Are you trading fair?
Posted: Friday, 24th February 2012
FAIRTRADE Fortnight begins February 27 with the University launching the ‘Take A Step’ campaign and host of staff and student-run events throughout our campuses.
As a Fairtrade accredited University, Man Met is committed to taking buying and selling fair-trade products and also to promoting the ethics behind it.
Sophie Leigh, coordinator for the Environment Team, said: “We want everyone to ‘Take a Step’, such as pledging to swap your normal coffee for a Fairtrade variety to help ensure millions of farmers, workers and their communities in developing countries get a better deal from trade.”
In Manchester, a Fairtrade Staff Fun Run takes place on March 6 organised by Harry Korkou and ‘Run England’ where people will be running as many steps as possible for Fairtrade. Drinks and snacks will be provided after the run, all you need to do is meet outside Sugden Sports Centre at 12.15pm.
In Crewe the Students’ Union are hosting a staff versus student football match on February 29 ‘to highlight the need for fairer working conditions for those people who work in the sports ball industry’. Crewe catering manger Carol Tennant and her team are providing Fairtrade refreshments & snacks for football
In Didsbury, the BA Primary students led by Ben Sedman at the Institute of Education have created innovative Fairtrade Snakes and Ladders games within their specialist Design and Technology lessons to investigate how sustainability and global citizenship can be incorporated and taught within the curriculum.
Catering manager Jacqui McPeake has agreed that throughout the Fortnight all MMU catering outlets will offer special deals on Fairtrade products such as ‘buy any Fairtrade tea or coffee and get a Fairtrade muffin half price!’ and ‘buy any Fairtrade Juice (500ml) and receive a half price Fairtrade chocolate bar!’.
Student volunteers will be at every Faculty at some stage during the fortnight offering free samples of Fairtrade food and drink products for you to try, please come along, fill out a pledge card and enter a prize draw to win a luxurious Fairtrade hamper!
A full listing of MMU events and offers can be found at http://www.mmu.ac.uk/environment/eventsandcampaigns/joinin/fairtrade2012.php