David and Allan turned up at 11.15 to put up the gazebo and set up the stall.  We repeated what we had done at the Arnold Carnival in June.  We had a display of Fairtrade in Gedling Borough, a leaflet listing suppliers, the quiz and the draw, lots of leaflets and a plate of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate to attract the punters.  Surprising how many people didn’t realise Dairy Milk is now Fairtrade!  Our prize of a bag of Co-operative Fairtrade goods included a donation in kind from the Co-operative in Gedling Road, for which we were most grateful.

Vicky was not able to help out – something about a wedding, she said.  David was involved in a tennis tournament that had been brought forward and had to leave at 12; his wife, Sally, stepped in to complete the morning session.  Ash and Christine looked after the stall in the afternoon, with Allan coming back from a quick sandwich to support.  We could do with a few more recruits to help out on such occasions!

We had a really successful day.  We were in a line of stalls near the Willow Lane entrance and so had a chance to talk to lots of people as they came in or out.  The music coming from just opposite us didn’t stop us talking as much as we could!  By the time we packed up at 4.30pm we had a total of 83 entries for our draw.  So, talking to family groups again, we must have discussed Fairtrade with more than 200 people.  22 people gave us e-mail addresses to receive our planned e-mail newsletter.  We even discovered a local resident whose uncle is a director of the Fairtrade Foundation!  Amazing what you discover when you talk to people on the ground!

The winner of the Fairtrade goods was Mrs. Marshall of Bulwell who had come to Gedling to visit her niece.

Our thanks must go to the Gedling Gala committee for giving us this excellent chance to talk to so many local residents.

Vicky and Allan talked to visitors until one o’clock.  Then Rachel and Ash took over until 4pm. Vicky and Allan came back to round off the afternoon and pack up at 5pm.

There were 78 entries for the draw.  We tended to talk to family groups so we must have talked to about 200 people altogether during the day.  Most people were very responsive but it wasn’t all plain sailing.  We had the usual question ‘But does the money really get to the people who need it?’   We did our best to explain how the Fairtrade system works, through co-operatives and individual farmers, to ensure small farmers really do get a better return for their crop.  Another visitor told us that, if farmers got a low price for their product, then that was business and they had nothing to complain about!  If they wanted change, they had governments who should do something about it.  Vicky and Allan explained they felt that we, as consumers, have a moral responsibility to avoid exploitation and pay a decent price for goods from the developing world.  We failed to persuade him but at least we had the chance to talk to him about the issue.

Another advantage of the day was that we got 25 people to sign up for our planned e-mail newsletter, helping to spread support for Fairtrade across the Borough.

Tuesday 22nd was a happy day for Taran and Maya, who live near the centre of Arnold; Allan rang up to tell them they had won the draw.  He offered to deliver the bag of Fairtrade goods on Wednesday at 4pm but it appears there was an important football match on at that time.  The handover was therefore delayed until Thursday.  The photo shows Taran and Maya with their prize.

Our grateful thanks are due to the organisers of the Arnold Carnival and especially to the employees of the Council, who are always efficient, helpful and friendly.

What better way to start 2008 than supporting Fairtrade? How about you make it your resolution to switch to Fairtrade tea or coffee? Even better you could encourage a friend to join you.

An extremely effective way that you could support Fairtrade in 2008 is to join the Gedling Fairtrade Group or just come along to our next meeting to see what its all about:

Thursday 10th January 2008, 7.30pm

at

The Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU
Please go to reception for directions to the meeting room.

See below for a map to the venue.
Visit the Gedling Borough Council website for bus routes and directions.
View Larger Map

• Do you run a shop, restaurant / cafe or business in Gedling?
• Do you use Fairtrade goods (such as tea, coffee and sugar) in your staff room?
• Do you sell Fairtrade products in Gedling Borough?

If you can answer ‘YES’ to any of the above questions then Gedling Fairtrade Group want to hear from you!

The Gedling Fairtrade Group is working hard to achieve Fairtrade status for the borough of Gedling and we’re very close to reaching our goal. Fairtrade status requires 23 outlets to sell Fairtrade products as well as 12 restaurants or cafes. The Fairtrade Foundation also expects a good range of employers and community groups to use Fairtrade products if status is to be awarded.

So, take a look at our directory page, if you’re not already listed then we don’t know about you and that means you can contribute towards Gedling becoming a Fairtrade Borough.

If you would like to know more about becoming a business which uses or sells Fairtrade products then please contact us.

Visit our Fairtrade Products page to find out what’s available.