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Shared Earth`s next Network Night will take place on March 18th 6.30-8pm.
Ex Leeds Shared Earth shop Manager Debbie Fletcher returns to organise a Network Night at Leeds shop.
The theme will be centred around fair trade in schools. We have some great speakers coming along, and entertainment is being kindly supplied by Gledhow Primary African Choir you may have heard of them before, as they performed for Nelson Mandela when he visited Leeds! As well as this, we shall have, as usual, fair trade wine, coffee, juice, and nibbles a plenty!
The speakers we have lined up include someone from Leeds Development Education Centre, who will be talking about how schools can work towards becoming fair trade certified, also a fair trade assessor will be explaining about how to ensure you put in a good application, and we shall also have staff from a local school who have already received fair trade status,. All these people will be onhand to chat to guests and give advice and talk about their experiences.
This is also an opportunity for those of you who would like to network with schools and people involved in education in general whether it be in fair trade or in the global dimension of education, as well as finding contacts for things such as giving workshops to schools, talks, even setting up a stall during a school event.
Finally it is an invitation to all supporters of Shared Earth here in Leeds, to come along and share a social evening with staff and friends of the branch, as well as network with like minded people. We anticipate this will be an even more popular event this time round, and we would love you to come along and be part of it!
Please feel free to bring along anyone who you think would be interested in attending too, we love to see new faces, and if you would like anymore information feel free to email leeds@sharedearth.co.uk or call the shop. Alternatively email the shop through our facebook page.
I hope to see you on the 18th!
Here’s what some of our shops and managers are doing during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010
In York:
York Shared Earth shop will have a stall on the York Fair Trade Market from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th March on Parliament Street from 9.30am until 4.30pm each day.
The Festival of Fairtrade reaches a crescendo with the annual Fair Trade Market. This is a great opportunity to experience the fantastic quality and variety of Fair Trade goods, including food and drink, crafts, clothing, jewellery and fashion accessories.
From African crafts to Himalayan clothing - you’ll find the perfect gift, or that special treat for yourself, at the market.
Come along and help us celebrate the renewal of York’s Fairtrade City status.
Also visit the Fair Trade forum stall at the market on Saturday where there will be info to take away and other goodies. You will also be able to sign cards calling for all tea trade to be Fairtrade. Meet Nioka, Fairtrade banana farmer from the Windward Islands, at the stall at 10am.
In Liverpool:
Liverpool shop is taking part in the “Strictly FairTrade Tea dance” on Saturday 27th February from 12noon until 3pm in Liverpool One shopping centre. From street dancing to Latin to Irish dance, come and see the dance exhibitions and join in the simple step classes. Plus flag making, tea and biscuits and short talks on the difference Fair Trade makes.
Come and meet our Liverpool staff on their stall the same day.
Mike Foster, Minister for the Department of International Development will visit Liverpool shop on Monday 1st March. More details about that event will follow.
Shared Earth’s Managers involvement with Fair Trade:
Thurday 25th February:
Shared Earth Founder and Managing Director Jeremy Piercy will be part of a Dragon’s Den Day in Brimingham. School children and young people will pitch their environmentally friendly ideas to make things change.
Friday 26th February:
Lynne Dawson, Shared Earth Senior Retail Manager will give a talk about Fair Trade to Year 9 at Bury High School and will also have a stall.
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Progressive Greetings January 2010
Green Action From Card Publishers
Jeremy Piercy, managing director of fair trade retailer cum card and stationery supplier Shared Earth has been campaigning for the recent Copenhagen Summit, on climate change. Commenting, Jeremy said: “Politicians across the globe have realised that if we don’t act now, far more drastic action will be required in the future.” Urging the card trade to pledge support on this important issue, Jeremy told PG: “ The greeting card industry can play an important part in reducing these emissions. Suppliers like Glebe Cottage and K2 Greetings are demonstrating how excellent quality cards can be produced on recycled paper, while many others are using FSC certified paper and recycled plastic bags.
