7th of June, 2012
Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting, 29 March 2012
MP is on Justrading’s email contact list. Justrading now has government support and their activity has switched from raising cash in advance so as to enable the purchase of goods from producers, to developing contacts with retailers. Current action is focused on a cooking roadshow with the Co-op, ‘Savour the Flavour’. We might offer support by hosting an event.
AC recently received a reply from the Fairtrade Foundation to our request for a more detailed response to the IEA report. Everyone to have a look at the letter and its links to Fairtrade Foundation information and to the Fairness website. ACTION:ALL
The Citizen published a brief article on 11th May marking World Fair Trade Day. To get more extensive coverage we would need to stage a local event. We will wait until Scotland’s declaration as a Fair Trade Nation before approaching St Andrews in Focus with another article.
AC to try again to contact the Merchants Association to request reinstatement of information about our Fairtrade Town status in the next Official St Andrews Guide. ACTION:AC
AC to contact DS again to find out who his replacement is on the University Fairtrade Steering Group, and to check with Roddy Yarr who our contact in Estates is now. ACTION:AC
Finance
Current balance £113.28, following a donation of £27.
Update on B&B campaign
1 Presentation to St Andrews Hotels and Guest Houses Association. MP and MR spoke to about 30 members of the association on May 14th. Although only a few already use FT products, there seemed to be considerable interest. Information about wholesalers and prices was given out. Some proprietors are tempted by the idea of being listed on our directory. MP to contact the secretary again to establish a list of existing users, including the association’s president, and to provide certificates to them. It was agreed that we will renew contact with the other B&B association in August/September. ACTION:MP
2 Tourist Board Green Tourism Initiative.
At the above meeting it was discovered that the Green Tourism Initiative includes points for providing Fairtrade products. This is something we will bear in mind as we continue the campaign, but it is not clear how to follow it up just yet. The Scottish Fair Trade Forum, in response to AC’s letter following our last meeting, have indicated that they hope for local grassroots pressure on Visit Scotland for progress in this area.
Contacting the larger hotels.
It was agreed that once the Scottish declaration is announced AC will write to the larger hotels to encourage greater use of Fairtrade products. ACTION:AC
Update on workplaces campaign
In our article for St Andrews in Focus after the Scottish declaration, we will explain the issue and invite businesses to tell us about their use of Fairtrade products.
AC to write to the secretary of the Merchants Association (a) saying we are updating our records and asking him to forward a request for up-to-date information from his members about whether they use Fairtrade products, (b) offering to do a short presentation at any forthcoming association meeting, and (c) mentioning the ongoing campaign to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation. ACTION:AC
AOB
1 AC to write to Cherries to show our appreciation that they publicise Fairtrade in their advertising. ACTION:AC
2 We contacted all the candidates for the May council elections by email in April, in response to a request from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. The majority replied positively to our questions about supporting the fair trade movement at local, county and national level.
3 Group membership. It was noted that we need to keep looking at ways to increase the numbers and age range of our group. ACTION: ALL
4 Caledonian Country Wear now stocks Fairtrade products. MP to visit, deliver a certificate and add them to the directory. ACTION: MP
1
Next meeting AGM 7.30pm, Thursday 23rd August, AM’s house, PM to be invited.