Take a Step up Cusop Dingle

Here we all are, setting off across the fields up one of the loveliest Dingles in the area. There are lots of good footpaths, and this one started off as part of the Offa's Dyke Path. We turned off to cut across the Dingle to Cusop Church, which is now St Mary's, but was originally dedicated to St Cewydd - the Welsh rain saint! We had some pretty heavy rain at the start of the walk, but the sun came out beautifully later.
Twenty one people (and one dog) came on the walk, and a lot of us brought Fairtrade snacks to share.

Shared Interest

At the Fairtrade meeting, last week, one of the members brought along a copy of the Shared Interest annual review. Shared Interest is the only 100% fairtrade lender in the world, and when the Hay group have some money in the bank, we invest it with Shared Interest, knowing that it will be going where it is needed most. It's their Twentieth Anniversary this year, and they are now active in sixty three countries.
Despite a difficult year in the present economic situation, the Annual Review does mention several success stories. The Hadrian's Wall area - ten miles each side of the Roman wall stretching from the east to the west coasts - is the first World Heritage Site, National Trail and international zone to be awarded Fairtrade status! That's a lot of towns, communities, businesses and schools all coming together to make it happen.
Shared Interest now also have a book out, about their achievements. Harriet Lamb, the Executive Director of Fairtrade Foundation, wrote the foreword, saying: "Never has the mission of Shared Interest been more relevant than today, as the organisation celebrates its twentieth anniversary. All around us lies the wreckage of conventional financing. The reluctant recession means tough times for us all. But if it's tough for us, it is desperate for smallholders and workers in developing countries."
They have also made video blogs on the Fairtrade Big Swap theme - swap your conventional item for a Fairtrade version. This led them away from the usual tea and coffee to such exotic Fairtrade items as socks and vodka!
Their website is now on the list of links on the sidebar.

Fairtrade tent on the Market

There we are, across the market square - it's more of a gazebo than a tent, so it doesn't look quite as overwhelming as I thought it might, though it does have all four sides if anyone wanted to use it as a marquee.
I arrived at lunchtime, when the Indian lady had gone to speak at Hay School, but Christina was there with the Fairtrade leaflets and the treasure game. You can see by all the little flags in the sand tray that a lot of people had a go! Christina put all the flags that were next to the treasure into the Fairtrade bag (made in Mongolia, from felt) which was the star prize, and I pulled out the winner - Emanation Smith - who was thrilled when she was presented with it later!

Plans coming together

Sadly, there was very little interest around town in doing window displays for Fairtrade Fortnight, but we have been able to invite a real Fairtrade producer! They are from India, and they grow cotton, and they will be in the middle of Hay Market on Thursday 1st March to talk to anyone who's interested.
Meanwhile, Fairtrade tea is on special offer at herbfarmacy at the moment!
There will also be a Fairtrade walk on Saturday 3rd March. It will start from the top of the car park at 11am, and head up Cusop Dingle, perhaps with Fairtrade tea at the Old Stables afterwards for anyone who wants to chat.
The Film Society will also be providing Fairtrade snacks and drinks for this month's film.

Fairtrade Fortnight Events

We got together last night to plan what we're doing this year for Fairtrade Fortnight.
The theme this year is Take A Step, so the obvious choice was to involve the Hay Walkers - and maybe even go along on a walk! The idea is to encourage them to bring Fairtrade snacks and drinks along on the walks.
We'll also be out on Market day (hoping it isn't as horrendously windy as last year!) with a sand tray treasure finding game marked out with all the Fairtrade businesses in Hay, and a board where people can write down all their ideas for taking a step towards Fairtrade.
We're also hoping to do something in conjunction with the school, and to get all the Fairtrade businesses in Hay to put something in their windows for the Fortnight.

Fairtrade Christmas Fair

This is the fourth year we've done a Christmas Fair - it's becoming a tradition.
We had a mix of old favourite stalls, and newcomers. Martha from Love Zimbabwe brought her new baby along, whose name means "We are blessed" - and she was so good all day.
The lady from Bagage has started a new Fairtrade group in Newcastle Emlyn.
The Ice Queen (somewhat surprisingly) managed to sell some ice cream, despite the low temperatures, and the Fairtrade Hay stall was kept busy with hot chocolate and mince pies.
We also had Hay2Timbuktu and Jump4Timbuktu, hand woven and naturally dyed goods from Chile, handicrafts from Egypt, Thailand's Karen people, and Zimele's Zulus, and Tools for Self Reliance, who deal with people in Tanzania. Athene English sent some of her fairly traded goods along too.
Our music in the morning was provided by Toby Parker, on guitar and mouth organ, a last minute stand in for the musicians who couldn't come. Toby is a regular performer at Kilvert's Open Mic nights, and also busks outside the HSBC bank in Hay.
We chose the same day as the Hay School Fair, but children came along in the afternoon (many of them with their faces painted!).

Preparing for the Christmas Fair

The season is almost upon us, and last night the members of Fairtrade Hay sat down in the lovely little lounge in the Swan to put the final touches to the preparations for our fourth Christmas Fair.
The date is Saturday 10th December, from around 10am to dusk (around 4ish), when the world comes to Hay. We will have some old favourites like Love Zimbabwe, and some new ones like Ananuca from Peru. We've got musicians in the morning - and we were thinking of having a Father Christmas, but Hay will be awash with Father Christmas's that day (well, two of them....). We were going to borrow the Booths Bookshop Father Christmas for an hour, and there will also be one at Hay School - so we decided to do something a bit different. From 2pm onwards we are having an Ice Queen selling ice cream! We've also got the Town Cryer, and the Lady Mayor will be opening the proceedings with a speech at 11am. Hot chocolate and mince pies will be available from the Fairtrade stall. Tools for Self Reliance will be back, along with Jump4Timbuktu and Medics4Timbuktu, and fairly traded goods from all over the world.
(and we're hoping it won't be as cold as last year!)