“The issues will not go away – “eco” is not a fashion, it’s a long-term trend” said Jeremy. Fellow industry players are publicly sharing Jeremy’s sentiments, with open air exhibition specialists and card and calendar publishers Wecommunic8 creating a street gallery for the WWF featuring photography of the Arctic. This was held in Copenhagen during the United Nations Climate Change Summit, and attracted many visitors.
Fair Trade Retailer ‘Shared Earth’ backs Leeds Young People in Pitch for Change!
On Friday 11th December, 5 teams of young people pitched their ideas for improving their community to a panel of local business representatives and received a total of £2165 in funding for their projects. Jeremy Piercy, Shared Earth Founder and Managing Director, was among the panel of ‘Dragons’ charged with allocating the funding. The teams of young people were grilled by the panel of business ‘dragons’ which also included: Yorkshire Bank partners Ken Williams and Mike Hardy; Nicky McEnery, Recruitment manager for TD Waterhouse; and Julie Cullen, Regional Cares Manager for Business in the Community.
Youth charity organisation Envision works with over 200 young people aged 16-19 every week in 16 of Leeds’ schools and colleges, supporting them in developing and implementing community projects. Five of the Envision School Teams were selected to pitch their project ideas to a panel of local business representatives in order to receive funding for projects which benefit their local communities. Envision are working in partnership with the enterprising community organisation Tiger11, who hosted the Pitch 4 Change at Hillside in Beeston.
Schools’ success:
· The Envision Team from Priesthorpe School secured £500 in funding to produce a documentary which gets to the bottom of the social divides in their local area, by highlighting inconsistencies within media reporting, misconceptions, stereotypes and ignorance. They hope that by focusing on what we have in common they can help bring people together.
· The “Wastebusters” from Abbey Grange School nailed £250 in support for their ‘project which will tackle the problems of waste and littering both school and the community, by introducing better facilities and running a publicity campaign.
· Pudsey Grangefield School earned full funding of £500 for their anti-bullying initiative, and will use the funds to train up senior students who will act as mentors for younger children who are being bullied. The judges were impressed by the team who had already made a film and a presentation about the effects of bullying which they are currently showing to younger years.
· The Make a Difference (MAD) Crew from Primrose High were awarded £415 in funding for the celebration of culture and religion which they are organising for their school. They hope it will promote greater community cohesion within the school and beyond into the local community.
Lawnswood School’s Envision team were thrilled to be awarded £500 in order to run an exciting programme of arts and sports activities for children in under privileged areas, providing the children with the chance to spend time with older young people who are positive role models, whilst having lots of fun!
To see more pictures and have more information about this event visit http://envision.org.uk/events/247 and http://envision.org.uk/businesses/pitch4change/leeds
On November 17th Jeremy Piercy gave a speech at York University to an audience of students specialising in environmental issues linked to Economics. From Masters in environment economics and environment management to marketing students, they were all eager to learn about the story of Shared Earth and how Jeremy Piercy copes with environmental issues through his company.
Jeremy has always been involved in essential causes since his first steps as a student at York University where he was at the same time struggling with friends to defend homeless people in the city of York. The current Managing Director of Shared Earth then told how he started in 1986 after his hitch-hiking trip to India a few years before.
The first Shared Earth shop opened in York Goodramgate in 1986 before moving to a wonderful location at Minster Gates in 1993. After 5 years, Shared Earth had 4 shops. The company has experienced successes and failures along the road and today Shared Earth has 10 shops around the country and is the biggest non-food Fair Trade retailer in UK. The company can definitely be proud of being an important part of raising awareness about Fair Trade.
The environment remains an important issue for Jeremy who rapidly sold ranges of recycled greetings cards with original designs from Bali.
After that speech students asked Jeremy some questions he was keen to answer.
1- How do you ensure that the suppliers conform to the fundamentals and ethical aspects of Fair Trade?
JP: I have met a lot of suppliers through the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) meetings. To be members of the WFTO, the producers have to prove that they are dealing with the Fair Trade principles and regulations. WFTO often send representatives to visit the groups of suppliers to check on such things as the parity between men and women workers and that they are not exploiting children. As a result we can be sure that those suppliers respect the Fair Trade regulations. But we also work with groups of suppliers who are not in the WFTO (often really small groups of producers) and on that point it is a question of trust. For example, we are working with a group of producers called Aspiration International from India and that supplier has been recommended to us by Oxfam Australia which has been working with them for many years now.
2- How do you translate Fair Trade into profits?
JP: A Fair Trade shop is the same as an ordinary shop, the main difference is that we are paying our suppliers more. We are paying them the right price for their work. Fair Trade is about trying to pay fair prices to people to allow them to make a living, send children to school, have an access to health care… Our products are not especially more expensive than elsewhere (actually they are sometimes cheaper!). We do not make excessive margins on it, compared to certain conventional shops.
3- What do you think about the mainstream retailers moving to ethical products? Is it going to undermine the Fair Trade concept?
JP: I first think that this phenomenon is a danger because for most retailers it is only a marketing concept and a way of advertising. Otherwise, I think that the real change can’t be without mainstream retailers and wholesalers. I really believe in the new generations who are going to be more and more sensitive about that subject and who will one day be in charge of those stores.
Fair Trade is about money, and also about people, Fair Trade targets the weakest. Lots of Fair Trade organisations are non profit ones which help several groups of producers to export, provide them with trading knowledge, help them with the production and the designs… Jeremy Piercy told about the birth of his Fair Trade adventure, incredible people he has met along the way, things he has discovered and how he is committed to environmental and people issues in his interesting first book “Coffins, Cats & Fair Trade Sex Toys”.
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Take a new look at Cardiff’s most fashionable shopping Arcades and come shopping on Thursday December 3rd from 5.30pm to 8pm. Come and visit us in our Cardiff Shared Earth shop to find some original and unique gifts ideas!
Last month the Fairtrade Foundation celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the first Fairtrade products with a party hosted by Sarah Brown at 10 Downing Street. At the same time the government announced a huge investment of £12 million for Fairtrade. This will benefit in particular food producers, whose products are identified by the Fairtrade mark, and the aim is to double the number of producers and treble Fairtrade sales worldwide to $10 billion Euros by 2014.
A TNS research of 25,000 households showed that despite the tough economic climate, consumers are spending more on Fairtrade products than ever before. Sales rose by 43% last year and are expected to rise at least as much again in 2009.
“Fair Trade is booming,” said Jeremy Piercy of Shared Earth, the UK’s largest Fair Trade gift retailer. “It’s not just food – retailers selling Fair Trade gifts are doing well too. At Shared Earth we started the year worried about the recession, but in the last two months we have opened two new shops in Brighton and Canterbury, and both are doing well. Fair trade is becoming part of the mainstream and retailers who don’t take notice will be missing out.”
In addition to its ten shops, Shared Earth wholesales Fair Trade products from 15 countries. It is particularly concerned about how climate change will increase world poverty, and specialises in developing products made from sustainable materials.
Insight Magazine, issue 63, November 2009
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When it comes to Christmas shopping - how many of us truly consider how the gift actually got to the shop? Where it came from and how it was sourced has risen in our awareness over the last decade, but what with the recent recession has Fair Trade been pushed to the back of our minds?
Recent figures documented by the Guardian suggest not and appear to ‘contradict previous surveys which have indicated that Brtitish consumers are turning their backs on organic, fair trade and eco-friendly goods in favour of cheaper shopping bills’. This is refreshing news and would suggest that many shoppers are seeking higher quality Fair Trade goods over cheaper, throwaway items. It hasn’t been easy though, when the recession initially hit many retailers suffered and the Fair Trade market was no exception.
