Stourbridge "A Fairtrade town"

We are pleased to announce that at the end of September 2010 Stourbridge was awarded “Fairtrade Town” Status by the Fairtrade Foundation. The national Fairtrade Foundation agreed that Stourbridge had met the 5 Goals required for Fairtrade Town Status.

This makes Stourbridge the first fairtrade town in Dudley Borough!

We would like to thank Dudley Metropolitan Council who on July 16th 2007 passed a resolution to support the initiative to make Stourbridge a “Fairtrade Town”. The Resolution stated: "That Dudley MBC supports the principle of Fairtrade and the Fairtrade Foundation. The Council welcomes the work of supporters of the Fairtrade Foundation within the Metropolitan Borough and supports the efforts of all townships within the Borough in their quest for Fairtrade Town Status. The Council agrees to continue to offer Fairtrade tea and coffee at its meetings and in the offices."

We would also like to thank the 22 local shops and 10 catering outlets who offer at least 2 items of Fairtrade to Stourbridge shoppers: they were all mentioned in our submission. Finally a big thank you must go to the shoppers in Stourbridge who choose Fairtrade. On behalf of the farmers and producers in developing countries we hope that you continue to buy and ask for Fairtrade products when you shop, eat or drink in Stourbridge. The Fairtrade Logo on a product guarantees that the producer has received a Fair and Stable price which covers the cost of sustainable production. There are now over 4500 products certified as Fairtrade.

Shops selling Fairtrade in Stourbridge
(updated November 2011)

Aldi on Stourbridge Ringroad and Aldi, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston

Boots the Chemist, Ryemarket. Range of Fairtrade beauty products in the Boots “Extracts range”----- body wash , moisturising creams and Bath cream products like Mango, Cocoa, Vanilla, Nectarine, Almond. Fairtrade Cotton Baby Pads.

The Co-Op Store, Witton Street, Norton, Stourbridge. Various own brands of chocolate and boxes of chocolates, several red and white wines.

The Co-operative , High Street, Stourbridge Fairtrade tea, coffee, hot chocolate, various types of sugar, several wines, Chocolate sauce and large selection of chocolate, also bananas and packs of nuts and dried fruit

Costcutter, Texaco Garage, Hagley Road, Stourbridge. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, 4 finger KitKat .

Costcutters Murco Garage, Gauden Road Wollescote. Various Cadbury’s Items, 4 finger KitKat, Tate and Lyle Soft Brown Sugar.

Holland and Barrett Ryemarket. Alara Fairtrade Wheat Free Muesli, Granovita Fairtrade Quinoa, several Clipper Fairtrade teas, Green and Blacks chocolate bars.

Home Bargains, Ryemarket, Stourbridge Various Cadbury’s items

Iceland 5a Ryemarket, Stourbridge Cadbury’s Items

Londis ,Chawn Park Road Stourbridge Various Cadbury’s Items, Kit Kat milk & dark, Tate & Lyle sugar.

NISA, High Street, Lye Clipper Organic Coffee, Cadbury’s items, 4 finger KitKat

Nisa Grange Rd: Stella Organics Sauvignon Blanc wine, Various Cadbury’s items, 4 finger Kit Kat milk & dark, Tate &Lyle sugars

One Stop (Norton Road) Various Cadbury’s Items, 4 finger Kit Kat, Ben and Jerry’s ice Cream.

Poundland, High Street, Cadbury’s items

Sainsbury’s, Withymoor Village Several wines, several teas, coffees, Geobars, Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream, Fairtrade bananas

Simply Fresh, formerly Costcutter, 96-98 Hagley Road, Oldswinford. Cadbury’s items, Kit Kat, Tate and Lyle Sugars Duerrs marmalade, also stocks Fairtrade wines

Stourbridge Health Food Store, Victoria Passage Teas, Clipper Instant Coffee, Dove Snack bars, Alara Fairtrade Muesli, Equal Exchange Tahini and Chocolate Spread.

Sonas 14 Vicarage Road, Amblecote Cadbury’s Items, Kit-Kat dark & milk,

Stourbridge gets a big mention in the
Fairtrade Foundation website!

Download the latest Stourbridge Fairtrade newsletter!

Weaving Hope: Beautiful toys and gifts for children that are handwoven, hand-made and fair trade. For more details visit: www.weavinghope.co.uk

Cafes and restaurants selling Fairtrade in Stourbridge
(updated November 2011)

Spar Grange Rd: Stella Organics Sauvignon Blanc wine, Cadbury’s hot chocolate, CDM, Cadbury’s chocolate buttons. Kit Kat dark & milk, Clipper tea.

