Fairtrade Fortnight

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 27th February to the 11th March 2012 and this year’s theme is ‘Take a step for Fairtrade’. The Fortnight is a real chance to show your support for fair trade and to participate as an Ambassador in your local area to promote Shared Interest. There are events going on up and down the country that you can get involved with so please keep your eyes peeled for local events that you can attend. 

A full list of Fairtrade Fortnight activities can be found by clicking here.

You can download your Fairtrade Fortnight resource pack by clicking here.

If you are involved in any events over Fairtrade Fortnight please remember to let us know at head office so we can keep a record of events attended. It is also vital that you code all material handed out with your Ambassador code so that we can track how many new accounts come in as a result of Ambassador activity.

To give you some ideas of steps you can take during Fairtrade Fortnight we have devised fourteen challenges. You can do as many or few of these as you like and we would like to hear from you if you have any new suggestions for next year’s challenges.

Fairtrade Fortnight Ambassador Challenges:

To help you ‘take a step’ during Fairtrade Fortnight we have devised some challenges that you can try. Have a go as a many or few as you can fit in.

1. Add your copy of QR to the reading material at your local doctors or dentists surgery
   
   
2. Host a fair trade tea party with your friends to tell them about Shared Interest & give them all a postcard with your ambassador code on to fill out and return
   
   
3. Leave Shared Interest postcards in your local library cafes & doctors surgeries. If you carry a few around with you over the next two weeks you will be surprised the number of places you can drop them.
   
   
4. Spread the word: Organise a Shared Interest talk at your local interest group.
   
   
5. Have a Fairtrade wine tasting night.
   
   
6. Open an account as a gift for someone special; call the office for more information.
   
   
7. Piggy back onto a local fair trade event to see if you can leave Shared Interest materials on a stand or better yet do a talk!
   
   
8. Hold a film night and show our new Investor film to your friends (request a copy from the office)
   
   
9. Get connected and join our Facebook and Twitter pages by clicking on the icons on this newsletter
   
   
10. Watch our films by clicking here
    
    
11. Swap something you use regularly for a Fairtrade alternative
    
    
12. Ask a local church about their fair trade activities and how Shared Interest can get involved
    
    
13. Take a friend with you to an event to introduce them to fair trade and Shared Interest
    
    
14. Open a Share account and If you are already a Member top up your account

Don't forget,  if you are participating in any volunteer events in Fairtrade Fortnight you can claim you expenses using our new form which can be found by clicking here.

Shared Interest Activity

The Shared Interest staff will also be busy over the Fortnight. A sample of events being attended by both volunteers and staff can be found below. Feel free to pop along and introduce yourself and remember to let us know if you need resources to attend any events.
 

• Witney Fairtrade Market on Saturday 10th March at Langdale Hall, Witney, from 10am until 4pm.
   
• The Phone Co-op’s AGM on Saturday the 4th February in Chipping Norton from 12 noon until 4pm.
   
• International Women’s Day event Sunday 4th March at Queens Hotel Leeds, from 1pm to 5pm
   
• Take a Step for Fairtrade at the Burgess Hill Fairtrade Festival- Friday 2nd March to Sunday 11th March 2012 (booking required www.burgesshillfreedomfestival.com)
   
• Banbury Fairtrade Fiesta, Banbury Town Hall March 3rd from 10.30am to 3.30pm
   
• Service of Celebration and thanksgiving as the Diocese of London is declared a Fairtrade Diocese, St Paul’s Cathedral. Sunday 11th March 6pm. If you’re interested in coming along please RSVP to sally.reith@shared-interest.com by February 29th
   
• Fairtrade Event on Flag Market with Preston FM, dancers, and stalls selling ethical goods and a  Shared Interest stall, 3rd March 10am to 4pm.

For a full list of events see our Shared Interest event calendar on the website by clicking here.

FAQs

Whilst out talking to the public about Shared Interest you may come across questions that you find difficult to answer. This is just a reminder that anything that you are unsure of can be referred back to Head Office to deal will. If any of you come across questions that you find difficult to answer then we would like you to feed this back to help in the production of the FAQ section of the volunteers resources pack. These questions can be emailed to us at rachel.norman@shared-interest.com