However, Shared Earth are a prime example of a Fair Trade company that is recession proof, having been established since 1986 and still growing with 2009 seeing two more shops opening, proving that if the goods are a high quality and varied, consumers will still spend on good, built to last, from an ethical backgroumd. So, as you do your Christmas shopping this year, condiser the origin of the product you re buying to ensure your Christmas is an ethical one.
Buy ethically this Christmas with Shared Earth
When it comes to finding a gift, Insight understands that it’s not easy at the best of times to be trawling round shop after shop to find the ideal gift, let alone on that is produced in an ethical way. However, since discovering Shared Earth we feel we have found the solution to your whole Christmas shopping list - with them no one can argue that this hasn’t been achieved!
Today, there are ten highly successful shops and counting across the country, specialising in gifts for any occasion and taste with handmade cards from the Philippines, silver jewellery from Indonesia and hand-carved wooden boxes from India to name but a few. Importing unique jewellery, fashion accessories, homewares, stationery and children’s ranges, Shared Earth is the largest retailer and wholsaler of Fair Trade gifts in the UK.
Helpful gift ideas are individual and unique and really show thought and consideration unlike anything else they will get from another. From beautifully hand crafted embroidered frames for Mum to VW beetle cars models for Dad, and a whole host of gifts for children and friends. By buying from Shared Earth you can not only give lovely gifts, but also help to encourage economic progress and support sustainable industries.
With a strong focus on environmental issues the shop is also a fantastic arena for publicising them: “Addressing environmental issues is high on the agenda and the shop provides a perfect way of producing recycled goods and publicising them, and of course, we always aim to achieve the fairest working relationship with artisans from all over the world; from the start this as well as providing quality gifts has been a sole priority for us”. Jeremy told us.
So with shops in York, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton, Manchester, Stratford-up-Avon, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol and Canterbury, plus the opportunity to shop online -What are you waiting for? Visit www.sharedearth.co.uk to shop online and find out more.
Coventry city vision, October 2009
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A city shop owner who sells recycled, fair trade products from across the globe is calling on shoppers to find out more after it was recently refurbished. Pushy Sanghera, who owns Craft Culture in association with Shared Earth in Sherbourne Arcade, can tell a story about every item in the shop because they are all sourced from individual and community traders from as far away as Indonesia, Madagascar and Bengladesh. “Coventry needs a fair trade shop and I’m passionate about this project”, said Pushy. “I was born in Nairobi in Kenya and I remember seeing the local traders at work. We have a range of goods and they are made by amazing craftpeople that use recycled material and a lot of artistry. “We have dragon sculptures made from recycled sawdust, bags made from anything from disused cement packaging to old newspapers. We even have coasters made from 75 per cent elephant dung.”. Among the most popular have been the Buddahs that are sold at the shop with satisfied customers testifying to the benefits the wooden sculptures have brought. The shop is located next to the Coventry Indoor Market.
Two new Shared Earth shops have just opened.
The first, at 20 Sydney Street, Brighton, is in an excellent position in the popular Brighton Lanes.
The second, at 33 Burgate, Canterbury, is also in an excellent position, near the entrance to Canterbury Cathedral.
Run by Luke Dolby and Scott Green, who are both dedicated fair trade enthusiasts, they are giving our producers a foothold in the southeast. “This is fantastic news,” comments Loreta Rafisura from the Philippines. “Our wonderful handmade cards are not available so far in these towns, and we are sure that people will love them.” Both shops will sell a representative selection of our other products, including jewellery, textiles and gifts.
Shared Earth has signed up to a new campaign that aims to tackle global warming in a way that everyone can help.
Its aim, instead of relying on politicians, is to start doing it ourselves – each one of us – by reducing our carbon emissions by 10% in the year 2010.
We all know what a future with climate change may bring. Carbon is the problem, and starting to reduce it is something we all can do. This is a grass roots campaign which we can all support – individuals and organisations alike. Businesses, schools, councils, ourselves in our personal lives – we can all make a difference, and reducing our emissions by just 10% should not be difficult!
