Our group would love to recruit a few more members! If you are interested in Fairtrade matters, or just development issues generally why not join us?

We are a small and friendly group of people from a variety of backgrounds, we informally meet about every six weeks over tea and biscuits to progress various small projects and talk about Fairtrade related matters. Both in the local context…What new Fairtrade products have you seen lately? Or global…Did you know about Fairtrade Gold?

We have occasional stalls at events and volunteers are welcome to help out at those, if they have time. We realise that time is a precious commodity but we don’t need a lot of your time. Just an interest and ideas about how we can promote the use of Fairtrade products around Welwyn Hatfield.

If you’d like to find out a bit more get in touch through the site, or call 0752 611 8310, thank you.

Most of us enjoy a good cuppa, but not all tea is created equal. Actually it’s not grown or picked equally either as millions of hard pressed plantation workers around the world would tell you. But i’ve discovered one I really like from Sainsbury’s, so credit where it’s due and here’s a picture I took the other day, you can almost see the steam emanating from the brew in my mug.

Fairtrade and Darjeeling tea - a fine combination

I once visited the tea plantations of Darjeeling and watched the hard graft. Dozens of pickers clinging to a steep hillside in the pouring rain, my heart went out the them.

Buying Fairtrade tea from Darjeeling at least reassures me that the tea workers are getting reasonable pay and conditions for their very significant toils.

You can find out a lot more about Darjeeling and it’s renown teas by clicking here.

Letter to Welwyn Hatfield Times 14 March 2012

Do look at our letter and photo in this weeks edition of the Welwyn Times!

We took to the shops and completed all our planned events. It’s always heartening to discover that most shoppers now are aware of the Fairtrade mark and what it stands for. Public events like this are also food to raise awareness for those that are not yet aware that there is a way to incorporate a sense of fairness and social justice into your weekly shop. We had store managers and deputy mayors visit us to and show their support. The take a step campaign was popular with many people doing just that and pledging to buy more Faitrade products this year.

Thanks to everyone who came and spoke to us, keep voting with your feet and making a difference to the lives of many millions of people. Below are a couple more pictures taken at events:

Homemade Fairtrade cakes on sale at the Woman's Day/Fairtrade coffee morning

Fairtrade at Sainsburys WGC, with the deputy mayor Helen Bromley and assistant customer services manager Jamie.

Fairtrade at Asda Hatfield with supporters and the mayor of Hatfield Howard Morgan

Supporters were involved in numerous other events as well, if you have any pictures of your own please do send them to us.

Here are few pictures from our stand at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield today. It was a great to chat with students and staff about Fairtrade related issues. The facilities and catering in the new Forum building also looked very impressive!

Linda and Uni student Kadra

Uni students at the stall

Stall with Gill and Linda

University stall with new banner

Thanks to all who dropped in. Our next stall in Hatfield will be at Asda on Saturday 10th of March, come and say hello!

Have a look around, don’t forget to click on the other pages listed in the box at the top    left of this page!

Our old website is still available and can be found by clicking here: http://welwynhatfieldfairtrade.org.uk/oldfairtrade/

Events around Welwyn Hatfield during Fairtrade Fortnight

• Campus West Theatre . There will be a display of information during the Fortnight in the cafe area. Group members will be on hand before  film showings  on  Wednesday 29 Feb and Tuesday 6th March to offer info and chat to film goers , letting them know that the coffee and chocolate on sale at the cafe is F.T. and to encourage them to use F.T.  at home.

• Saturday 3rd, Tuesday 6th,  and Saturday 10th March. Traidcraft sales at Church House , Welwyn from 10. am to 11.30.am. You can find them HERE.

•  Tuesday 28th February.  The group will take part in Fairtrade Fortnight events at the University of Hertfordshire  in  the Forum   10. 30 am to 3 pm. offering tasters of F.T. goods and a sale of Traidcraft goods.

• Saturday 3rd March.  Fairtrade stand at Asda, Hatfield from 10 am onwards. We aim  to encourage shoppers to ‘take a step’ and buy the extra F.T. item or buy F.T. for the first time.  We will sell Fairtrade goods.  The Mayor, Councillor Howard Morgan  will be kindly joining us around 11am.

• Thursday 8th March. 10:00am – 12:00noon.  Coffee morning in support of Fairtrade Fortnight and International Women’s Day. Cake stall, Traidcraft products and raffle.  All at 47 Elmwood WGC.  Click here to see the flyer. Organised by the Oxfam Campaigns Group.

To find out more about the Take a Step campaign watch this short film:

Below are a couple of pictures taken at out Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 events: