Central & Eastern news
Read the latest news from your region
Many farmers in developing countries have to contend with fluctuating prices that may not even cover what it costs to produce their crop. Fairtrade is a trading partnership that focuses on sustainable development for poorer producers. It does this by providing better trading conditions, raising awareness of their situation and campaigning.
The Co-operative Membership support many local members and community groups in raising awareness of Fairtrade throughout the year and look forward to celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight with a variety events and initiatives. In the Central and Eastern Region in 2009, over 8,000 people attended 75 community events supported by the Central and Eastern Membership team.
Today (1st March 2010), we launched the Love Fairtrade, Cook Fairtrade recipe kit to students at Nottingham Trent University.
The kit is designed to raise awareness of Fairtrade products and encourages students to use their Co-operative Membership to change the world by swapping to Fairtrade products!
For more information on how communities have benefited from Fairtrade please visit http://www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics/Ethical-trading/Fairtrade/Our-fairtrade-products/
The Co-operative Membership along with local residents, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Trent University, as part of the Nottingham City Fairtrade Steering Group, marked the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 by attending Dryden Street market near Nottingham Trent University and asking passers-by to pledge their support to Fairtrade and swap their non-Fairtrade purchase for Fairtrade ones!
The Co-operative Fairtrade chocolate bars were swapped for pledges to encourage those that showed support to be more aware when out shopping or at local restaurants and cafes of the FAIRTRADE Mark, the independent guarantee that farmers and producers receive a fair and stable price for their crops.
We were delighted to see the Lord Mayor of Nottingham attend and show her support by signing our pledge, adding to the 150 we received on day one alone. With five more events planned in the city still to go, we hope we can achieve our steering group target of 1,000 pledges!
If you’d like to find out more about what we’ve got planned in the area over the next couple of weeks, visit www.co-operativememberevents.coop and www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/fairtrade
The Burma Play, A Comedy of Terror was performed with passion and humour to members in Nottingham recently.
The play provided an insight into the history of the country and people, while the post performance discussion gave food for thought about dilemmas raised by members, such as travelling to a country with an oppressive regime.
The audience was informed that in line with the call from democratically-elected representatives of the Burmese people, The Co-operative does not trade with Burma, The Co-operative Travel has delisted the country as a tourist destination and The Co-operative Bank will not finance any commercial organisation with a significant presence in Burma.
Members and supporters can make a difference today, by signing a petition calling for the freedom of Burma’s political prisoners. Something that, as one member in the audience put it, shows we can all do something – however small.
Find out more at http://burmavjmovie.com/takeaction/free_the_vjs/letter_page
Members may recall that the Central & Eastern Team ran a series of ‘Watch Your Waste’ events across the region, including Clipstone, Nottingham, Northampton, Harlow and Cambridge.
The events focused on how best to use your leftovers, demonstrated healthy easy recipes, and featured techniques on how best to store food, they also helped uncover some of the mysteries around ‘use by’ and ‘sell by’ dates and tips on how to compost and recycle packaging. However, members were most shocked when they heard that a staggering one third of the food we buy gets thrown into landfill sites.
As part of the project a piece of research was commissioned and members and staff attending the events filled out questionnaires with a number of members agreeing to follow up telephone calls
The results were phenomenal with 98% rating the event very good, 93% of attendees recommending the events to a friend, 82% more conscious of wasting food when shopping and more than 80% of attendees sharing information learned at the event with their family and friends
Once again The Co-operative is leading the way, the recent Select Committee report on the UK’s waste strategy recommends ‘ To maximise the beneficial use of food and garden waste advice, education and practical support should be made available by local authorities’.
If you would like to find out how to reduce your household food waste and save money with useful recipe tips, please visit www.co-operative.coop/membership/events/changetheworld/watch-your-waste
Co-operative customers, members, and dignitaries from the Broxbourne area, had the chance to sample wines from The Co-operative’s award winning Fairtrade range and hear about the community projects that Fairtrade helps support across the globe at a recent Fairtrade wine tasting evening.
Co-operative membership and the Borough of Broxbourne Fairtrade Steering group joined forces to raise the profile of Fairtrade in the area. The evening started with the group learning more about why Fairtrade is important to The Co-operative, as the leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade since the first few products started appearing on our shelves in 1994.
The Co-operative Group launched ‘fairly-traded’ wines before the Fairtrade standard existed, by identifying development opportunities in Chile and working with traidcraft to bring them to market. Following this, the group contributed to developing standards for the Fairtrade mark in the wine category.