As founder of Shared Earth I have always been passionate about the environment, as you will see in my recent book Coffins, Cats and Fair Trade Sex Toys. Our carbon emissions at Shared Earth are already low, but there are still simple things we can do. For instance, I shall be looking at whether all the lights we turn on are really necessary.
The 10:10 Campaign launched on September 1st in the UK, and within 3 days had signed up 10,000 people, 400 businesses, and the leaders of all three major political parties.
I invite you to join us and help create a brighter, healthier future. It’s easy to sign up, and there’s no fee. Just go to www.1010uk.org, fill in your name and click the button!
Jeremy Piercy
Coventry Observer, August 2009
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A city shop owner has teamed up with a leading retailer in Fair Trade products.
Pushy Sanghera opened her shop, Craft Culture, in the Lower Precinct last year, following the success of her weekly market stall.
The shop sells a whole host of Fair Trade products from handcrafted African, Egyptian and Thai Buddhas to handmade boxes and healing crystals.
But now, the mother of three, will be working in association with Shared Earth, the UK’s leading fair trade retailer, who provide a range of recycled and sustainable products made from everything from rice sacks and broken bangles to elephant dung.
Pushy has refurbished her shop, and stocked one half with a range of Shared Earth products, and the other with products she has sourced from families in Bali, Indonesia, Kenya and North Thailand.
She said she was excited to be given the opportunity to work in association with Shared Earth.
“All our products are reasonably priced as we have totally cut out the middle man, and go direct to these talented local people, who we believe get a decent wage through us buying direct from them,” she said.
“By buying from us, you are helping to provide much-needed jobs in countries like India, Vietnam, Kenya and Peru and many other countries, for people who are often on the margins of society with little or no other source of income,” she added.
Leeds branch manager Debbie Fletcher, worked her last day for Shared Earth on Wednesday August 5th, almost 18 years to the day since starting in the Bradford branch as a trainee assistant manager.
 Debbie (2nd left) with some of her staff at her farewell dinner Fresh out of university in 1991, she joined Shared Earth a week after graduating, and had become manager of the Bradford branch within six months, where she stayed a year until moving across to manage the Leeds branch.
 At the first Leeds branch 1993 Over the years she has managed approximately 105 staff, some of whom she regards as her closest friends today. She has the record of being the longest serving staff member to date in the history of the company, and it is one she is very proud of.
“Many people can’t believe just how long I have worked for Shared Earth, but I have never wanted to move on to another retail company.” Debbie said. “I have had opportunities and offers over the years, but at the end of the day I not only love the job, I care about what the company has tried to achieve, and as long as I wanted to stay in retail, I wanted to stay at Shared Earth”
 With much missed Leeds councillor Norma Hutchinson at the opening of Africa Day in 1994  In London at the ACCA receiving the 1996 award on behalf of Shared Earth for environmental reporting  Supporting the East Leeds Music Project 1998 So what now if not retail?
Debbie is starting teacher training in September, having decided to follow a career as a Primary Teacher. Although a different career entirely with different challenges, she isn’t going to be leaving fair trade behind her.
“I want to use the knowledge I have gained over the years at Shared Earth, and bring fair trade and sustainability into the classroom. As a manager at Shared Earth I have always been keen to have contact with schools, and to go into classroom environments to talk to children about the principles of fair trade, now I will have the opportunity to integrate this hopefully! No doubt I shall be asking the Leeds branch for their input in this area when the time comes!”
Shared Earth wishes her well in her new career, although Debbie is insisting it isn’t goodbye.
“No, sorry, you can’t get rid of me that easily after all this time. At the very least I shall be at the next Leeds Network Night, and I have many friends within the company who I intend to stay in contact with”
July 15th saw Leeds Shared Earth host their third and busiest Network Night to date! The theme was fair trade in education and was kindly supported by three speakers who all have connections in the various processes of bringing fair trade into the school curriculum.
