St Andrews Fairtrade Town Campaign meeting 11 Jan 2005

Present

Chris Donaghy , Bruce Ryan, Alice Curteis, Audrey Salters, Silke Gatermann

Apologies

Marie Robinson, Chris Tansey, Margaret Geyer

Business arising from minutes of meeting on 17 November 2004

Goal 1 (Council involvement)

Lib Dem councillors are broadly supportive; Bruce to prepare statement of support for them to sign. Fife Council local office now uses Fairtrade tea and coffee at meetings.

Margaret to collect information about existing plans to extend interest in Fairtrade status to the whole county (from minutes 17.11.04).

Silke had met Bruce Stuart, Burntisland contact for Fairtrade Kingdom idea.

Goal 2 (retail availability)

There is a link from the St Andrews website to Bruce's Fairtrade Town webpages. Bruce's designer contact is working on the design of a campaign logo and template for other literature.Seedcorn grant to be used on this (see below, item 3)

Goal 3 (use by local organisations)

Chris D is working on getting more workplaces to buy Fairtrade tea/coffee; Olivers (hairdressers) to be added to the list.

Audrey to ask Rymonth Housing Asssociation to consider joining.

Alice will be addressing the Merchants Association on 19th Jan and will then (assuming Merchants Association statement of support for the campaign) work with Chris on the workplace issue; to produce flyers and vouchers for discount for first purchase at Alldays.

Active Madras College participation in Fairtrade issues depends on Paul Givens, currently on leave of absence.

Goal 4 (media coverage)

An Ethiopian coffee producer on a Fairtrade Fortnight speaking tour to visit at lunchtime on Thursday March 10th (outline arrangements for this were made after the meeting)

Fairtrade Fortnight

This year's slogan is 'Check out Fairtrade'.

The Fairtrade Foundation's aims (see Fairtrade Fortnight 2005 Action Guide on Foundation website) are to encourage the greatest possible awareness and understanding of the FAIRTRADE Mark along with increased sales of Fairtrade products.

Events will therefore make maximum use of the corresponding materials, specifically the 'General leaflet' which incorporates a survey on awareness/understanding.

From our point of view the publicity gained from our events will also work towards progress in achieving Fairtrade Town status.

Silke described One World Society plans. Arrangements for a banner across the street are progressing; plans for a speaker, a stall in the castle grounds, footprints event outside the library etc, all underway.

Two Fairtrade Cafés: 26th Feb, 12th March. Jed to liase with Alice over local business participation. Audrey's Traidcraft giant inflatable banana available!

Supermarket stall: in Somerfield, 10-4 Saturday March 12th. It was agreed not to have one in Safeway, given that there is a limited range of Fairtrade goods available there and that we have been offered a poor site for the stall.

Chris D's four tastings in Alldays to take place on the two Thursdays and Saturdays.

Alice to visit Lawhead Primary School, date tbc; Citizen photographer booked to cover this.

The idea of a Fairtrade breakfast was discussed; Bruce to approach the Victoria CafŽ as a venue, ideally for 1st March, 8am; Alice to contact presidents of Rotary and local personalities once we have a venue and date; Bruce to contact Iain Smith.

Audrey described plans for Traidcraft events at Hope Park Church during the fortnight: stall on 13th March, and provision of refreshments for both church and non-church users of the premises. Alice to contact St Andrews Church Traidcraft organiser to include stall information in publicity.

Producer visit March 10th (see above: item 1, goal 4). Possible speaker from Traidcraft and/or screening of film on Ecuadoran banana producers.

Reta Russell has invited a delegate from the group to attend the Fairtrade event at the Lochgelly Centre, 11am to 4pm, March 12th. Bruce hopes to attend. Margaret/Marie, also asked if they like to go.

Publicity/media coverage

Details of all events to be available for preparation of flyer as soon as possible with deadline of 4th Feb; please send all information to Bruce.

Details to be submitted to Fairtrade Foundation website, Staff Newsletter, university diary, What's On column (Fife Press), Event (Alice/Bruce).

Rosemary Dewar, reporter on St Andrews Citizen, is ready to cover some events. Alice to write articles for St Andrews in Focus and Hope Park Church magazine and possibly also StAndard (new glossy univ staff magazine), Courier, BBC Scotland.

Grant application

Alice to pursue application for Seedcorn Grant of £150 asap. This will involve writing a constitution and must be submitted before events for which funding is requested.

Fairtrade status declaration

There was unanimous agreement that St Andrews Week 2005 is an appropriate time to aim for our declaration, hopefully for both the town and the university.

Next meeting

Monday 14th March 2005, 7·30, Alice's house, with updates on action to be emailed by all to all on 7th and 21st February