What Can My Church Do?
When a church supports Fair Trade, it makes a clear statement for justice.
The Fairtrade Foundation’s “Fairtrade Churches” programme offers an official way for churches to demonstrate their commitment to Fair Trade. More than 4,000 Fairtrade Churches have already been certified.
At present you can apply for a Fairtrade Church certificate if the appropriate Council or Church meeting has agreed that your church will:
i. use Fairtrade tea and coffee for all meetings for which you have responsibility.
ii. move forward on using other Fairtrade products (such as sugar, biscuits, fruit)
iii. promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight – and through other activities whenever possible. (Fairtrade Fortnight is generally the first two full weeks in March.)
For further information from the Fairtrade Foundation, click here .
For frequently asked questions about the Fairtrade Church criteria, click here .
Many local denominational bodies have Fairtrade campaigns that your church can join.
To find out about . . .
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth's Fairtrade Diocese campaign, click here.
the United Reformed Church Wessex Synod's Fairtrade campaign, click here and then click on "Our Work" and "Church in Society"
Another way of supporting and promoting Fair Trade is through participation in "The Big Brew," a series of events held over the course of one week in Fairtrade Fortnight. "The Big Brew" is co-sponsored by Traidcraft and local agencies and denominations -- and provides a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of Fair Trade in your church and community.
Holding a Big Brew event is easy. You choose the kind of event, any beneficiaries, the location and the time. The only criteria are that your event must:
- be registered with Traidcraft
- be called "The Big Brew" and take part during the designated period
- involve serving Fairtrade beverages and
- be publicised with official "Big Brew" materials
Beyond that, let your imagination go! Last year's Big Brew saw Fairtrade coffee after pram services (right) and "at home" events. The "trolley dollies" of one village church decked their new tea trolley with Big Brew posters and invited the whole village into post-service refreshments.
Click on the titles for coverage of the 2007 Big Brew in The Door and Christian Today .
Big Brew 2008 was a tremendous success with around 150 events: Congratulations to all who participated! Stay tuned for plans for Big Brew 2009 . . . . .
But these are only a few ways of supporting and promoting Fair Trade . . . and churches in our area are doing so much more. To find out what they are doing, click on any of the headings under "What Can My Church Do" in the left hand column.
Top photographs courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk