Brewing up for Fairtrade villages

Posted on October 14, 2005

A Fairtrade campaigner has called on Eaton Bray and Edlesborough to follow in the footsteps of Leighton-Linslade, which recently became the first Fairtrade town in Bedfordshire.

Angela Feaviour, of the Leighton-Linslade Fairtrade campaign, said most of the key elements that would grant Eaton Bray and Edlesborough the accolade of Fairtrade villages were already in place.

She said: "The support is there already. What we would need in the villages is the parish councils to pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade." Local businesses would also have to get behind the campaign, buying Fairtrade tea and coffee for their employees to drink.

Edlesborough Village Store already stocks Fairtrade products, the tea tent at St Mary's Carnival served Fairtrade tea and there is also an annual Fairtrade breakfast in the villages.

All of these elements were used to help support Leighton-Linslade's application to become a Fairtrade town.

Angela said: "Fairtrade campaigning does not stop at town borders, so all the local support we have received in Edlesborough and Eaton Bray went into our application."

She also praised the activities of Edlesborough School and St Mary's Church.

Although Angela does not want to organise another campaign group for the villages, she would be willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who would like to set one up.

Source: Dunstable Gazette, 12 October 2005