Fairtrade Bath

Fellow Fairtraders,

It's Week 2 of the Big Swap and the Fairtrade Foundation's Swap-o-meter is reading just over half way to one-million-and-one swaps to Fairtrade products!!!

Amazing response, but still a long way to go. There are 3 things you can do to help prove that the Britain wants a fairer way of trading…

1. Register your own Fairtrade swap. So if you've bought Fairtrade bananas or chocolate, a coffee from Cafédirect or Starbucks, or something more unusual like Fairtrade flowers, peanut butter or olive oil, click on www.thebigswap.org.uk to put your contribution on record and your name in lights.

2. Persuade your friends to register their Fairtrade swaps!!

3. If you have run an event/held a coffe morning, register any swaps you've managed to get people to commit to!

When FTF reach one-million-and-one swaps, every swapper will be entered into a competition to win your very own tea party."Many raindrops make mighty rivers flow." Fairtrade is all about the sum of many actions, however small.

Join in the Big Swap this Fairtrade Fortnight…www.thebigswap.org.uk

One million and one ... We can do it!

Freinds Meeting House, York St, Bath, 19.30pm

Bath Stop War Coalition members have been discussing the links between our group and other groups concerned with justice, peace and climate change, (to which many of us also belong).
 
We are planning to hold an open meeting with other groups on Weds March 10th to discuss how we can make the links between our separate but connected campaigns.  The title will be "Peace, Justice and Environmental Protection - a Common Platform?"
 
We should be really pleased if any interested members from local campaign groups would come to the meeting.  Diana Francis from Bath Stop War / CND will open the meeting, after which there will be a general discussion of possible ways of linkingthe issues for which we all campaign to achieve a just, peaceful, sustainable world.
 
Friends of the Earth locally are considering a pre election forum to discuss policies with local candidates.  Bath Stop War Coalition is also considering this type of pre election meeting and one of the issues we would like to discuss is planning a joint pre election meeting between various campaigning groups and the candidates.

Dear All,

As you may have seen, Bath Fairtrade are holding a stall in Green Park Station to celebrate fairtrade Fortnight and promote the new Fair and Local diretcory which is being produced as we speak :)

We really need some volunteers to help us with this stall between 8.30am & 1pm - simply to hand out information and samples to the public and take raffle prize entries. You only need to give an hour or so (of course, you can give more time if you wish!), and it would be really appreciated. You don't need to know the in's and outs of Fairtrade, you just need to be a Fairtrade supporter - we can fill you in on any gaps you think you have in your knowledge & field any awkward questions!!

Please do email oxfambath@yahoo.co.uk if you can help!

Come on down to Green Park Station to find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 and our Swap-It campaign. What can you swap to be Fairtrade?

It's also your first chance to grab a copy of the brand new 2010 Fair and Local directory, bringing you information on where you can buy all things fairtrade and locally produced in the BANES area

And if that's not enough, there is chance to win a Fairtrade Hamper from M&S, and free samples too!!

See you there :)

Come and find out about our Fairtrade plans for Bath - 4th Tuesday of every month!!!

Dear All,

I’m sure you have all heard about the devastating earthquake which has hit Haiti just ten miles from the capital city. Local officials are reporting a major catastrophe in one of the poorest countries in the world. The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an appeal which Oxfam is an important part of. Oxfam has a 100-strong team working in Haiti as prt of this. You can follow the progress of Oxfam’s emergency response at: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/emergencies/haiti-earthquake.html

When a disaster of such huge proportions occurs, we often ask our campaigners to help us with fundraising efforts as the need for funds is so urgent. Here in Bath, we'd like to organise a collection at Bath train station on Monday morning (18th January) approximately 7 - 9am (when we can catch most commuters!!). We haven't finalised this with the First Great Western Management, but hope to do this very soon. Can you spare 30 - 45minutes to help us hold a bucket?? It may not seem like much time, but it could mean the world of difference to someone whose lost everything.

If you can help, please email me at oxfambath@yahoo.co.uk with the times you could offer, and I will contact you over the weekend with final details of the rota.

If you can't help on Monday, don't worry - there are many other ways that you can help!! Here are a few other ideas:
At work:
1) Ask your boss if everyone can leave early today and avoid the last of the snow traffic - in return for donations of course!
2) Raffle a day off! Of course, your boss will have to agree to donate one day of annual leave first, but once you’ve convinced them, sell raffle tickets at £5 or £10 each and you’ll make money fast.
3) Hold a dress down day and cake sale - ask everyone to bake cakes and pay £2 for the privilege of dressing casually for work.
4) Arrange a loose change collection or introduce a swear or acronym box in your office, every time someone swears or uses an acronym, they have to put 50p in the Oxfam collection box.
At home:
1) Arrange a bucket collection - contact your local supermarket, shopping centre, football club or music venue and ask them if you can apply to hold a bucket collection for Oxfam. Railway station platforms at peak travel times are a great place for bucket collections too – contact the station manager to arrange this. Gather together your friends and family to collect on the day and you could raise hundreds of pounds in just a few hours!
2) Invite friends round for a dinner party, but instead of asking them to bring a bottle of wine, ask them to bring a donation for Haiti - it’s amazing how generous people can be.
3) Organise a fundraising event - it could be a quiz at your local pub, a themed party or just a big snowball fight if you have enough snow left!
4) Undertake to be sponsored for something - you could walk to work, shave your head or stay silent for a whole day…

We’re hoping to get materials to help you fundraise, such as DEC posters, Oxfam balloons, badges etc., and of course you will need official Oxfam collection boxes if you are doing any public fundraising. We’re still working on the best way of getting these to you so in the meantime please contact Fiona on fremnant@oxfam.org.uk, or call 0117 916 6482 if you want to order any materials.

Hi All,

Please find attached the minutes from the meeting on Tuesday. we've got some great plans emerging for Fairtrade Fortnight and beyond into 2010!!

Look forward to seeing you at the January meeting (26th, 7.30pm, Manvers St Baptist Church)

Have a great Christmas!

Thanks to Alison, our Secretary, for once again taking fantastic minutes :)

Please find them attached as a word document. As you'll see, there's lots going on!!

Do please join us either tonight for Festive Drinks, or on January 26th (7.30pm, Manvers St Baptist Church) to find out what's happening in Fairtrade Fortnight 2010!!

Janine