Fair Trade
The stall in the Indoor Market
Opening Times: Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 9.30 – 3.00pm
Fridays and Saturdays: 9.30 – 3.30pm
and we now have a card reader!
If you are unable to get to the Indoor Market, please get in touch with Marion Haworth, (241055) who is prepared to arrange for deliveries within Shrewsbury.
Fairtrade in 2023
Another year of the Fairtrade stall in the Indoor Market
We were hugely saddened in January, to learn that Traidcraft had to cease trading – it was simply no longer economically viable. We had valued not only the simplicity of getting most of our goods through them, but also their dedicated and cheerful staff, and the information they were able to give us about where they got their produce, who their suppliers were, and how Fairtrade was making a genuine difference to their lives. We were given photos and life stories, which helped greatly to bring Fairtrade to life in schools and other meetings.
Even before Traidcraft closed, Marion had also been ordering goods from a few other suppliers, to add variety to the stall, but now she had to find all kinds of new suppliers to replace what we had been getting from Traidcraft, or to find similar goods as substitutes. And it is no simple task: apart from scouring the internet for new Fairtrade sources, each supplier demanded a different sized order before we could get free delivery, they had a complex variety of ‘reward’ systems, and occasional ‘special offers’. So Marion has worked incredibly hard, to keep the stall well stocked, but at the lowest available cost!
And the result? Our takings amounted to £23,872.93 over our financial year, which was only £100 less than the previous year, which had been an all time record. Brilliant, when you think of the cost of living crisis we have all experienced. Our overheads have risen by £362.44, but even so we were able to donate £1000 to “Transform Trade” – the old Traidcraft Exchange, which continues the work with farmers and producers, creating new possibilities to work as part of the Fairtrade family.
SO! I would like to give our huge thanks to Marion for the massive amount of time and effort she brings to the task of keeping the stall well stocked;
and I would like to thank:
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Marion and Roy, Grant and Gill, who share with Ken and I in keeping the stall ticking over;
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all the wonderful volunteers, many from this church, who can sit for 2 hours being virtually ignored – but also have the joy of a massive sale...occasionally!
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And most of all, thanks to all of you, who support us so magnificently, especially when we bring our stall to church, or have our coffee mornings.
With economic difficulties, and the ravages of climate change, Fairtrade is more important than ever in providing a living wage for so many farmers and producers in the developing world:
please keep supporting us!
On 1 st October we held a coffee morning for all our supporters and volunteers; it was the first ‘open invitation’ since Covid, and it was very well attended. We had a well stocked stall, and were able to show a short Traidcraft video: “Our Commitment to the environment”, which outlined their ethical policies and their response to climate change (available on YouTube).We could announce that 2021- 2022 had been our most successful year in the Indoor Market, with a turnover of just under £24,000; from that we were able to donate £1,500 to Traidcraft Exchange. However, we also had to point out that both the stall rent and the cost of our electricity had risen, and since the coffee morning, Traidcraft have informed us that they, too, are suffering because of increased costs, and that the margin we make on each sale will have to be adjusted in the future.In sum, it looks as if we will be able to continue to sell Fairtrade goods, and remain a presence in the market – but our ability to donate to either the Fairtrade Foundation or to Traidcraft Exchange (or “Transfer Trade” as it is now called) will probably be considerably diminished in the future.
October 2021
After doing everything remotely for so long, it was such a joy to be able to welcome people to a coffee morning in the URC St Nicholas Hall. And it all went so smoothly! We chatted (but really safely); loads of goods were sold; masses of cards were ordered; and there was the opportunity to let everyone know how the market stall was doing after a full year of trading during Covid. It is such good news. Despite the closures and all the problems of the last twelve months (our trading year runs from 1st October - 30th September) we have been able to:
• Sell more than £22,000 worth of Fairtrade goods, variously sourced through Traidcraft, Shared Earth, Suma, Thought and others;
• We paid £208 from your donations, plus £1000 from the stall, to the Traidcraft Exchange “Regenerators Appeal”.
We heard later that they had raised over £500,000, which was then doubled by the government!
• And we still had a very healthy £3000 in the bank and the same amount in stock.
So, we are delighted! Huge thanks are due to Roy and Marion Haworth for all the deliveries they made to individuals whilst lock-down was in force; and then to the many volunteers who have gone back to the stall now that the market is up and running again. And to everyone, for your consistent and wholehearted support.
I would also like to thank those who helped with the coffee morning, whether voluntarily or press-ganged! It was good to be able to enjoy coffee and cake safely together!
Fairtrade Fortnight 2021
On Saturday, 6th March 2021, we held a ‘virtual’ coffee morning to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight via Zoom. The purpose was two-fold:
1. To highlight the devastating effect of climate change on farmers and growers.
We looked at a couple of short films, which spelled out their difficulties. If you go to YouTube, and enter “Fairtrade” in the search engine, you will find many short clips, often first hand accounts, showing how they are affected by the unpredictability of the weather, their exposure to both flooding and droughts, and the increase in plant diseases which threaten to wipe out their crops. In just a few minutes, you get a very graphic picture of the changes and difficulties they are experiencing.
2. To highlight the Traidcraft Exchange “Regenerators” programme.
Traidcraft Exchange are raising money to help these farmers with a variety of ways to combat climate change and mitigate its effects – and the good news is that from now until the end of June, any money that is given will be doubled by the UK government!
We have agreed to give £1,000 from the market stall – if you are used to buying from us, and paying by BACS, we are happy to add on any personal donations. If, however, you are a tax payer, you can go to www.traidcraftexchange.org and if you follow the links to DONATION, not only will your gift be doubled, but it attracts gift aid as well! Win win!
In Autumn 2019 we were celebrating both 40 years of Traidcraft, and 25 years since the Fairtrade logo was launched. Happily, we were able to renew Shrewsbury's status as a Fairtrade Town for the 4th time.
The Town Council gave their enthusiastic support, and the photo shows some of our supporters enjoying tea with the Mayor in his parlour - the wonderful cakes were made by Fran Wood and Alice Brownlie!
In 2020, despite flooding and the coronavirus, not only has the stall in the Indoor Market remained open whenever government restrictions allowed, but in between times, Roy and Marion Haworth ran a delivery service from their home. As a result, we have sold very nearly as much as we did last year, which puts us in the position to donate further money to the Traidcraft Exchange and the Fairtrade Foundation, to help them both in developing Fairtrade, and in supporting the growers and producers who have suffered enormously
in this very difficult year.
Meanwhile, the most enormous thank you for your continued support, in running the stall, and in buying Fairtrade goods!
If you would like to get more involved, please contact Ken and Meriel Chippindale via admin.
