MONMOUTH
Martha Musonza Holman Why buy Fairtrade products?
Keep buying the bananas Fairtrade school
Finding Fairtrade in Monmouth guide Monmouth Fairtrade town shopper
Where to drink Fairtrade Where to buy Fairtrade Fairtrade B&Bs
Monmouth has been a Fairtrade town since 2005 and has successfully renewed its status twice since then. If you are interested in joining the steering group please contact Frances David on fad@phonecoop.coop.
At the recent Fairtrade fortnight celebrations we were privileged to have Martha Musonza Holman, founder of I Love Zimbabwe, to talk about the organisation that produces unique and beautiful, fairly traded handicrafts. The hand painted pottery and hand printed textiles were very popular, and the people of Monmouth can be truly proud that they have helped to empower the people of Zimbabwe.
Buy a unique Monmouth Fairtrade Town bag.
The new Monmouth Fairtrade town shopping bag is now on sale at Munday and Jones Greengrocer in Church Street, Monmouth Museum in Priory Street, Gabby's in Beaufort Yard and Bridges, Drybridge Park, price £2.
It is made from organic Fairtrade cotton and produced for Bishopston Trading by their partners in South India.
Using the bag advertises Monmouth's commitment to Fairtrade producers. It also helps to reduce the use of plastic carriers. Since they don't biodegrade they can become permanent, troublesome clutter, fouling the landscape and harming animals, birds and sealife.
WBy choosing produce with the Fairtrade logo, shoppers in Monmouth can be sure they are making a real difference to the lives of millions of producers worldwide.
Fairtrade guarantees producers in developing countries a fair and stable price for their crops - enabling them to invest in social, environmental and business improvements.
At the Fairtrade Town celebration on March1st 2005 Simeon Greene from the Windward Islands gave a fascinating talk about the reality of Fairtrade and the difference that he has seen it make. In the Windward Islands it has meant environmentally safe working conditions and fair wages that make schooling, decent housing and healthcare affordable by all. The Fairtrade premium payment to the community has also allowed some groups to diversify by planting mango trees to break away from dependence on a single crop.
Hurricane Dean devastated much of the Windward Island banana crop. Conrad James, a banana farmer from St Lucia who farms a 5.6 acre farm with his wife Josephine and toured the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight 2007, has lost his entire crop. Conrad said: “I have a lot of work on my shoulders but I will keep growing bananas. I will build this up again. Just please keep buying Fairtrade bananas.” Conrad and his wife lost everything once before in the hurricane storms of 1980. Like so many of his neighbours, he had to replant after the storms. This current disaster will mean he will not have an income until his crop grows back in around six months.
Monmouthshire's first Fairtrade School. Congratulations are due to Monmouth Comprehensive School which achieved Fairtrade School status last year; the first school in the county to do so.
The "Finding Fairtrade in Monmouth "guide.
We are fortunate to have again received an Agenda 21 grant to update and reprint the guide to “Finding Fairtrade in Monmouth”. It is available from the Oneshop Shop, the Tourist Information Centre, Monmouth Museum and the Library. You will also find a copy in your new Monmouth Fairtrade Town shopping bag.
Support of local traders for Fairtrade has increased dramatically. When the campaign started out there was only 1 cafe that served Fairtrade and 6 shops. You can now find it at the following places:
Coffee # 1 -Monnow Street - serves only Fairtrade tea, coffee drinking chocolate and sugar also Fairtrade fruit when available for smoothies. Telephone no. 01600 772947
Monmouth Priory - Priory Street - all tea, coffee, hot chocolate and sugar served is Fairtrade. Open Saturday a.m.
