This Fairtrade Fortnight, All Saints’ Ilkley is celebrating the renewal of their status as a Fairtrade Church.
In response to a Leeds Diocesan Synod Motion encouraging our churches and schools to refresh their commitment to Fairtrade, passed last October, All Saints have worked to make sure Fairtrade is in all they are doing.
As well as using Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar at church events, and having a monthly Fairtrade stall at their Sunday morning service, the vicar of the church, the Revd Mike Coe, has switched to stocking his Birthday Bus tin with Fairtrade mini chocolates for those celebrating their birthdays in a given month, going down a treat with the congregation.
Furthermore, to mark Fairtrade Fortnight the church showed the ‘Brew It Fair’ video from the Fairtrade Foundation, highlighting the many benefits for tea plantation workers in southern India when people choose to buy Fairtrade tea.
The congregation were invited to sign the ‘Brew It Fair’ petition to drive change in the tea industry.
All Saints have also partnered with their local church school, All Saints’ Primary, as the School Council pupils work towards achieving the FairAware award, the first-level Fairtrade schools award.
To find out more about Fairtrade in our diocese, please click here.