Fairtrade Stall
Sadly, Traidcraft plc, one of the founders of the trade justice movement, went into administration last week. Their partner organisation Transform Trade continues to exist and is focused on supporting producers and campaigning for change to the trading system.
The products that we sell at St Mary’s have all been sourced from Traidcraft plc. We will sell the stock we currently have in church on 12th February and 12th March and will look for alternative sources, though we are not aware of any at the moment.
Our Aims
1. To raise the profile of Fairtrade within St. Mary’s Church by showcasing a range of Fairtrade products and explain the benefits of buying Fairtrade items for farmers, workers and shoppers.
2. Use any profit to donate to charities working alongside people in the developing world.
If you have any queries, please contact Alison through admin@stmaryssaffronwalden.org
What we have done last year
In 2022 there have been ten Fairtrade Stalls at St. Mary’s: nine after the 10am service and one at the Christmas Fair in November.
We have sold a wide range of products including chocolate, biscuits, tea, coffee, pasta, washing liquids and rubber gloves!
During 2022, our total sales were £1,524.55 and we have made a profit of £196.03.
We have used £172 of this profit to purchase the following charity gifts from Christian Aid:
• A beehive
• A sheep
• Train a tailor
• 20 cocoa saplings
• An emergency hygiene kit for displaced people
What we plan to do this year
• We will continue to provide a stall at St. Mary’s, on the 2nd Sunday each month after the 10.30am service and publicise this via the Grapevine and church website. Future stalls are planned for: 8th January, 12th February and the 12th March in 2023.
• We will write an occasional article for the Parish Magazine and provide information to keep the Fairtrade webpage on St. Mary’s website up to date.
• We will encourage members of the congregation to place orders with us.
• We will use any profits at the end of 2023 to donate further funds to charities working with people in the developing world.
Questions you have been asking us
Why buy from our Fairtrade stall?
Fairtrade works with farming co-operatives, businesses and governments to make trade fair, so that producers earn secure and sustainable livelihoods. Buying Fairtrade products supports this and we will ensure that any surplus we make will go to a charity that works to end poverty and injustice worldwide. Find out more about Fairtrade here:
www.fairtrade.org.uk
Where do you source the items that you sell?
All the products that we sell are purchased from Traidcraft plc. You can find out more about the organisation and what they sell here: www.traidcraftshop.co.uk
Alison places orders online, usually every month, to top up our stock and to try new products. If there are items that you would like us to stock, please ask us and we will do our best to get them for you.
Why are some items more expensive at St Mary’s than in the supermarkets?
When we place an order, we can choose to buy one item or a multipack. It is cheaper to buy multipacks but we don’t always do this for two reasons: (1) We do not have much storage and (2) Food items have a limited shelf-life and we need to be sure that we can sell what we purchase before this expires. This means that our items might be more expensive than other shops that can buy in bulk.
Does the Fairtrade Stall make a profit and what happens to any funds raised?
We hope to make a small profit. The PCC has agreed that, at the end of the year, we will give any surplus to a charity that works to end poverty and injustice worldwide, such as Traidcraft Exchange.
We can take cash or card payments.
