Kingston Fairtrade

News and Important Events

Rose Theatre

The most exciting new place where you can get Fairtrade refreshments is the Rose Theatre Kingston cafe/bar. Light, modern and spacious, the cafe is open all day and sometimes offers live entertainment too. The wine list offers both red and white Fairtrade wines, and the Fairtrade coffee is delicious. Fairtrade sugar is used and Fairtrade biscuits are also available.

The theatre it self is a fine modern version of the famous Elizabethan Rose theatre in London in which, along with the Globe, Shakespeare's plays were first performed. for as little as £7 you can sit in the pit area with your own cushion, and seat prices range from £10 to £29.50.

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 25 February - March 9

Thursday March 13th Banana Wars and other Fairtrade battles

In Borders bookshop on Kingston market place, Ron Hinsley, Head of certification at the Fairtrade Foundation talked about a new book 'Banana wars and other Fairtrade battles' which tells the gripping story of Fairtrade's striking success. The book is by Harriet Lamb, the Director of the Fairtrade Foundation.

Jeannette James, Kingston Fairtrade Co-ordinator, introduced another recently published book, the Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook.

Food for Thought health store: 38 Market Place, Kingston

Customers visitingt he store during Fairtrade Fortnight found some monkey business going on. they saw the array of fairtrade products available and sampled many products from tea and coffee to chocolate and wine.

February 2008 Update on Fairtrade Towns, Faith Groups, Universities and products

There are now over 300 Fairtrade Towns, Cities, Boroughs, Zones, Islands and Villages across the UK. There arealso about 4,000 Fairtrade faith groups. In Kingston we have 17 Fairtrade Churches and and our local Kingston Liberal Synagogue in Rushett Lane is a Fairtrade Synagogue. Students have been working hard in Kingston and elsewhere to make Fairtrade more available on their campuses. There are now 50 Fairtrade Universities and Colleges, including Kingston University. From estimated sales of Fairtrade products of £30 million in 2006 the sales reached £290 million, with 3,500 retail and catering products with the Fairtrade Mark.

Has you town/place of worship/school/university got Fairtrade status yet? For more details go to fairtrade.org.uk/getinvolved

February 2008 Southwark Diocese awarded Fairtrade Diocese status

In February 2006 the Southwark Diocese of the Anglican Church, of which Kingston is a part, decided to work towards becoming a Fairtrade Diocese. Two years later, after much hard work, the diocese succeeded in its aim.

For more information go to fairtrade.org.uk/getinvolved/faiths

February 2008 London to be the first really large Fairtrade City in the world?

At the start of February 2008 15 London Boroughs have Fairtrade Borough status with many more boroughs on the way. It is hoped that London will become aFairtradeCitythis year by meeting all the goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation.

In December 7th 2006 the City of London Corporation added its active support to Fairtrade, passing a resolution stating that it '..believes that the concept of Fairtrade is central to sustainable development, and (that it) that it aims to be recognised by its stakeholders and partners as an organisation that actively supports and promotes the concept of Fairtrade and fairly traded products.'

To find out more visit fairtrade.org.uk/getinvolvedfairtradetowns and click on London for London's own Fairtrade website.

Students from a Korean University visit Kingston

Last year we received an email via this website from a student at a university in. A group of students were interested in Fairtrade and had been working hard to promote it in their university. Having seen this website and learned that Kingston had a Fairtrade University, they then looked at the University’s website.

To our surprise we found that these students were so inspired by what they read that they planned to visit us to find out more. At the end of January 2008 they arrived, visiting first Kingston and then Birmingham, which is a Fairtrade City and also has a Fairtrade University. Hannah Smith at Kingston University’s Sustainability Unit played the main role in hosting the visit, as the Kingston Fairtrade Co-ordinator was away at that time.

We arranged for them to see many of the outlets selling Fairtrade products in Kingston, and to go to a Fairtrade Church in New Malden, which has a large Korean community, on the Sunday.

On their return to the students emailed to say how much they had enjoyed their visit. They were amazed to see Fairtrade so much in the mainstream here in the. We assured them that this was not the case 10 years ago.

Saturday September 22^nd 2007 Healthy Harvest Fayre

Fairtrade took part in this new event at the end of Kingston's successful Food Fortnight. We had an information stall in Kingston's historic market place alongside local suppliers of healthy food and drink, and fairly traded products sold by people with direct links with producers in some of the poorest parts of the world.

March 26th 2007 Ethical Consumerism: figleaf or feasible?

As part of Think-in-Kingston, a panel comprising Chris Davis of the Fairtrade Foundation; Leo Hickman, Guardian columnist and author on this topic; Sarah Irving, researcher at Ethical Consumer magazine, and Barry Clavin, Ethical Policy Manager, from the Co-operative Group, discussed this topic, answering many questions from the audience. The panel was chaired by Jeannette James, Co-ordinator of the Kingston Fairtrade Group.

KBS, the Korean Broadcasting Service (TV) filmed the proceedings and interviewed both Jeannette and Chris Davis. Fairtrade is starting to be known in Korea.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 6 February - 11 March

Fairtrade producer from Bolivia visits Kingston

On March 1st we hosted another Fairtrade producer in the borough. Quispe Casildo, president of the Coinacapa brazil nut gatherers co-operative in. Casildo visited 3 local schools during the day and Kingston University in the evening. A very busy day for Casildo and his interpreter. Despite having to wait for Casildo’s Spanish to be translated into English, primary school children sat quietly and were fascinated, particularly when large ‘nuts’, each containing lots of brazil nuts (segments as in an orange) were passed around.

