News
Steering Group Meetings occur every few weeks and we meet at Tariro Fairtrade Coffee Shop in Morden Town Centre. Please let us know if you wish to attend and get involved.
Fairtrade Merton's steering group are proud to announce that, after 4 years of campaigning the London Borough of Merton has been awarded Fairtrade status.
The steering group, made up of local volunteers, have worked to achieve the five goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation. These goals were:
- to encourage businesses to switch to using Fairtrade products and to encourage local community groups, schools, faith groups to support and encourage Fairtrade
- to ensure a percentage of shops and cafes in the borough offer Fairtrade products
- to gain support from the local council for the campaign and having a Fairtrade option as part of the procurement process
- to set up a local steering group
- to gain media coverage within the locality in the promotion of Fairtrade.
On Saturday 7th March a representative from the Fairtrade Foundation met with the local steering group, the Mayor of Merton and Stephen Hammond MP to officially declare Merton as a Fairtrade Borough.
Caroline Katiyo, Chair of the Fairtrade Merton group, said 'We are thrilled that Merton has now achieved Fairtrade status. It has been a privilege to meet with so many people in Merton throughout the campaign who support Fairtrade and seek to help others through buying Fairtrade products. The steering group will carry on campaigning to encourage more businesses to have Fairtrade tea and coffee in their workplace and for Fairtrade products to become more widely available across Merton.'
Read more about this on the Guardian website
Fairtrade Fortnight 2009
World's largest Fairtrade city goes bananas for Fairtrade - and Merton was part of it!
London's Fairtrade campaigners munched their way through thousands of Fairtrade bananas as part of an attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of people eating bananas during a 24-hour period. The event took place between noon on Friday 6 March and noon on Sunday 7 March, during Fairtrade Fortnight (23 February - 8 March).
Merton Park Primary School took part in the record-making banana-munching attempt by munching their way through around 150 Fairtrade bananas donated by Sainsbury's Morden. Pupils were encouraged to wear something yellow to show support of Fairtrade and were visited by the Fairtrade Foundation's London campaign group who were attempting a 24-hour giant inflatable banana baton relay. Their aim was to take part in 24 events in 24 hours across 24 London boroughs. The 24-hour banana-eating challenge was set to highlight how easy it is to give the farmers growing the easiest and healthiest take-out snack a fair deal by choosing Fairtrade bananas.
Merton Park Primary Head teacher Pete Steward said 'I am so pleased that Merton Park was able to participate in such a worthwhile event that was also fun and educational for all the children.
March 2009
As a way of encouraging London Borough of Merton council employees to switch to Fairtrade at home and in the office, the steering group planned a coffee bean game to take place in Fairtrade Fortnight. On Tuesday 3rd March 2009, we took a giant jar of coffee beans to all 16 floors of the council offices, and gave staff the opportunity to guess how many beans were in the jar. Each person who guessed was handed a leaflet with several statistics on it about Fairtrade. The winner (who guessed just 1 bean away from the actual amount!) won a Fairtrade hamper.
Launch of the new Fairtrade Merton coffee
March 2006 - Tariro Fairtrade Coffee House in Morden hosted the launch of the new Fairtrade Merton coffee blend.
