfam. It was moving to be reminded how shopping ethically, with fair-trade principles, really can change the lives of ordinary people around the world.
Another highlight of our 2008 Fairtrade Fortnight was a magnificent FT ceilidh held in the St. Andrew’s Rooms, with over 200 dancers, including lots of enthusiastic young children (and their parents!) showing again how attractive, and relevant FT is to young people. With FT stalls, a FT raffle kindly donated by the Penrith Cooperative, and FT snacks and drinks, a great fun time was had by all. The Earthquakers Ceilidh Band was magnificent, and kept our toes tapping all night.
In Eden we are working towards Fairtrade Status for Penrith, Alston and Appleby and are excited by the developments in all these towns towards their own FT status.
The latest edition of our Guide is due out in the summer of 2008. We hope that it will be double the size of the first one, with over 100 entries.
There’s so much on the ground going on all the time: FT coffee mornings, fashion shows, new products available on our supermarket shelves, fantastic new items of clothing and household goods in our locally owned shops and boutique – we’re overwhelmed by the continued and growing commitment to Fairtrade. One major highlight for us recently has been Fairtrade Status being awarded to Ullswater Community College, our local comprehensive secondary school in Penrith. Other schools are working towards FT status, and many have made commitments to stock staff rooms with FT goods.
CONTACT
Chair: Nicki Vecqueray 01768 840749 ,
Secretary: Ruth Harvey 01768 840749,