11th of December, 2014
St. Andrews Fairtrade Town Campaign - 11/12/14
Present: MR, PR, AM, LS, JC, MP, CC, CP, AC
Apologies: PB, HC, IC
Matters arising
Guest houses - MP had met Ray Pead, who is to be chair of St Andrews Hotels and Guesthouses Association from September 2015, and they discussed collaboration in the light of his aim to promote local and Fairtrade products. Proposals include a stall in October and individual audit of premises to establish current use. Students might be available for audit. We discussed appropriate materials for hoteliers, including free samples, link to short Youtube video. MP to keep in touch with RP. ACTION MP
Financial report - unchanged at £113.28
Fairtrade Fortnight 23 Feb to 8 March 2015 -
LS described the programme of events planned by the University Steering Group. The town group will support this with updated directory and promotion via our contacts. Oxfam Soc also to promote it.
StAnza poetry walk: this is going ahead with input from StAnza, and both university and town groups.
The motion for the Feb 5 debate is to be 'This house believes that Fairtrade has sold out to big business'. Invitations have been issued to potential speakers.
Directory update. Copies to be available for FTFN. A team from the Fellowship and the University Steering Group to gather the information on Feb 4. PR to look out the form for their use. University Fairtrade wording to be added if possible. LS and campaign group members to produce photocopies(?). ACTION PR/LS/ALL(?)
The poetry competition we'd discussed at our last meeting will be on the topic of the Commonwealth, not on Fairtrade, as previously suggested. PR to contact Global Citizenship Education Adviser suggesting that she could offer to support pupils who wanted to include an angle relevant to Fairtrade. ACTION PR
As individuals we will lobby Tesco and Aldi(?) to supply only Fairtrade bananas, at least during Fairtrade Fortnight. PR is already in correspondence with Tesco re bananas, and will circulate a link to the relevant information ACTION PR/ALL
We decided not to have a supermarket stall every year. Instead, this year we will approach Marks and Spencer in relation to the new store due to open in 2015. AC to write with information about the level of commitment to Fairtrade in the town and university, urging that they stock products accordingly, and requesting involvement in their opening event. ACTION AC
British Open Golf Championship, July 2015
MP to contact the R&A to ask about the possibility of producing a flag displaying our logo, to offer help again with how to use the FAIRTRADE Mark etc., and to request advice re approaching the hotels in partnership with the R & A. MP to follow this up by contacting the hotels. ACTION MP
LS had located a supplier of flags - northernflags.com. The Community Council could be approached re funding if necessary.
Report from University Fairtrade Steering Group
(LS) - including information included above under items 2 and 4
Publicity following the University's Fairtrade status renewal included a striking photo of LS in banana suit on the Swilken Bridge. The Fairtrade Foundation has asked to use the University group as a case study for publication on the Foundation website, partly thanks to the fact that they have worked so closely with the Town group.
CC organised a recent Oxfam Society bake sale that raised £75 (for Fairtrade?). CC has produced a Fairtrade Christmas gift guide.
AOB
AC to contact IMG to check on progress with the Dunhill and Women's Open championships. ACTION AC
MR reported on the Fife Fairtrade Forum. A meeting is planned to discuss whether it will continue to exist.
We had been invited by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to vote for the Scottish representative on NCC and after discussion we voted for Liz Cotton.
AC has been invited to talk about Fairtrade in St Andrews for the Open Association's programme Enjoying Retirement in February 2016.
StandEN is to have a stall in the hospital – it may be possible to distribute directories there.
Next meeting: 7.30 Wednesday February 11th at 3 St Leonard's Rd