Gideon Gilbert is a Fairtrade banana farmer from St. Vincent in the Windward Islands who has been brought to the UK by the Fairtrade Foundation for Fairtrade Fortnight. He spent the whole of the day on Wednesday 27th February touring the Borough in support of our campaign for Fairtrade status.

He began the day at 9.30am at Sainsbury’s in Arnold where he looked at their display of bananas, which are now all Fairtrade. He was able to pick out bags of bananas which had come from the Windward Islands.

At 10.20 he was at Killisick Junior School, where he spoke to an assembly. He showed a powerpoint presentation which he used to explain to pupils what it is like to work on a banana farm. He then described how the farmers use the Fairtrade premium which they receive on top of the price paid for the bananas. It is spent on roads to allow better access to farms, on supporting pre-school education and sport in schools and on scholarships at secondary level. He then answered questions from the pupils.

At 11.30 he was at Colonel Frank Seely School in Calverton, where he met pupil representatives from the steering group which is driving the school’s campaign to become a Fairtrade School. They explained to him how they study Fairtrade in lessons, organise taster sessions, put up posters and displays, talk to parents and friends about the importance of Fairtrade, use the Fairtrade logo as the screensaver on their computers and have strong links with the local Co-operative store. Gideon then talked to them about growing bananas. ‘Fairtrade has transformed my life’ he told them.

He then sat in on a Year 7 drama lesson, where the pupils talked about Fairtrade and then, in groups, mimed how bananas are grown, prepared, shipped and delivered to us in the UK. Great fun to watch a line of seven pupils repeating gestures over and over again to convey the whole process! A very enjoyable and imaginative lesson!

After lunch at the school he went to Plantations Coffee Shop in Arnold, where, over a drink, he talked with Tina Bradley, the proprietor, about banana growing. He used a photograph of a banana farm damaged by a hurricane to explain what then had to be done to help the farm recover.

At 4pm he met the Mayor of Gedling, Councillor Jenny Spencer, in the foyer of the Civic Centre. They were photographed together at the Fairtrade display set up for Fairtrade Fortnight by the Gedling Fairtrade Group. He was shown the Council Chamber and was able to talk to the Mayor about his life as a Fairtrade banana farmer.

We are very grateful indeed to Gideon who, through his visit, has given a boost to our campaign for Fairtrade status for Gedling Borough and made us all the more determined to achieve it as soon as possible!

Report by Allan Leadbeater