Office by Alex Penny
Following the travels of Fairtrade producers across the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight
As the Fairtrade Fortnight campaigner producer tour comes to a close, Philemon reflects on his experiences touring the South West and meeting with various different people to discuss Fairtrade…
Sainsburys’ managers, local council, and Fairtrade Frome group show their support for Fairtrade bananas at Sainsburys in Frome
Whilst we were in the store, Philemon was surprised to see a child eating an unripe banana! He expresses his surprise here:
An inspiring evening at the GLADE (Global Learning and Development Education) Centre in Ilminster…
Bananas and brilliant bunting
Following Philemon’s presentation to year 6 students at Oakfield Middle School, Frome, some of the students presented us with a most amazing display of Fairtrade cotton bunting decorated with their feelings about Fairtrade!
In this short video, Sian Spoerer talks about why the students will benefit from Philemon’s presentation.
Students from Warminster School hear about Fairtrade from a new perspective
Yesterday we woke up very early to visit students at Warminster School. First up was a very bright group of 6th formers who are studying geography and economics. They listened very attentively to Philemon’s presentation and afterwards asked some very interesting questions about competition between banana farmers and being certified as a Fairtrade farmer. The second session was with a class of year 8 students who again were extremely well behaved students, who were interested in asking about some of the specifics of banana production and why there aren’t more Fairtrade banana farmers…
The end of the session was quite different and full of noisy excitement as we had just enough time for the students to add their Fairtrade messages of support to bunting brought along by Sheelagh Wurr from Warminster Fairtrade group. There were some brilliant messages including a lovely (please excuse some spelling mistakes!) message of “Philemon is a legend”! Wow what an impact Philemon had!
Student Joe Booth talks about how meeting Philemon in person inspires him to continue campaigning towards Sarum Academy becoming a Fairtrade School.
Yesterday on a chilly but also very beautiful sunny afternoon in Salisbury, Philemon met some Fairtrade supporters and students promoting Fairtrade Fortnight and selling some beautiful fairly traded jewellery and gift cards from a temporary stall in Starbucks. Annie Scadden, a Community Development Officer at Salisbury Council popped in to say hello and here she talks about meeting Philemon and hearing about the impact of Fairtrade from someone who has experienced it firsthand…
Showing off the label!
On the way home yesterday afternoon we did manage a quick spot of tourism with a visit to the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral with supporters Ruth and Sara. But of course we didn’t let an opportunity go by without doing some Fairtrade showing off ourselves and Philemon temporarily converted a statue into another Fairtrade supporter!
Some highlights of Philemon’s afternoon tour of Salisbury on day nine
Sunday was a lovely sunny day and we were on our way to Lacock, an historic town that somehow time forgot. For those who haven’t been to Lacock you might recognise from TV and the movies, such as Pride and Prejudice and Cranford, even Harry Potter got in there.
A snapshot in to Philemon’s weekend in Wiltshire
After the historic event of Swindon’s Fairtrade College status declaration, later that evening was a more colourful setting. Banana and Ballads was quite fantastic. This was attended by the Mayor and the local MP. I did my presentation which was well received by everyone. It was amazing to see the concerned faces in the audience. These people were hearing and seeing what it was like in the Caribbean in terms of Banana production under Fairtrade and the numerous challenges we face ranging from climate change, in the wake of Hurricane Thomas, to trade issues with the EU and multinationals who threaten our very existence, with their unfair deals they make with the WTO.
They were quite impressed to know that their efforts had significantly contributed to our livelihood, especially after seeing what the Farmers National Committee had done with the social premium we had received from Fairtrade, such as the crèche we had built so parents could leave their kids to be looked after while they worked on the farms. Knowing that this was all possible because of Fairtrade they had pledged their continual support towards Fairtrade in the future.
After the presentation we were treated to some wonderful music. It was incredible and thought it was very beautiful. It was made even more special when I learn that this member is an avid advocator for Fairtrade. It was a special end to a special day.
On Friday, Philemon helped Swindon College celebrate their recently achieved Fairtrade College status. After meeting and staff and students and presenting about the difference Fairtrade has made in the Windward Islands, he helped unveil their certificate with the Mayor of Swindon.
