Fairtrade Ilkley
Going Bananas for Fairtrade Fortnight at Smoooth Café
Fairtrade Town Status was achieved by Ilkley Fairtrade Group on 25th April 2006 with the support of Ilkley Parish Council. We held a small ceremony in the Town Hall chamber at which our Fairtrade Foundation Certificate was presented. This now hangs in Ilkley Tourist Information Centre.
We continue to promote interest in, and awareness of, Fairtrade. The Ilkley Gazette is very supportive in publishing articles and photos of our activities to help us spread the message about the difference that Fairtrade can make to the lives of the producers and their families.
We went bananas for Fairtrade Fortnight in 2009. Through The Ilkley Gazette, we challenged as many people as possible in Ilkley to eat a Fairtrade banana during the given 24 hour period. We were delighted to contribute 1,158 to the national total. The local cafes, churches, Spooner Industries (a major employer in the town) and All Saints’ Primary School all joined in. Smoooth café had a banana themed menu for two days including banana smoothies, banana cake, bananas on toast and banana ice cream.
We held a Fairtrade tea, coffee and chocolate tasting session to enable people find a Fairtrade brand they might like to switch to. There is a huge range to choose from.
All Saints’ C. of E. Primary School is working towards Fairtrade School status and the school council organises a regular Fairtrade stall with goods supplied by Ilkley Oxfam. Children have a very good sense of what is, and is not, fair. They are learning about Fairtrade through the curriculum and the difference that our shopping can make to producers in developing countries.
The Ilkley Fairtrade directory is available at Ilkley Tourist Information Centre. We currently have 26 shops and cafes where Fairtrade products are used and/or sold, together with 22 schools, churches and businesses. We would be delighted to add a venue, business or organisation that we’ve missed.
For more information, please contact us on 01943 607334.