Fairtrade in local supermarkets

On several days during Fairtrade Fortnight we had tables near the entrances of local supermarkets displaying the wide range of Fairtrade products now available in these stores. We were able to talk to shoppers, and give them extra information about Fairtrade, including our newly printed 2007 Kingston Fairtrade Guide.

In Surbiton Sainsbury's

February 20th 2007

Fine Foods International launches Fair Instant Coffee

FFI, the coffee people, are part ofEurope’s largest privately owned coffee and beverage manufacturer. Part of their operation is based in Kingston. FFI, who have been manufacturing Fairtrade coffees for 15 years (well-known ‘own brands’), are now launching their own Fairtrade certified brand, Fair Instant, which will be available in some Waitrose, Asda, Tesco and Budgens stores. Fair Instant has also agreed to give Save the Children 20p for every jar of Fair Instant sold, and 50p for every catering drum. This money will be used for educational initiatives, and it is hoped that £200,000 will be raised in 2007.

See fair-instant.co.uk

New website about using Fairtrade in Workplaces

Visit fairtradeatwork.org.uk for useful information about all aspects of using Fairtrade products at work, e.g. vending machines, and great new materials (posters, leaflets for decision makers, etc)

April 26th 2006 Jeannette and Douglas James, Kingston Fairtrade Co-ordinators, receive Mayor's Award

Jeannette and Douglas James receive Mayor's Award from Yogan Yoganathan at Kingston Guildhall for the work they have done on Fairtrade and the wider Trade Justice issues.

March 6th - 19th 2006 Fairtrade Fortnight

March 6th

Visit to 5 Kingston schools by Maria Sargeant, banana farmer from St Vincent, Windward Islands (Caribbean). Maria talked to over 1000 pupils, in both primary and secondary schools, about her life, showing picture of her farm and the processes bananas go through before being shipped to the UK.

March 11th

A second Fair Trade Market on Kingston's Market Place, this time with our new Kingston Fairtrade banner!

21^st November 2005 European Parliament and Commission Trade Justice Lobby in Brussels

Several local people went to Brussels for this lobby.For more information visit tjm.org.uk.

Outside the European Commission by day and night.

2^nd November 2005 Mass Lobby of Parliament for Trade Justice

Over 8,000 trade justice campaigners from across the UK gathered in Westminster. Local people lobbied our MPs, Edward Davey and Susan Kramer. For more information visit tjm.org.uk.

6th-8th July 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles

The leaders of the world's most powerful countries met in Gleneagles chaired by the UK.

2^nd July 2005 Make Poverty History Rally in nearby Edinburgh

Over 225,000 people took to the streets in Edinburgh to call on world leaders to act at the G8 summit. We walked and, dressed in white, took part in the world's largest human white band around the city centre. There were so many of us that the flow of people went on for over 6 hours.

Coaches went from Richmond and other parts of London, and some local people made their own way. Joining us were representatives from around the world including Kumi Naidoo, Head of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.Speakers from around the world addressed the crowd to speak of the difference the G8 could make when they met later in the week at Gleneagles.For more information, photos, films, etc. visit makepovertyhistory.org.

10-16 April 2005 Global Week of Action on Trade Justice

This whole week of action on Trade Justice culminated in an all-night vigil on the Friday night when over 25,000 Trade Justice campaigners descended overnight on Whitehall and Westminster. The next morning each of the main political parties was visited by a small delegation on behalf of the vigilers.

1st- 13th March 2005 Fairtrade Fortnight

Kingston-upon Thames achieves Fairtrade Borough status

At this time, during Fairtrade Fortnight, Kingston also achieved Fairtrade borough status, the fourth London borough to do so. The certificate was presented to Jeannette James representing the Kingston Fairtrade steering group at City Hall in London by Harriet Land, the Director of the Fairtrade Foundation.

City Hall Presentation to Kingston and Lewisham Boroughs

Following the presentation at City Hall, later in the evening at a celebratory event at Kingston's Guildhall, the certificate was presented to Kingston's Mayor, Ed Naylor, by Jeannette James and two cocoa farmers from Ghana, Anna Awere and Veronica Mintuh, who explained what a difference Fairtrade had made to lives in their community. They are part of the large Kuala Kokoo cocoa co-operative who supply the Day Chocolate Company, makers of Divine Chocolate and the Dubble bar. Kuapa Kokoo owns a third of Day Chocolate, and the farmers therefore not only benefit from the Fairtrade prices and social premiums, but also share in the company's profits. See divinechocolate.com

At the Guildhall: Anna and Veronica, with Mayor Ed Naylor, Charlotte Borger from the Day Chocolate Company, and John Azah from KREC (Kingston Racial Equality Council)

March 12th Fair trade Market in Kingston's ancient Market Place and launch of Kingston blend Fairtrade Coffee

At this small fair trade market, Kingston blend Fairtrade blend Fairtrade coffee was launched, with free tasting. The Kingston blend was voted favourite from the four blends that were trialled at the Guildhall celebration event. The coffee is roasted and blended by Traders Coffee, Ewell Road, Surbiton.

Edward Davey MP, holding a packet of Kingston blend coffee, with John Green of Traders Coffee , Jeannette and Douglas James from Kingston Fairtrade Steering Group.