Keswick
Fairtrade Fortnight 2008
We have just had another very successful Fairtrade Fortnight, packed with activities. Throughout it we 'ran' the second Keswick Coffee Marathon. No! Not a 26 mile run, but a two week 'Café Crawl'. Its aim was to encourage people to drink at as many of our coffee shops and cafés offering Fairtrade as possible. And many did!
Jose Peralta, Fairtrade banana producer, spoke at a public meeting about the impact of Fairtrade on the lives of people in the Dominican Republic, where he is President of ASOBANU, a banana famers' association. Next morning we took Jose to Booths, our local supermarket, which sells bananas from the Dominican Republic to meet Ian Gardiner, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Manager. On finding a box stamped with the ASOBANU code, Jose declared: 'This has been the highlight of my visit to Britain!' To this Ian responded, 'And you have made my week!'
In the middle of the Fortnight, the 'Wine Rack', Threshers' off-license in the Market Place, put on another successful Fairtrade Wine Tasting. Following the publication of her book, Fighting the Banana Wars and Other Fairtrade Battles, Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, spoke at the Words by the Water, our local literary festival, in the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight, to an audience of knowledgeable and committed campaigners, as well as many others. One of the festival's regulars commented: 'That was the best talk I have heard so far.' Harriet is an outstanding speaker, who weaves Fairtrade stories into big picture Trade Justice scenarios with great skill and passion.
The morning after Harriet's talk the committee met her over breakfast at the Wild Strawberry, where we talked about the Foundation's vision for Fairtrade over the next five years. There followed a Reception with Harriet Lamb for Keswick and
Cumbrian campaigners at the Skiddaw Hotel. Warmly welcomed by the Mayor, Roger Purkiss, Harriet praised the people of Keswick and Cumbria for their enormous contribution to Fairtrade, spectacularly in the case of Keswick within the tourism sector.
After speaking to the whole gathering, Harriet signed copies of her book, and spent time talking individually to guests and supporters , who included students from St. Joseph's, Workington, St. Benedict's, Whitehaven, Cockermouth School, and Ullswater College. In all four of these there are strong Fairtrade groups, and two, St. Joseph's and Ullswater College, are already official Fairtrade Schools.
Harriet Lamb, taking questions from the audience at The Skiddaw Hotel reception in Fairtrade Fortnight, 2008
Ian Gardiner, Booths' Fruit and Vegetables Manager; Jose Peralta, President of ASOBANU, Dominican Republic; and Jo Alberti, Chair, Keswick and District Fair Trade Campaign, with a box of Jose's bananas, Fairtrade Fortnight 2008.