Those attending the event had the chance to view products from The Co-operative’s Fairtrade Christmas range and enter a prize draw for Fairtrade goodies which included The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook by Sophie Grigson and a most sort after membership Fairtrade apron.
A variety of wines from across the world were sampled and a DVD from Argentina showed how important the Fairtrade premium is to small communities who still need things as basic as a good water system. A great time was had by all!
The Fairtrade Beeston group have been working hard over the last 18 months to spread the word about Fairtrade and encourage more residents, groups and businesses to choose Fairtrade products. In September this year with the support from The Co-operative Central Midlands Committee, Beeston’s Fairtrade Group applied to the Fairtrade Foundation and was delighted to learn they were successful.
This hard earned status is awarded to towns that meet five specific goals covering the availability and use of Fairtrade products, support for the Fairtrade Town campaigns and the establishment of a group that will promote and support Fairtrade products, issues and initiatives.
To celebrate achieving Fairtrade town status the Fairtrade Beeston group, along with representatives from the Co-operatives Central Midland Committee held an extra special event in Beeston on Saturday 31st October. The Mayor of the Borough of Broxtowe, Councillor John Longdon and local MP Nick Palmer, along with April Armstrong from The Co-operative Group were there to support with the flag raising ceremony in the square.
Following the flag raising ceremony members of the Central Midlands Area Committee were on hand to provide further Fairtrade information at the Fairtrade Exhibition held at the Town Hall, where The Co-operative Group supplied a Fairtrade Chocolate Fountain!
The Co-operative Group was the first major retailer to champion Fairtrade, and now sells over 260 products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark. The FAIRTRADE Mark acts as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers and workers in the developing world are getting a better deal and has recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. For more information about Fairtrade please visit www.fairtrade.org.uk and www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction
On the 18th November Cambridge Co-operative members were invited to attend an event aimed at raising the awareness of Fairtrade with a particular focus on the Sugar Industry.
A warm reception awaited members with a special Fairtrade chocolate fountain with Fairtrade bananas.
The event kick started with a presentation from Co-operative & Membership Officer, Ranjit Singh who spoke about the reasons why The Co-operative are the pioneers of Fairtrade shopping.
Gemma Wolfes from Anti Slavery International highlighted the slavery and forced labour issues in the sugar industry with particular focus on child labour. She also illustrated how Fairtrade really does make a difference to people affected.
Anna Kim from Traidcraft spoke about Joyce who is a farmer in Malawi where The Co-operative sources all it sugar from the Kasinthula Cane Growers.
Ray De Allende, Marketing Director from Illovo Sugar Company spoke about his experiences of working in Malawi and helping Kasinthula establish itself as a Cane Growers organisation. He explained the sugar growing process from plantation to shop and how Fairtrade is making a difference to growers.
The evening ended on a lively note with Osagyefo Theatre Group providing the entertainment with African drumming. They even managed to get members on their feet displaying their natural dance talents!
Overall, the event inspired members to make the switch to Fairtrade products and to also make their forthcoming Christmas as Fairtrade as possible.
Members in the Central and Eastern Region were urged to contact their MP to call for a stronger Marine Bill as part of The Co-operative and Marine Conservation Society ‘Marine Reserves Now’ campaign. 
Last month, more than 527,000 Co-operative customers (over 80 per cent of participants) stated they supported the introduction of marine reserves in a survey conducted via chip and pin pads at the checkouts of more than 2,400 Co-operative food stores throughout the UK.
These acts of support from Co-operative members, meant that on 12th November a new Marine and Coastal Access Act became law meaning the Government will have a ‘duty’ to designate marine conservation zones (MCZs), which will include a range of protection levels including ‘no take’ marine reserves closed to damaging activities such as commercial fishing and dredging, and has committed to introduce a network of these MCZs by 2012.
Recently 73 marine reserves have been recommended based on over 20 years of diving research. ‘Your Seas Your Voice’ is a campaign where you can vote for the marine reserves you would like to see introduced from those suggested, or nominate your own. Visit www.yourseasyourvoice.com
Community Fund in Central & Eastern Region
The Co-operative Membership Community Fund has been making a difference to local communities since its launch in 1997.
Find out where member's donations have been awarded by downloading ther C&E Community Fund report 2008 PDF, 2MB – Once you've clicked on the link, select open or save.in 2008 and how you can apply and contribute to the Community Fund. 2009 Report coming soon.
Find out about our regional change the world events
For further information on events or activities near you, please contact your Regional Office below:-
The Co-operative Group
Central & Eastern Region
Membership Department
Suite 28 & 29
Challenge House
Sherwood Drive
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK3 6DP
Tel: 01908 361500
Membership.central&eastern@co-operative.coop
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