Telephone no. 01600 712034
Nigel's Bakery Fayre - Beaufort Yard - serves Fairtrade Tea and coffee on request. Telephone no. 01600 716040
Punch House - serves Fairtrade coffee. Telephone no. 01600
Whole Earth Bistro - White Swan Yard - all tea, sugar and coffee served is Fairtrade. Telephone no. 01600 715555
Dingestow Village Shop - Ground and instant coffee and tea. Telephone no. 01600 740644
Fingal Rock-Monnow Street - Wine, honey, chocolate and drinking cocolate. Telephone no. 01600 712372
Lidl - Mayhill - Bananas, instant coffee, sugar, chocolate and orange juice. Telephone no.01600 719897
Marks and Spencer's - Monnow Street - Ground and instant coffee, bananas, sugar, tea, jam and honey. Telephone no. 01600 775370
Munday & Jones - Church Street - bananas, ground and instant coffee. chocolate and Geobars. Telephone no. 01600 772242
The Oxfam Shop- Agincourt Square -
Ground and instant coffee, coffee beans, tea, cocoa.. chocolate bars, drinking chocolate, chocolate spread, chocolate cake mix, biscuits, cereal bars, honey and sugar.
Telephone no. 01600 712499
Skenfrith Village shop - chocolate, tea, instant and ground coffee, chocolates, biscuits, muesli. Telephone no. 01600 750618
Somerfield
- The Oldfield Centre - Ground and
instant coffee, tea bags, bananas wine and biscuits.
Telephone no. 01600 712288
Tew's Budgens ,Overmonnow Garage - Cinderhill Street - Tea, instant coffee, cocoa, wine. Telephone no. 01600 712632
Threshers - Monnow Street - Fairtrade wines from South Africa and South America.
Telephone no. 01600 772224
Waitrose -Monnow Street - Ground and instant coffee. Tea bags, drinking chocolate, cocoa, fruit juice and red wine. Chocolate, cereal bars and biscuits. Bananas, mangoes, pineapples, honey and sugar, rice. Telephone no. 01600 772552
Wigmores Bakery -St Mary's Street - Fairtrade coffee, juice and Geobars. Telephone no. 01600 712083
Wydean Wholefoods - Monnow Street - Instant coffee. Tea, biscuits. Telephone no. 01600 715429
Where to stay - Fairtrade B&Bs
Whitecross House Bed and Breakfast- all tea, coffee and sugar served is Fairtrade. Telephone no. 01600 716422
Windyridge - all tea, coffee and sugar and muesli served is Fairtrade. Telephone no. 01600 716422
Workplaces that have pledged to serve Fairtrade drinks to staff and customers are:
Chippenham Surgery, Dixton Surgery, Environment Agency Wales (Monmouth Branch), Wye Valley AONB Office, Gwent Wildlife Trust, D.S. Music and Oxfam Shop
Other groups that have signed up to pledge their support for Fairtrade by using it at their events are:
St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Wyesham Christian Fellowship, St James Church,
St Peters Church, St Thomas Church, St Mary's Priory Church, Monmouth Baptist Church,
Monmouth Methodist Church, Trellech Methodist Church, Trellech and Penallt churches,
Wonastow Church The Narth Village Hall Committee, Monmouth Methodist Church,
Ty Mawr Convent, Monmouth People First and Monmouth Town Councillors.
The Fairtrade Forum continues to promote Fairtrade at local events and would love to be invited to more.
We can offer:
Stall selling a range of Fairtrade goods
Lists of Fairtrade wholesale suppliers
Speakers for adult groups, school classes and assemblies
Posters and leaflets
To serve Fairtrade refreshments at your event
Free-standing displays (available shortly)
Buy
Fairtrade - look
for the logo when you do your shopping and buy (and request) Fairtrade at
cafés and catering establishments when you have the opportunity.
Become a member -
Monmouth Fairtrade Forum organises events to celebrate and
publicise Fairtrade.
New members are always welcome .
Please phone 01600 750618 for details.
A voluntary fee of £2 or whatever you can afford will keep you
up to date on our progress and will guarantee you invites to our events.
Supply
Fairtrade goods in your shop/ catering establishment - visit
www.fairtrade.org.uk
or contact Collette for a catering directory and to register your interest
in Monmouth Fairtrade Forum.
Become a Fairtrade workplace - talk to your colleagues / call Collette for help and resources and a free taster session and convert your office.
Become a Fairtrade B&B - talk to your colleagues / call Collette for help and resources
For more information about Fairtrade visit:
For more information please contact Colette Mooney