On 20th January 2006, in front of an enthusiastic audience, Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, Harriet Lamb, presented Town Mayor Councillor Mark Freeman with a certificate conferring Fairtrade Town status on Leighton-Linslade.
The presentation, held at the Cedars Upper School was attended by Andrew Selous, MP who presented Fairtrade certificates to local organisations and businesses that had already embraced the Fairtrade ethos and were serving or using its products.
Leighton-Linslade was established as Bedfordshire's first Fairtrade Town and those attending the ceremony had an opportunity to sample Fairtrade wine and fruit juices. There was also a display of Fairtrade products.
Earlier in the day, the BBC's Money Programme visited Leighton-Linslade to interview Harriet Lamb and a number of Town Councillors. It also filmed local residents in the town centre and later attended the certificate presentation (both of which were used in the final version shown on Friday 10th March).
A message from Andrew Selous (Member of Parliament for South West Bedfordshire):
I am delighted to support the sale of Fair Trade products. I am also very proud that Leighton Buzzard and Linslade have become the first town in Bedfordshire to achieve Fair Trade status. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the problems of massive poverty across the developing world. Buying Fair Trade produce gives us all the opportunity to do something positive about this. We can as individuals, be part of the solution and not just rely on governments alone although they too have, of course, a critically important role.
In the year in which we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the African to Americas Slave Trade, it is good to know that when we buy Fair Trade chocolate, we are not buying chocolate produced by some of the 12,000 children forced to work against their will in the cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast and elsewhere.
Who we are:
In 2003 we formed a Fairtrade Forum and after two and half years of hard work achieved Fairtrade Town Status in August 2005. Fairtrade Leighton-Linslade is a group which aims to raise public awareness of Fairtrade issues within Leighton Linslade and encourage local businesses to stock Fairtrade products alongside their existing brands and local workplaces and organisations to use Fairtrade products. We also aim to promote the benefits of Fairtrade to producers, in our town and encourage people to use Fairtrade products. We organise a number of events throughout the year and in particular during Fairtrade Fortnight. (See Past Events for more details).
Practical ways you could help us:
· Join our steering group. We meet about once a quarter to discuss progress and plan future events
· Help out at events. We run stalls at various events as opportunities arise
· Help us find out if any shops not mentioned on our website sell Fairtrade products and if any additional cafes and restaurants serve them.
· If you are a member of a local organisation, a school or a church, persuade them to use Fairtrade tea and coffee, and to tell us about it.
· If you work in a business in Leighton Linslade, persuade the canteen to sell Fairtrade products and tell us about it.
· Buy Fairtrade products yourself
We also support events campaigning for Trade Justice as well as lobbying local politicians on Trade Justice issues.
If you think you can volunteer to help we would like to hear from you!
The presentation, held at the Cedars Upper School was attended by Andrew Selous, MP who presented Fairtrade certificates to local organisations and businesses that had already embraced the Fairtrade ethos and were serving or using its products.
Leighton-Linslade was established as Bedfordshire's first Fairtrade Town and those attending the ceremony had an opportunity to sample Fairtrade wine and fruit juices. There was also a display of Fairtrade products.
Earlier in the day, the BBC's Money Programme visited Leighton-Linslade to interview Harriet Lamb and a number of Town Councillors. It also filmed local residents in the town centre and later attended the certificate presentation (both of which were used in the final version shown on Friday 10th March).
A message from Andrew Selous (Member of Parliament for South West Bedfordshire):
I am delighted to support the sale of Fair Trade products. I am also very proud that Leighton Buzzard and Linslade have become the first town in Bedfordshire to achieve Fair Trade status. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the problems of massive poverty across the developing world. Buying Fair Trade produce gives us all the opportunity to do something positive about this. We can as individuals, be part of the solution and not just rely on governments alone although they too have, of course, a critically important role.
In the year in which we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the African to Americas Slave Trade, it is good to know that when we buy Fair Trade chocolate, we are not buying chocolate produced by some of the 12,000 children forced to work against their will in the cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast and elsewhere.
About us
Who we are:
In 2003 we formed a Fairtrade Forum and after two and half years of hard work achieved Fairtrade Town Status in August 2005. Fairtrade Leighton-Linslade is a group which aims to raise public awareness of Fairtrade issues within Leighton Linslade and encourage local businesses to stock Fairtrade products alongside their existing brands and local workplaces and organisations to use Fairtrade products. We also aim to promote the benefits of Fairtrade to producers, in our town and encourage people to use Fairtrade products. We organise a number of events throughout the year and in particular during Fairtrade Fortnight. (See Past Events for more details).
Practical ways you could help us:
· Join our steering group. We meet about once a quarter to discuss progress and plan future events
· Help out at events. We run stalls at various events as opportunities arise
· Help us find out if any shops not mentioned on our website sell Fairtrade products and if any additional cafes and restaurants serve them.
· If you are a member of a local organisation, a school or a church, persuade them to use Fairtrade tea and coffee, and to tell us about it.
· If you work in a business in Leighton Linslade, persuade the canteen to sell Fairtrade products and tell us about it.
· Buy Fairtrade products yourself
We also support events campaigning for Trade Justice as well as lobbying local politicians on Trade Justice issues.
If you think you can volunteer to help we would like to hear from you!
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Town Mayor Councillor
Mark Freeman with Fairtrade
Foundation Director Harriet Lamb.
Andrew Selous.
Member of Parliament for
South West Bedfordshire