St Stephen’s, Cinderford is a Fairtrade Church and has been for several years. This means that the church has committed to only using Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar at all events, services and meetings alongside promoting Fairtrade at events throughout the year. The church also aims to use other Fairtrade products wherever possible and has a well stocked Fairtrade shop (Fairtrade at St Stephen’s) on a permanent basis in church.
If you would like to purchase anything please head along to Fairtrade Friday (every Friday, 12 noon – 4 pm), browse the goods at another time when the church is open, take a look at the Facebook page, Fairtrade at St Stephen’s or contact Rachel directly ([email protected]).
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is a simple way each one of us can make a difference through our everyday choices. It’s about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. The aim is to enable the poorest farmers and workers to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
Fairtrade is more than just a different way of doing business. It’s a unique international movement with a bold and breathtaking mission: to change the way world trade works. It’s about a better deal for the people in developing countries we rely on for our everyday needs. It harnesses the power of shoppers, producers, businesses and campaigners and it’s growing all the time.
The Fairtrade Mark means
- producers have been paid a fair, stable price (covering their costs of production)
- producers have longer-term trading relationships, with more stability
- producers have access to training and skills to develop their businesses
- producers get a little extra, the Fairtrade premium, to decide for themselves how to spend to strengthen their businesses and their communities
- producers in co-operatives always get a democratic say in decisions – women included
- workers receive decent wages
- workers are allowed to join unions
- workers are able to work in a safe environment
Fairtrade Around the Benefice
There is a Fairtrade shop permanently at St Stephen’s which is stocked with a variety of food and gifts from fairtrade suppliers around the world.
A variety of events take place around the Benefice during the year in which Fairtrade is promoted. These include the annual Fayres alongside a variety of events during Fairtrade Fortnight and Harvest.
This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will be celebrated in September between Monday 9 September and Sunday 22 September. Already planned are a Fairtrade Pop-Up Shop and the first Fairtrade Fashion Show for Fairtrade at St Stephen’s.
Pop-Up shops are also held at St Stephen’s at various times through the year with a much wider range of fairly traded products for sale, refreshments (Fairtrade of course), Fairtrade food to sample and offers each day.
“Fairtrade at St Stephen’s” is available at St Stephen’s Church whenever the church is open and enjoys visiting various events around the Forest of Dean, including Littledean School Fayres, Hearts of the Forest School Fayres, St Ethelbert’s Summer Fayre, and Littledean Community Centre Summer Fayre, with more to come!