Penglais Fair Trade Group
Our Fair Trade group started several years ago. We are a group of around 10 – 15 people from year groups throughout the school. This year we had members from years 8 – 11 and year 13.
We meet every Tuesday for 20 minutes to discuss what school is doing about promoting Fair Trade and what we need to do next. In previous years we have held Fair Trade stalls and assemblies. We also helped Aberystwyth Fair Trade town group collate a Fair Trade Directory and attain Fair Trade Town status for Aberystwyth.
These are the things we’ve done so far this year:
- We served Fair Trade tea and coffee and provided information at six parents’ evenings.
- Our year 11 members presented five assemblies about Fair Trade to years 7 – 11. This means that over 1000 people were made aware of the importance of Fair Trade.
- We had information boards about Fair Trade on display during Fair Trade Fortnight and had a stall with samples of Fair Trade chocolate.
- Year 13 pupils worked with the town group to organise a Fair Trade Fashion Show to showcase Fair Trade clothes.
- We wrote to all the departments in school asking the teachers if they would use Fair Trade products whenever possible.
- We checked that the school canteen and vending machines offer Fair Trade products.
- Year 13 got a Fair Trade coffee machine installed in their new sixth form centre.
- We have also written articles promoting Fair Trade and Fair Trade events for the school newsletter.
We are working on a whole school Fair Trade policy for Penglais so we can have Fair Trade School status. Maybe this is something other schools can aim for too.
Freya and Alma
Penglais Fair Trade group.