Sarah Stead a teacher from Adel Primary School, and the co-ordinator for fair trade at the school, came along to talk about what is required of a school, who are aiming to gain fair trade status. She also explained what was required of the school; she also brought along example lesson plans as well as mid term planning which showed how fair trade is integrated into subjects within their curriculum.
Hannah who is responsible for introducing fair trade to schools, from the Leeds Educational Development Centre was there to talk about how the centre can support schools who wish to aim for fair trade status. Hannah also brought along information for interested schools who were present.
Finally, Ian Adderley, chair of the Leeds Fairtrade Steering Group gave a talk in his capacity as a fair trade schools assessor. He went through the processes of applying for fair trade status, including a breakdown of each criteria area and what pitfalls to avoid when going through the application process.
Entertainment throughout the evening came from the children’s African Choir at Gledhow Primary School, who entertained everyone with beautiful traditional songs from South Africa. The school are twinned with a primary in Durban in South Africa, and brought along some Zulu beadwork made by the children there. As well as this they brought in a CD they have made which we now have on sale in the shop.
As well as the teachers and governors who came along on the evening, and Oxfam fair trade school speakers who were there offering their services to schools, there were also many friends and staff of Shared Earth including the area manager Lynne Dawson and her husband David, and the Managing Director Jeremy Piercy and Mary his partner as well as staff and managers from other branches. It was lovely to have so many supporters of Shared Earth there also, particularly as this was to be the last Network Night for Debbie Fletcher, the branch manager and Jess Turner Baker, her assistant manager.
“I’m really touched at just how many people came along tonight”, said Debbie, “The Network Night’s popularity grows everytime we host one, and it’s an indication of how important Fair trade is viewed in this city and how it’s community continues to grow and thrive”.
Towards the end of the evening, Debbie presented Jeremy with a cheque for money raised in the shop for a children’s education and business project in India called Karm Marg. Shared Earth are close friends of this venture, and are also one of their main buyers of the products they produce, Jeremy, will give the money to the project when he next visits India later this year. The money was raised through a chargeable gift-wrapping service in store; all the money raised went to Karm Marg.
http://www.karmmarg.org/
 
Due to the success of the evening, it is now planned that there will be another Network Night on education during the Autumn, the new manager, Marianne Black, will be organising this, and it is anticipated that similar speakers will be coming to give their advice as well as be on hand to talk to. Gledhow Primary have also kindly offered to come along with their full choir next time (all 30 of them!). Some teachers were unable to attend due to it being the last week of the academic year and therefore, a busy time in the school calendar. This gives them the opportunity to come along and use the resources and contacts that will be there on the evening again.
If you would like to come to the next Network Night, then contact the shop on 0113 2457660, or email leeds@sharedearth.co.uk
Each month we are offering 20 great products at HALF PRICE!
Online prices have been reduced - no promotion code needed.
Gifts Today, July 2009
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If you’ve been watching Mary Queen of Shops on BBC2, you’ll realise what a struggle it is for retailers in some small market towns – if you’re not struggling already yourself, that is.
Q. How do you cope as a retailer in a small town?
The effect of out-of-town shopping centres can be horrendous. Towns become “ghost” towns when footfall reduces to the extent that you just can’t keep doing. The advent of multiples attracts custom, but if independents can’t compete, and an important multiple like Woolworths closes, it can have a negative effect in the long run. In a recession, head offices don’t care about the local town, they care about their overall profits. A new out-of-town shopping centre is the worst threat of all.
There’s no easy answer. Action is needed at both local and central government levels; this is not just an economic issue. It’s a social issue about the type of country we want to live in. The greed of developers whose only concern is to make money should be curbed.
Mary’s suggestion – if things haven’t already gone too far – was to act together with other retailers. We need to think of creative ideas to market our towns and high streets, not just our individual shops. She took the example of Tewkesbury in Devon, and showed how much extra trade they could attract by working together.
