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Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign Winding Down
A highly successful local campaign reaches its conclusion next week with the announcement that all of its major aims have been achieved.
The Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign will be winding down, after raising the profile of Fairtrade across the borough and earning great respect from other similar campaigns across the country.
Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign (WFTC) was formed just over three years ago and launched by John Redwood MP. Its key aims were to increase recognition and take-up of fairly traded goods across the whole of Wokingham borough with a publicity campaign aimed at members of the public, and support for local businesses to increase the range of products available.
Now, in 2009, there is a huge range of fairly traded products available in all our major supermarkets, with new products being added every week. Even in these credit-crunch times, ethical purchasing is high on shoppers’ priorities and the big supermarket chains are responding accordingly. National and local surveys indicate that over 70% of residents recognise the Fairtrade symbol and know what it means. In parallel, the big suppliers are also responding to the public’s demand for fairly traded goods – Marks and Spencer, Tate and Lyle, Starbucks, Cadbury and a host of others are announcing new fairly traded offerings, and others will be forced to follow in order to compete.
All this has been achieved through the activities of the national Fairtrade Foundation, and by the active lobbying and promotion carried out by local groups all over the country – including WFTC.
“Wokingham can be proud of the contribution its local group has made,” says campaign chairman Colin Weedon. “WFTC has something of a reputation amongst other similar groups around the country. With a membership of over 150, the group has staged events, produced information leaflets, printed newsletters, appeared regularly in the press and conducted TV and radio interviews. Wokingham Borough Council has passed a motion supporting the work of the WFTC and congratulating it on its results.”
“The campaign has produced one of the country’s finest Fairtrade Directories which is updated every six months – an impressive achievement for an entirely voluntary organisation since most other groups work to a one or two year schedule.”
“WFTC’s interactive website is admired by Fairtrade campaigners across the nation. In fact, other campaigns keep asking me if they can borrow my Webmaster” jokes Colin.
The campaign has benefited from the active support of many individuals. “There are too many people to mention them all by name” says Colin, “but I must make mention of our four local MPs (John Redwood, Andrew MacKay, Theresa May and Rob Wilson) who have been absolutely superb.”
The WFTC has also had support from many businesses in the borough according to Andrew Mickleburgh, the campaign’s resources manager. “We’ve been very heartened by the help we’ve received from the big supermarkets,” he says, “but what’s impressed us most has been the very wide range of business interest. The Co-op, of course, has always been a staunch supporter, but we’ve also seen real active engagement by businesses like The Castle at Hurst, Nirvana Spa and Steve Redgrave’s clothing company 5G, to mention just a few.”
The campaign has also worked closely with other local organisations and has helped with providing material for school lessons (fair trade is now taught in schools as an integral part of the curriculum.).
Another major success has been the work the campaign has done in helping to form Wokingham’s Fairtrade Churches Network. “This is just so encouraging” says Val Weedon, the campaign’s churches co-ordinator. “Before, we had quite a lot of Fairtrade churches, but all working independently. Now they are acting together and it’s so much more effective.”
So, from next week onwards the group will cease to actively campaign although the churches network will continue to operate as it does now.
“Of course, the website will still be available, as will all the campaign’s information materials which are downloadable at no charge from www.wokingham-fairtrade.org.uk.” says Phil Larby, the Campaign’s web designer.
WFTC intends to continue to provide the searchable online directory for another six months, but this will be withdrawn after that time since the information will be out of date by then.
“It’s been hard work” says Colin, “but very worthwhile. We’ve got a great result, and above all it’s been fun. And our closing down party is going to be a night to remember!!”
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