Joan Phelan and Judith Gradwell will be hosting a sale of Fairtrade Christmas gifts in their home at 3A Place Road, which is just off Melkshan Market Place on Saturday 13th December.
It will be an opportunity to buy some lovely presents while also supporting people across the world.
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in developing countries. Producers also receive a Fairtrade premium which is paid in addition to the Fairtrade price and is used to improve their communities.
Projects typically support education, health care, investment in farming to improve quality, and processing facilities to increase income.
You may have met Judith and Joan at the Melksham Food festivals where they always have a stall of Fairtrade produce imported from Palestine by Zaytoun, a Community Interest Company.
On Saturday, as well as the olive oil, dates, almonds, soap etc they will have items of embroidery from a women’s cooperative in Hebron. They will be joined by Fairtrade supporters from Dilton Marsh with their large selection of gifts from around the world. These are sourced from Traidcraft, and include jewellery, toys, confectionary and clothing.
A few of these items can be bought in Oxfam shops but most are normally only available by mail order. So this is a great chance to see before you buy – and save on postage! Also on sale will be lovely hand made cards from Cameroon which will be coming via Bradford–on –Avon.
Refreshments will be available with Fairtrade tea and coffee supplied by The Co-operative which was the first major retailer to champion Fairtrade and which still stocks the largest range of Fairtrade goods of any supermarket. Tasters will be available of their Fairtrade wine. The cakes will be home made and will of course include Fairtrade ingredients.
All the volunteers who are helping to organise this event hope to see you at any time between 11.00am and 3.00pm. But whenever and wherever you shop they urge you to look out for the Fairtrade Foundation Mark.
