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 Wrexham County Borough - The first Fairtrade County Borough in Wales!
What is Fairtrade?
Fair trade means:
- A fair minimum price for produce
- No child or forced labour
- Decent wages, adequate housing and health and safety standards
- The right to join unions
- A long term trading commitment without harming the environment.
Many producers are being paid less than it costs to grow their crops, which leaves them facing poverty. Fairtrade = Fair Deal. This lifts people out of poverty.
Goods bearing the Fairtrade mark include coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, sugar, biscuits, cake, fruit juice, fruit, wine, flowers, crafts, clothes, and footballs!
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 Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition
This is what many people across Wrexham have been working for. In February 2003 a coalition of public figures, politicians, charities, unions, education establishments, churches and others formally launched the Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition at a ceremony in NEWI. The then deputy Mayor Aled Roberts was first to sign the fairtrade declaration on behalf of Wrexham Council. The coalition now has over 30 member groups or public figures.
Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition Meetings
2008
- AGM, Wed 12th November at 7.00pm at Glyndwr University
- African Night, Thurs 13th November at 7.30pm at Ruabon Community Centre: Martha will be in attendance with her products from Love Zimbabwe. £2.00 entrance with all proceeds going to children in conflict Kenya.
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Fairtrade County Status
On 16 July 2003 Wrexham became the first Fairtrade County Borough in Wales.
The Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition worked hard to ensure that Wrexham met the criteria to gain this status from the Fairtrade Foundation:
- enough shops per head of population needed to offer at least two fairly traded kitemarked goods;
- a certain number of cafes had to offer fairly traded tea and coffee as an alternative;
- workplaces needed to offer it their employees,
- media support was required,
- education initiatives; and
- Wrexham Council had to pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade and resolving to make fairly traded tea and coffee available at its meetings.
Meeting the criteria was just the start, the Coalition plans to deepen and further awareness and commitment to fairtrade within the Borough.
AM Dr John Marek, AM Eleanor Burnham, Councillor Aled Roberts (Leader of the Council), The Mayor of Wrexham Councillor Michael Edwards, MP Ian Lucas celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Fairtrade Status for Wrexham.
Fairtrade 2008
The efforts of the Wrexham Fairtrade coalition have contributed to Wales becoming the first Fairtrade nation, culminating in the following celebrations in June 2008.
The Mayor of Wrexham Councillor David Griffiths and his wife Mayoress Denise Griffiths cut the cake to celebrate Wales becoming the first Fairtrade nation.
To celebrate Wales being declared a Fairtrade nation, Fairtrade Wales decided to produce a flag that will visit every county in Wales By St David’s Day 2009, it is pictured above flying in Queens Square during its time in Wrexham.
The Mayor of Wrexham Councillor David Griffiths travelled to Flintshire County Council at Shire Hall, Mold with representatives from Wrexham Town & County Fairtrade Coalition and officers from Wrexham County Borough Council’s Economic Development department to hand over the flag to colleagues from Flintshire. He is pictured above with Chairman of Flintshire County Council, Councillor Quentin Dodd and local school children at the handing over ceremony.
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Fairtrade Guide
July 2004 saw the launch of the Wrexham Fairtrade Guide, sponsored by the Co-operative Group this gives some information on what 'Fairtrade' means and where to purchase Fairtrade goods in the Wrexham area.
If you would like to see your business listed within the Wrexham Fairtrade Guide as a supplier of Fairtrade goods, please contact the Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition.
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What you can do
- When you are shopping ask for goods with the FAIRTRADE mark.
- When in a pub, café, restaurant, or hotel, ask for Fairtrade tea, coffee, wine or fruit juice
- Spread the word
- Join the Trade Justice Campaign
- As well as buying goods with the FAIRTRADE mark, you can support local producers by purchasing their products.
Contact Fairtrade in Wrexham
If you want to know more, or would like to join the coalition please contact the Wrexham Fairtrade Coalition at:
37 Kingsmill Road
Wrexham
LL13 8NH
Tel: 01978 262588
Email: cpilsbury@lineone.net
Further information can be obtained from the Fairtrade website: www.fairtrade.org.uk.
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