The issue of saving costs was not really explored, an unexciting topic for TV, perhaps. Asking for help from landlords, Mary said, was almost pointless. But let’s be optimistic – if their properties are empty, they’re not making any money. In Bristol, where Shared Earth opened a shop in the Mall three years ago, sales plummeted by 25% last autumn when the Cabot Circus shopping centre opened nearby. Our landlord – ironically another shopping centre – has hinted that substantial help may be on its way.
Marketing is key, and I firmly believe that fair trade, preventing climate change and other ethical issues are ingredients in marketing today. Another small town in Devon recently became internationally famous. “On May 1st, 2007”, its website states, “every trader in Modbury joined together to make Modbury plastic bag free. The first town in the British Isles to do so” Its 40-odd shops have seen a definite increase in footfall.; the website goes on, “Please DO NOT telephone the shops directly, we have been inundated.” It’s worth a look. With reports on national TV and media, this was a marketing coup as good as getting Mary Portas involved.
A sustainable jute bag with the logo “I love Tewkesbury” – or any other town – would promote Tewkesbury and the environment. I have given our Bristol shop manager the task of approaching local shops to ask if they’d like their own, individually designed, jute bags – Shared Earth has a supplier in Kolkata which makes them fair trade as well as sustainable. Acting effectively as a wholesale agent, this will provide an extra income to a shop that is struggling.
Can you think of similar creative ideas that will either increase footfall or increase income whether footfall increases or not? Can you do something on the Internet? Can you work with one of your suppliers to promote their goods, locally or in neighbouring towns, to increase your income and maybe your margins by obtaining a better discount? Can you harness the public concern about climate change as you market your business? And can you work together with other retailers to increase your chances of success?
Finally, a challenge to this magazine. Can it act as a forum for ideas from retailers on the ground – what are we doing that works, that will save our towns and help us beat the recession?
SHARED EARTH Leeds is holding a Network Night on Wednesday 15th July 2009 at 6:30pm. Find our Leeds shop >>
This time, our theme will be centred around fair trade in schools. We have some great speakers coming along, and entertainment is being kindly supplied by Gledhow Primary African Choir, you may have heard of them before, as they performed for Nelson Mandela when he visited Leeds! As well as this, we shall have, as usual, fair trade wine, coffee, juice, and nibbles a plenty!
The speakers we have lined up include someone from Leeds Development Education Centre, who will be talking about how schools can work towards becoming fair trade certified, also a fair trade assessor will be explaining about how to ensure you put in a good application, and we shall also have staff from a local school who have already received fair trade status,. All these people will be onhand to chat to guests and give advice and talk about their experiences.
This is also an opportunity to network with schools in general whether it be in fair trade or in global issues in general, such as giving workshops to schools, talks, even setting up a stall during a school event.
We anticipate this will be an even more popular event this time round, and we would love you to come along and be part of it!
Everyone is welcome!
Find our Leeds shop >>
 Gledhow Primary African Choir
Jeremy Piercy, Shared Earth’s founder, took part in the recent global conference on fair trade in Kathmandu, Nepal last month, under the auspices of WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation, formerly known as IFAT). 240 delegates from about 50 countries attended. Much time was spent debating how a new monitoring system could put crafts on the same level as food (the Fair Trade Mark currently only applies to commodities).
There was also a presentation from four countries - 2 in Asia, one in Africa and one in South America - about how climate change is affecting their communities and how they are responding to it as producers and exporters. Jeremy afterward made the point - to loud applause - that as the industrial countries of the north are largely responsible for global warming, we need to hear from fair trade importers too - are they doing as much?
It was unaminously decided to set up a working group on the environment. Jeremy has been asked to chair this group.
Before the conference, Jeremy visited three of Shared Earth’s suppliers in Nepal, Mahaguthi, New Sadle and GET Paper - all of which are mentioned in his book. He also visited WEAN (a women’s cooperative) and ACP (Association of Craft Producers), both of which will be supplying SE soon. Within a few months our shops will be selling a wealth of new bags, purses and other textiles, scarves, notebooks, stationery and handmade cards.
