Fairtrade Fortnight being marked with community events across the East

Fairtrade Fortnight being marked with community events across the East

Central England Co-operative will be holding a range of events across the East of England during Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 to get the community talking about Fairtrade.

The Society will be holding everything from tea dances, quizzes and school workshops to a special Fairtrade women’s football match, all aimed at promoting the importance of the Fairtrade movement.

Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off today (24 February) and runs to 8 March and will see thousands of individuals, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and those who are often exploited and badly paid.

Educating young people about Fairtrade in the communities Central England Co-operative serves will also be at the heart of its activities during the Fortnight, with colleagues delivering special assemblies and workshops.

The sessions aim to get children thinking about the people who grow their food and far it has come, as well as making them aware that buying Fairtrade goods means fair prices for farmers in the developing world.

Among the schools which the Society will be working with during the Fortnight will be Westwood Primary School, Woods Loke Primary School and Grove Primary School in Lowestoft and Monkfield Primary School in Cambourne, as well as groups such The Otium Centre in Oulton.

Kym Hunt, Member and Community Relations Officer for Central England Co-operative for the Eastern region, said: “Fairtrade Fortnight is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and promote the importance of Fairtrade through fun events for our members and customers, such as the tea dance and football match, while also getting out into schools and community groups to educate young people.

“Our educational workshops on Fairtrade not only teach young people about how they can shop in a more ethical way; it helps them to think of themselves as global citizens with a responsibility to others.

“Fairtrade and ethical practices are hugely important to us as a co-operative, so we are always keen to make sure that we are educating the next generation in these important subjects, while also making the sessions we put on great fun and interactive for the young people.”

The retailer will also be raising awareness of Fairtrade and the range of ethically-sourced products it stocks in its food stores throughout the two weeks of the campaign, with in-store promotions and product samplings.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://membership.centralengland.coop/