Fairtrade Ilkley
A feast of Fairtrade goodies for Louise Bellarby, the winner of Ilkley's Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 Quiz.
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 Office.
We continue to promote interest in, and awareness of, Fairtrade. During 2007 we have given Fairtrade assemblies in Ghyll Royd and Westville primary schools and presented them with Fairtrade sports balls. Pupils at Ghyll Royd School have now copied All Saints’ C. of E. Primary School in holding a weekly Fairtrade stall. Children have a very good sense of what is, and is not, fair. We are keen to inform them about Fairtrade and the difference that we can all make to the lives of the producers by purchasing Fairtrade products.
For the second year we entered a walking tableau in Ilkley Carnival in May. Our local supermarkets are very supportive and we distributed Fairtrade bananas donated by Tesco to the carnival crowds. People were also given Ilkley and Bradford Fairtrade directories which list locations where Fairtrade products are available. We continue to update the Ilkley directory as more shops, churches, schools, businesses and cafes use or sell Fairtrade products. We currently have 35 entries. We would be delighted to add a venue or organisation that we’ve missed. Please contact us on 01943 607334.
We are very grateful to our local paper, The Ilkley Gazette, for giving excellent coverage of our Fairtrade events. Fairtrade has featured on the front page on several occasions, so that Ilkley Gazette readers should be well informed about Fairtrade.