Leeds Oxfam Group will be holding their next monthly group meeting on Wednesday June 3rd at 7.30pm
Jeremy will be talking about how he became involved in fair Trade, how Shared Earth came into being and how he helped fair trade become a reality. There will also be a Q and A session afterwards.
All are very welcome to the meeting which is at the Civic Hall, off Millennium Square in Leeds.
Meetings are held in either Committee Room 2 or Committee Room 3, depending on availability. Please use the entrance opposite the Merrion Centre.
For more information please contact either Pauline Neale on 0113 2693542 (Oxfam), or Debbie Fletcher on 0113 2457660 (Shared Earth)
Gifts Today, May/June 2009
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I recently attended a talk about how to publish a book, by Kate Lock, author of Confessions of an Eco-Shopper. This may seem irrelevant to the gift trade, but there were some interesting parallels. Just as designers in the gift trade are finding it hard to attract work as the recession deepens, with many being made redundant, so are authors being shed by publishers. Many are finding it hard to get their latest work commissioned, and if you’re a new author, it’s especially difficult.
The book industry apparently has fashion trends just as do gifts. “Terrible childhoods” are now out, “uplifting personal stories” are in. “Eco” is out temporarily because too many books have been commissioned in the last couple of years; fairy and escape stories are in. What do you do if you’re an author and it takes two years to write a book?
Q. How do you keep up with trends – and is this important?
The answer for the author, says Kate, is to do what you really believe in. Follow your passion! If your heart isn’t in it, you won’t write a bestseller. This set me thinking. Is it the same as the gift industry? Many gift retailers will say it’s not. Gift retailing, they will say, consists of keeping up with the trends, giving the customers what they want.
They’re right of course – you need to know what the customer wants. But if you’re passionate about customer care and keeping up with the latest trends, that’s a passion in itself. The worst thing in retail is not to bother, not to change – to get stuck in the same old routine, without realising it.
If you’re really passionate about something, you may even start a new trend. Can you respond to something in the public eye that is not yet being catered for by current retailers? Taking risks, of course, is risky – especially in a recession! But that’s how the supermarkets, the Body Shop, and fair trade, one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK at present, started. They all started not with products but with a belief and with passion.
What’s next? I know of only two eco-shops in the UK, in London and Glasgow. I suspect there may soon be many more (will they be run by campaigners whose experience of retail is limited, or will they be started by people who know what they’re doing?) The issue of climate change is already high on the public agenda, and will become more so as the Copenhagen summit, which will replace the Kyoto protocol, approaches this autumn. Concern about global warming can only grow, and I believe sustainable, recycled and fair trade products are going to attract increasing support. Canny retailers are already taking note! If you show your customers you care, and you’re not just doing it to “greenwash” your business, you should thrive.
York achieved Fairtrade City status on 3 March 2004. A celebration to mark its 5th anniversary was held at the Mansion House, York on 6th May 2009.
Fairly traded wine and cake was enjoyed by members of York Fair Trade Forum, the Civic Party and other guests.
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This years Fairtrade Fortnight was a successful one in Leeds with lots of fun and friendships made.
The Network Night proved to be yet another hit, (see previous news posting), many thanks again, to all who attended and helped make it a success. The next one planned for Wednesday July 15th will be a school themed one, where we shall be inviting amongst the usual supporters and friends of Shared Earth, representatives from schools, both primary and secondary, who are interested in making their school a fair trade one. Speakers will be present to talk about how schools can make this happen including people from the Leeds Development Education Centre.
The response to our personal contribution to the fairtrade banana eating world record was met with much enthusiasm on the day; we managed to have 40 people in total visit the shop to eat a fairtrade banana on the afternoon of March 6th. We also did our bit after the event and ensured all the banana skins were composted!
  
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