A Fesitval of Fashion, Food and Fairtrade!To launch Fairtrade Fortnight this year (22 February - 7 March), Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln will be holding a Fairtrade Challenge and a Fairtrade Fashion Show to raise awareness of Fairtrade issues amongst staff and students.
The Fairtrade Challenge Day takes place on Monday 22 February, with the aim of selling as many Fairtrade products across campus as possible. As a result, the BG catering staff have developed a complete Fairtrade menu for the day. This comprises breakfast, lunch and evening meal, made using Fairtrade ingredients (a particular highlight is the intriguing 'Green Banana Curry'). All staff and students will be entered for a prize draw with every Fairtrade purchase they make on campus during the day, with prizes ranging from Fairtrade gift vouchers to Fairtrade selection hampers.
BG Fairtrade Coordinator Tracey Byrne: "We stock so many great Fairtrade products across campus without many people even realising - for example, every cup of tea or coffee served on campus is Fairtrade. So we're hoping this challenge day will help to raise awareness of the great work being done within the BG community."
Later on in the day, the Bishop Greaves Theatre on the BG campus will be holding a Fairtrade Fashion Show, in collaboration with the Lincolnshire Trade Justice Group. The aim of the evening is to show people the wide range of Fairtrade goods now available, giving people the option of swapping their usual clothes for Fairtrade alternatives.
The evening will feature a selection of clothing and accessory ranges for all ages, with a chance to buy and to browse a range of different stalls from charities which sell Fairtrade products or support fair trade. There will also be a showing of 'Lift the Label' - a film uncovering the production processes behind the clothes we all take for granted, and challenging us to make a difference by choosing Fairtrade.
Fairtrade ensures a fair wage to producers, a stable market for their goods, and a 'community premium' to invest in their long term future. So far, about 7.5 million people around the world have benefitted from Fairtrade - but this is a tiny percentage of world agricultural trade, so there's a long way to go.
Tickets to the Fashion Show are £4 (£2.50 for students), including a glass of Fairtrade wine on arrival, and are available from Lincolnshire Co-op by calling (01522) 544632, or from the main reception at the University College.
