TUNBRIDGE WELLS FAIRTRADE TOWN GROUP
"Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream" Amos 5:24
Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 - Come on in to Fairtrade: Close the Door on Exploitation Our two major events in 2018 addressed important, if less well-known, aspects of Fairtrade, highlighting the production of gold and footballs. In both industries Third World workers are often exploited, but in each case there are now Fairtrade alternatives.
Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Football Tournament In February and March, during Fairtrade Fortnight, and contending at times with some atrocious weather, teams from five schools played their own World Cup Football Tournament. The tournament theme was ‘Play Fair Pay Fair.’ Teachers Noel Bradbury from St Gregory’s Catholic School and Keith Downing from Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys collaborated with us to organise a Fairtrade Fortnight tournament. The theme “Play Fair Pay Fair” was chosen to reflect the enormous disparity in pay and living conditions between those who play football at a high level, and those making the footballs with which the game is played globally. Noel Bradbury told schools before the tournament, “The message is about Fairtrade and fairness. Therefore on the night we plan to run the tournament with a bit of a twist! So please fill your minibuses up with players. We will ensure all students take part regardless of numbers.” The ‘twist’ was that the 90 players attending were randomly mixed and then selected for ten ‘fairly matched’ football teams, representing different countries in a ‘Fairtrade World Cup.’ The students didn’t seem fazed by the mixing of teams, one young footballer commenting that he thought it was a good idea and wasn’t at all bothered about being in a team with players from different schools. Competing schools included Skinners Kent Academy, Hugh Christie, Mascalls, St Gregory’s and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. At the end of the tournament Keith Mabbut, CEO of the Street Soccer Foundation presented a special award, in the form of a Fairtrade football, to Will Corbin of St Gregory’s school, in recognition of his fair play and sportsmanship. Noel Bradbury said “Students have been learning all about the football industry in lessons. The startling disparity of pay and working c onditions for the makers of footballs - who get paid very little and work in poor conditions - compared with Premier League footballers, who earn tens of thousands every week, is quite shocking”
Fairtrade Gold Event Tunbridge Wells Town Hall on March 9th Whilst many people recognise the Fairtrade mark on food products, very few know about Fairtrade gold . We were very fortunate that the inspirational jeweller and activist Greg Valerio came to speak at our ‘Gold event’, which we organised to raise the profile of Fairtrade gold and the difficult plight facing many gold miners. Greg explained how 16 million men, women and children are pushed into small scale gold mining by poverty and the lack of other economic options. They work in hazardous conditions with few health and safety measures, using dangerous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to extract the gold. This presents dangers to the miners’ health, pollution of the environment and contamination of local water supplies. Fairtrade is working with these miners to help them improve working conditions, eliminate child labour and to change the way they handle and use chemicals. Protecting not only their own health but that of the environment. Miners are paid a fair price plus a premium to invest in their families and communities.