|
We have now obtained Fairtrade status from the Fairtrade Foundation in 2011 in recognition to the parishioners of Kennington for actively supporting Fairtrade.
Our next objective for 2011/2012 is to support St Swithun’s Primary School to become a Fairtrade School.
Top of Page
The impetus for Fairtrade Status came from a parishioner at the 2008 Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council who felt that Kennington could become active within the Fairtrade Foundation organisation. A resolution was passed at a meeting of the Parish Council to support such an initiative. A Parish Councillor, Robin Mason, agreed to lead this initiatve and from an initial public meeting a Steering Group was formed. Since then there have been 15 meetings. The group planned and agreed upon a constitution and a set of aims that were designed to meet the criteria of the Fairtrade Foundation. Members of the steering group have approached almost all of the many and various Community and Commercial organisations within Kennington with the objective of encouraging them to use or sell at least two Fairtrade products. Many are now on board and supporting this initiative.
Top of Page
Any person can join this group who wishes to play a part in establishing Fairtrade activity within and for Kennington.
The Steering Group is currently composed of:
- Robin Mason, A Parish Councillor & Chairman of K4F
- Rosemary Davies, Minutes Secretary
- May Bower, Treasurer
- Brenda Groth
- Joe Pitt-Francis
- Joe Pitt-Francis
- Lesley Maskell, St Swithun's School teacher
- Helen Hurrell
- Katherine Baggott
- Elli Preghenella
- Asma Mustafa
Top of Page
Fairtrade Fortnight ‘Take A Step in 2012’
Village Hall on Saturday 10th March 10am-12noon
A big thank you to all the stallholders and villagers who continue to commit to Fairtrade and who supported this annual event. It was nice to see some of our usual supporters as well as some new faces. We would like to thank the following stallholders and the village community organisations who completed the original form stating that they used at least two Fairtrade products on a regular basis.
Stallholders and Helpers at the Event
Kennington Mid-Counties Co-op; Kennington Overseas Aid; The Windmill Traidcraft Shop, Headington; Neema Crafts-Tanzania; Hinksey Catholic Church; Kennington Methodist Church; UK Friends of Khwendo Kor-Pakistan; Emellie Clothing boutique.
Community Supporters
The Friends of Kennington Library; St Swithun’s Church; Kennington History Society; Headway Oxford; Kennington United Church Choirs; Kennington Health Centre; FOSS-the Friends of St Swithun’s School; The Jack & Jill Club; The Small World Nursery; Kennington Horticultural Society; Kirlena House and Mon Choisey.
As Kennington is now a Fairtrade Village we hope that as many organisations as possible will increase their support in 2012 by (i)buying more Fairtrade products; (ii) asking in a shop for Fairtrade products; (iii) joining the local Fairtrade group or, in any other way that they can think of, promoting this worthy cause.
It has been suggested that we all eat more chocolate!
The Fairtrade Foundation have set a target of 1.5M new steps to be taken in 2012 by organisations and individuals in the UK towards sustainable third world cooperative activity.
Ms Helen Peacocke, the Patron of Kennington, presented the Fairtrade Foundation Certificate to the Chairman of the Parish Council, Peter Briggs.
The chairman of the K4F group, Robin Mason, gave a brief summary outlining the major achievements since 2008, when, at the suggestion of a parishioner at the annual Parish Council AGM, the Council passed a resolution and arranged a public meeting at which the topic was discussed and from which a small steering group was formed. Working within the requirements of the Fairtrade Foundation this group called itself Kennington 4 Fairtrade (K4F) and set forth to meet the requirements of the FF through a variety of activities and events.
Top of Page
'Show Off Your Label' – March 2011
On Saturday 19 March, we held our annual event within Fairtrade Fortnight. This year the topic was centred around cotton and the event was entitled ‘Show Off Your Label’. The idea being to encourage villagers to look for Fairtrade fabrics whenever they are looking for new clothes. To this end, Asma Mustafa was invited to have a stand selling Fairtrade clothes. The school was also invited to present the results of their bunting activities which made the hall look great!
Phillip Martin and Lesley Maskell from St Swithun’s School judged the competition and Lesley took some prizes back to the school for presentation within a school assembly. (The bunting has now been sent to the Fairtrade Foundation to be added to the many others to make the world longest bunting.)
(The winning entry in the school bunting competition.)
There were a number of other stalls, displays and a raffle (supplied by the Co-op) and the event was well supported. So a big thank you to those of you who came along and we hope you had an enjoyable morning.
It was excellent to see our local MP Nicola Blackwood presenting a prize to the winner of the School Bunting Competition, pulling out the winning tickets in the raffle, and buying goods from the stalls too!
Kennington Goes 'Freely Mad' For Fairtrade
Any one entering the Kennington Village Hall to support the Kennington4Fairtrade initiative on Saturday 6th March (The Big Swap & Mad Hatters Tea Party) would have been forgiven for thinking that they had entered the world of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland'.
This of course, is exactly what the Fairtrade Foundation are aiming to achieve in the Developing World. The small fairtrade premium paid to third world farmers in order to build sustainable communities for themselves, as well as supplying our foodstuffs and clothing, must seem like a fantasy to the older members of these countries with the benefits they bring.
It was a morning of free tea tastings; cake eatings; quizes; displays; Coop product samplings; opportunities to buy Traidcraft products; as well as a raffle. The raffle was brilliantly supported by the Coop's Community Project team!
The photo shows the winning poster, designed by Jessie Sears of St Swithun's School for her School's Poster Competition promoting Fairtrade. Other winners were Kaity Newland for 'Imagination & Style' with the works of Georgie Paltrey, Jack Murray-Bedding and George Hanley, all of Cedar Class at the school, being highly commended!
This morning will be remembered for a long time..how could it possibly be forgotten!
Go Bananas
Early in 2009 the first event under the auspices of K4F took place in the Village Hall within Fairtrade Fortnight, supporting the Fairtrade Foundation's 'Go Bananas' initiative! There were displays and bananas from the Co-op, a K4F publicity stand; Traidcraft consumables for sale, a raffle; as well as free tastings of fairtrade tea and coffee. Over £90 was raised which went to the Fairtrade Foundation for their work in promoting and establishing Fairtrade communities throughout the world.
We had a promotional presence at the Horticultural Show in 2009. Kennington Parish Council have been extremely instrumental in getting us up and running and without their support there would be no K4F.
 |
“Here are some of the members of the K4F Steering group preparing to ‘Go Bananas’ in the Village Hall” |
| |
 |
| “Here are some Kennington Parish Councillors going even ‘More Bananas!’ |
Top of Page
Top of Page
Email:
robinmason@hotmail.co.uk or Tel. No 01865 321044
Top of Page
|
