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Let's be friendsStratford College go for Fairtrade Status
Matt McMullen, Group Support Volunteer, describes how the super-speedy campaigners at Stratford upon Avon College managed to get their College ready to achieve Fairtrade status in less than nine months.
Stratford upon Avon College were supported in their campaign for Fairtrade status by a Group Support Volunteer (GSV).
People & Planet are currently recruiting for new GSVs for the academic year 2009-10 - apply now and you can help us empower the activists of the future.
If you would like more info about becoming a GSV, check out P&P’s volunteering roles.
Smarties world map 2009
Banana eating world record attempt 2009
The brand new P&P group at Stratford upon Avon College, which I helped set up in September, has moved through the Fairtrade Status goals at a remarkable rate.
Their first action was a Fairtrade policy signing event where the group delivered a Fairtrade presentation to college management, catering staff, teaching staff and students. Everyone was won over by the the P&Per’s commitment to tackling global poverty and the policy was signed (the delicious Fairtrade refreshments might have had something to do with it as well). The story was even covered in the local paper.
The group used the festive season to get the Fairtrade message to rest of the college with a Christmas stall stocked with Fairtrade delights supplied by People & Planet and the local Oxfam shop. Fairtrade Fortnight at the College was action-packed as well: the group organised a Fairtrade day with a Fairtrade hand print petition, unfair sweet stall and Fairtrade logo face painting.
Throughout the year, the new P&Pers worked with the college management and the café to increase the number of products on sale. At the start of the year, students who wanted to buy Fairtrade had only one choice: a chocolate muffin or a chocolate muffin. Now all the tea and coffee sold in the college, and served at all internal meetings, is Fairtrade. Visitors’ consciences can now be at ease knowing that every sip they take is helping to tackle poverty.
The final challenge was setting up a steering group bringing together students, management, catering staff and others to chart the progress towards Fairtrade status and overcome challenges along the way. At the last steering group meeting, it was decided that the college, having achieved all the Fairtrade goals, was ready to bite the bullet and apply for Fairtrade college status.
The action taken by Stratford P&P will have a massive impact on producers in the developing world. With a track record like this who knows what successes next year will bring?
