Fairtraders flock to festival

• Mar. 2 by Natalie Eccleshall (1)

Victoria Square was a-buzz with all manner of ethical enthusiasts on Saturday, as the city played host to the ‘Fairtrade Tea Dance Event’, in support of the ‘Fairtrade Fortnight 2010’.

A large selection of eco-friendly business owners gathered under a huge marquee, to the soundtrack of a vast live playlist. Big band crooners blurred into one-man acoustics, and the ‘blue-rinse brigade’ that had gathered around the tea dance floor lapped it up!

Turtle bags

Beth Williams, tireless supporter and campaigner for ‘Turtle Bags’ says how the idea for her turtle-friendly ‘string’ carrier bag range had been inspired by the huge number of turtles that come to the English coast each year to feed on jellyfish, only to mistake floating plastic carriers for a meal and die.

The range included: the original string bags, laptop bags, ethical trolley bags, and a special range of bags that raised funds for a ‘women’s uplift programme’ so they could grown their own food instead of eating turtle eggs to survive.

Fair Trade Design

A few stalls over was Gill Smith’s ‘Fair Trade Design’, a ‘distinctive jewellery business, which trades with the ‘fair pay’ of the jewellery makers in mind.

After setting up her primarily ‘online’ business four years ago Gill  said that she has found it tough over the last twelve months or so:

“It has been hard-going over the last twelve months, but it’s starting to pick up again now.

There is defiantly more people aware of ‘fairtrade’ products now, as they’re all in the shops.

I’m pleased so many people are converting to ethical products now.”

Just Film

Coming towards the end of one line of stalls was John Cooper, and his brainchild ‘Just Film’, a ‘co-op’ orientated idea, which showcases small thought-provoking films online that members can ‘vote’ on. As well as individual memberships, he offers organisational membership for large groups.

Globally Local

The organisers of the event ‘Globally Local’ produce useful products made out of recyclable materials, but most interesting of all was his ‘cork range’.

Malcolm Currie enthusiastically told of their journey from ‘tree to trainers’, that something stereotypically found lodged in the top of a bottle of bubbly can be made into a cap, bag, shoe, and even clothing.