Fairtrade
Alnwick was designated a Fairtrade town in March 2006 and continues to encourage people to buy Fairtrade goods especially if they are unable to 'buy local'.
To achieve the status of a Fairtrade town, 5 goals had to be met including the district council passing a resolution supporting Fairtrade and the serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices; Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local workplaces (and this includes the Trust); a range of Fairtrade products must be readily available in local shops and cafes in relation to a target set depending upon a town's population; there must be local media coverage for the campaign and a local Fairtrade steering group must be established to promote Fairtrade.
The Trust is represented on the steering group by the Finance & Admin Officer, Kevin Wardle, and the group is open to people who wish to support Fairtrade within the town. The group meets for one hour (usually 4.00 - 5.00pm) every 6-8 weeks and would welcome new people who are interested in finding out more about Fairtrade and helping to maintain Alnwick’s status as a Fairtrade town.
In early March 2006, during Fairtrade fortnight, with funding from the District Council and The Alnwick Lions, free samples were handed out to encourage people to buy Fairtrade food including tea, coffee, sugar, bananas, cookies etc. Entertainment was supplied by Alnwick Playhouse Community Choir singing songs from countries benefiting from Fairtrade, by the Duchess's High School Choir and Per4m, a drumming workshop for all. To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight in 2007, seven schools in Alnwick were given a 1m x 2m calico banner to decorate promoting Fairtrade. The excellent colourful banners were then displayed around the town, in the library, the Playhouse and several shops. By encouraging children to think about where their food comes from, we hope they will gain some understanding of the ideas behind Fairtrade.
Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar and hot chocolate are available for people using the Conference Room at The Centre for a nominal cost. Fairtrade does not intend to replace goods produced locally but does encourage buyers to purchase goods which have been bought for a fair price for the producer.