Harlow: A Fairtrade Town
A launch event to co-incide with Fairtrade
fortnight was held in the Civic Centre Gallery to celebrate the
fact that Harlow is now officially a “Fairtrade” town, and to thank
those individuals and organisations that contributed to the
successful application.
This is a huge achievement for the town:
Harlow will now be recognised worldwide as a place helping to
promote Fairtrade products. This status acknowledges that Fairtrade
products are both readily available and used by local organisations
in the town and we will now be recognised worldwide as a place
helping to promote Fairtrade products. I would like to pay tribute
to the local Fairtrade town group who have worked extremely hard
and stayed committed to achieving this status.
Fairtrade is important because it changes
lives. It seeks to guarantee a better deal for farmers and workers
in the developing world who struggle to provide for their
families.
The Council and the Harlow Fairtrade Town
Group continues with its work to promote Fairtrade in the town
and extend on the work which has taken place as the status has to
be applied for every year.
The five goals met by the town in achieving
Fairtrade town status were:
Fairtrade goals
- The Council has passed a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and
serves Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices and
canteens.
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- A range of Fairtrade
products are readily available in the area’s shops and
served in local cafés and catering establishments.
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- Fairtrade products are being used by a number of local work
places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community
organisations (churches, schools etc).
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- The Fairtrade campaign has attracted media coverage and popular
support from the public
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- A local Fairtrade steering group has been set-up to ensure
continued commitment to Fairtrade Town status
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As part of the official launch and Fairtrade fortnight in
February 2008 a photographic
exhibition was hosted in the Civic Centre to coincide with
Fairtrade Town fortnight, and special screenings of the film Black
Gold took place at Harlow Playhouse, sponsored by the Local
Co-operative Group.