Fairtrade For Woodbridge is a voluntary group of people living in or near Woodbridge, Suffolk. Formed in 2004, its objectives were to increase awareness of Fairtrade and work to make Woodbridge a Fairtrade Town.  Fairtrade Town is an official title awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation to towns, cities, villages or boroughs that have met certain criteria regarding the use and awareness of Fairtrade.

You can read more about the initiative by going to the Fairtrade Towns section of the Fairtrade Foundation's website.

The following five goals are required to become an official Fairtrade Town:

1. Local council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and agrees to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in its offices and canteens.
2. A range of (at least two) Fairtrade products are readily available in the area's shops.  Fairtrade products are served in local cafes/catering establishments. 
3. Fairtrade products are used by a number of local work places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community organisations (churches, schools etc) 
4. Attract media coverage and popular support for the campaign.  
5. A local Fairtrade steering group is convened to ensure continued commitment to its Fairtrade Town status.

By the end of 2007 all five goals were achieved in Woodbridge. The Fairtrade Foundation officially declared Woodbridge a Fairtrade Town on 23rd February 2008. This was in recognition of the achievements made in increasing awareness, availability and use of Fairtrade products in our town, both by Fairtrade for Woodbridge and other local people committed to promoting Fairtrade locally.

All involved strongly believe that Woodbridge becoming an official Fairtrade Town is a great encouragement, as we know that the more well known Fairtrade becomes, the more good it does, helping an ever increasing number of people in developing countries work themselves out of poverty.

We may have achieved Fairtrade Town status for Woodbridge but the work does not stop there. We continue to promote Fairtrade locally in various ways. These include holding twice yearly Fairtrade cafes at St John's Church, visiting schools and encouraging even more local businesses to offer FAIRTRADE Marked products to their customers. We meet occasionally to discuss our progress and plan future events. Anyone interested in coming to one of our meetings or getting involved is more than welcome.

If you have any comments or would like to ask us anything else about our work, we would be delighted to hear from you.  You can email us at info@fairtradeforwoodbridge.org.uk or telephone Marc Fowler on 01394 470473.  Alternatively, write to Marc Fowler, Water Tower Yard, Presmere Road, Pettistree, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 0HZ.

Thank you for reading and paying an interest in this very important campaign.  Now that you have read about us, you may like to read more about the issues of trade justice and Fairtrade.  If so, please go to our About Fairtrade page, or the Fairtrade Foundation's Web site.

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