Spar, Queensway, Wollescote Fairtrade wine, Cadbury’s Items, dark 4 finger KitKat , Whitworth’s Demerara Sugar, several Bart Spices

Spar, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston Cadbury’s Items, Whitworths sugar, Billingtons sugar, Clipper tea, Green & Blacks choclate bars and Divine Chocolate bars

Spar Brettell Lane, Amblecote, Whitworths sugar, Cadbury’s items and KitKats, wine.

Spar High Street , Lye Wines, Clipper Everyday tea, Billingtons and Whitworths sugars , Cadbury’s items including boxes of 20 miniatures., KitKat Milk and Dark

Tesco Express, Hagley Rd, Oldswinford. Fairtrade bananas, Tesco own brand tea and coffee, Clipper tea and coffee, Green and Blacks Cocoa and chocolate bars, Cadbury’s Items, Fairtrade bananas

Waitrose, Ryemarket, Fairtrade filter coffees, instant coffees, teas, hot chocolate, sugar, bars of chocolate, Fairtrade Cashew Nuts, Traidcraft biscuits, wines, bananas. Dove fruity snack bars.

Wilkinson’s High Street Stourbridge Tate and Lyle Sugar, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Kit Kat, Tea and Coffee

Catering Outlets:

Café at the Glasshouse Arts Centre, Wollaston Road, Amblecote Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cocoa

Café at Sainsbury’s Supermarket, Withymoor Village, Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

Cockleshell Craft Centre , Worcester St Teas, coffees, drinking chocolate and sugar.

Coffee Eclipse, Ryemarket, Tea, sugar, Kitkats.

Creperie, Victoria Passage, Stourbridge. Drinking Chocolate, Bananas, coffee beans

Greggs, High Street, Stourbridge Fairtrade tea, coffee beans and chocolate, fruit juices.

The Foresters Arms, Wollaston. Tea and chocolate.

The Plough, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston Tea & sugar

The Princess, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston Decaf & regular coffee, hot chocolate

The Retreat Italian, Hagley Road, Oldswinford Serves tea, hot chocolate and sugar.

The Well, High Street, Stourbridge Tea, coffee and drinking chocolate .Sugar sticks and sugar

Want to sell Fairtrade products? See contacts listed below

Latest News

On March 4th 2011 at St. Thomas’s Church Hall, Stourbridge was officially launched a Fairtrade Town by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Michael Evans. It was a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to all the people in Stourbridge who over several years helped to make this happen. Guests included Mr. John Polychronakis – Chief Executive of Dudley MBC, Councillors, Margot James our current MP & Lynda Waltho. Several of the churches, and many shops and cafes were also represented. Thanks were also given to the Chamber of Trade, David Harcourt (Waitrose), the Co-op & Sainsbury’s who generously contributed to the evening.

The Stourbridge Fairtrade group was absolutely thrilled that Hannah Reed (Fairtrade Town Campaigns Manager) from the Fairtrade Foundation came as a guest speaker. It was a joy to hear her speak and she was extremely enthusiastic about joining us and about the Fairtrade work being done in the town. Julie Bate, a Sainsbury’ s employee also gave a moving and inspiring presentation about her recent trip to a peanut farm in Malawi, and explained how she had seen at first hand the importance Fairtrade is to the people she met.

Earlier in the day children from several schools had been invited to St. Thomas’ to take part in some Fairtrade activities and become ‘Fairtrade Show Offs’. It was encouraging to see the schools really embracing Fairtrade and the children were very motivated. This year the Fairtrade Foundation invited people to paint, draw or sew a piece of bunting to express what Fairtrade looks like to them. The record for individual, hand-made, bunting triangles currently stands at 2,696 metres. This national challenge aims to beat the world record for the longest string of hand-designed bunting. Stourbridge did not let us down, we were presented with metres of bunting. The Fairtrade Foundation is confident that the record will not just be beaten but will in fact be smashed once the bunting has been collected from all over the UK.

It's difficult to see why anyone in the western world with a conscience would disagree with the concept of Fairtrade. I for one have no desire to buy a product that could only be supplied by people living in poverty and I suspect many other people in the Stourbridge area feel the same way.
If you know of a shop or workplace using Fairtrade products we would love to hear about it. We would also love to hear from anyone / any group involved with Fairtrade.

The Stourbridge Fairtrade Town Steering Group works throughout the year promoting the Fairtrade message and we have a presence at several local events. For further information please see our newsletter. This can now to be downloaded, or contact:

Virginia Williams Chair 07866171784 hugh.virginia@blueyonder.co.uk

Mary Reay Vice Chair 01384 372674 forhmr@hotmail.com

Michaela Vallance Secretary 07716293986 mvfairtrade@btinternet.com

Or visit www.fairtrade.org.uk