Stonehenge
Fairtrade Fortnight 2014 – 24 February -9 March
The Wiltshire Fairtrade Coalition is a network of groups, organisations and individuals working to promote Fairtrade within the County and is supported by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The Coalition meets on a quarterly basis to support the various groups throughout the county; one of its main tasks is to co-ordinate activities during Fairtrade Fortnight each year, which normally takes place at the end of February. The coalition is also working towards achieving Fairtrade County status for Wiltshire. Information about what some of the local groups are doing can be seen below.
Once again the Fairtraders of Wiltshire have risen to the challenge of Fairtrade Fortnight. For the period covering the end of February and beginning of March local volunteers have put together campaigns to promote and explain the importance of Fairtrade. As a result of the efforts of ordinary people over the years, ethical shopping and Fairtrade have become an important part of the mindset of shoppers but there is still much to do. This year the theme of the fortnight, spearheaded by the Fairtrade Foundation, is ‘Stick with Foncho to abolish unfair bananas’.
Bananas, the most popular fruit purchased, are subject to a competition between supermarkets to keep prices low and this comes down to a reduced income even for Fairtrade producers. Several groups locally will be inviting supporters to sign a petition to the Secretary of State for Business asking him to investigate the grave impact of unsustainable supermarket pricing and act to protect the millions of poor farmers and workers who grow bananas.
Trowbridge Fairtrade Group has a cake making competition. Why not try their recipe?
Fairtrade Banana & Honey Teabread
Recipe:
8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour
Half teaspoon of ground nutmeg
4 oz (100 g) margarine
8 oz (225 g) Fairtrade bananas
4 oz (100 g) Fairtrade caster sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs
6 tablespoons of Fairtrade thick honey
For the topping:
2 tablespoons of Fairtrade thick honey
Fairtrade Demerara or Raw Cane sugar for sprinkling
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Lightly grease and base line a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin with greased greaseproof paper.
Measure the flour and nutmeg into a large bowl and rub in the margarine using the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Peel and mash the bananas and stir into the flour mixture with the sugar, lemon rind, eggs and honey. Beat well until evenly mixed, and then turn into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 90 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the teabread loosely with foil during the end of the cooking if it is browning too much. Allow the teabread to cool slightly in the tin, and then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
For the topping, gently warm the honey in a small pan, and then brush over the top of the teabread. Sprinkle with the sugar.
Original recipe taken from Mary Berry’s ‘Ultimate Cake Book’
Fairtrade adaptation by Tom Hill – 22nd January 2014
North Wilts
| When | Where | What | Time |
| Saturday 22 February, | Silver Street Methodist Church, Calne | Coffee Morning | 10.30-12.30 |
| Friday 28 February | Launderette, High Street Calne | Coffee Morning | 10.00-12.30 |
| Saturday 8 March | Community Hub, High Street Calne | Coffee Morning | 10.00-12.00 |
West Wilts
| When
|
Where | What | time |
| Friday 28 February | Three Horseshoes Shopping Mall Warminster | Giving out banana smoothies and inviting to people to sign petition cards | |
| Saturday 1 March | North Townsend Farm, Semington Road, Melksham | Coffee Morning | 10.00-12.00 |
| Saturday 1 March | Wesley Road Methodist Church Trowbridge | Coffe morning with stalls, Traidcraft cakes, books, bric a brac and banana splits.
Fairtrade cake competition (for recipe call 01225 762097 |
10.00-12.00 |
| Saturday 8 March | Quaker Meeting House, Whiteheads Lane, Bradford on Avon | Coffee Morning, home made cakes, crafts from around the world | 10.00-13.00 |
| 3rd to 8th March. | Bradford on Avon library | Display about the ‘Stick with Foncho’ campaign promoting a fair deal for small scale banana producers |
East Wilts
| When | Where | What | Time |
| Saturday 8 March | Enford Village Hall | Cheese and wine evening with Fairtrade wine and local cheese | 7.00-9.00 |
| Wednesday 5 March | Devizes Town Hall | Singer-song writer Gareth Davies Jones live in concert also Fairtrade stalls and a glass of Fairtrade wine or juice included in the price pepel can sign the Make bananas fair petition at the event. The Palestinian director of the Fairtrade company Zaytoun will be among the audience and will be happy to talk to people during the interval.
|
7.30 |
| Saturday 12 April | Corn Exchange, Devizes | Fairtrade and local fair opened by the mayor and Claire Perry MP with cookery demonstration by Peter Vaughan at 11.00, music by the town band, Fairtrade refreshments, | 10.00-2.00 |
South Wilts
| When | Where | What | Time |
| Sunday 2 March | Sarum College, Salisbury | Fairtrade lunch with speaker Bishop Edward Condrey | |
| Wednesday 26 February | Salisbury Cathedral | Fairtrade evensong | 5.30 pm |
