Programme Action: Fair Trade
Local MP Kitty Ussher led an initiative to enable Burnley to become a fair-trade town and Burnley Soroptimists were involved since the initial explorative meeting.
The MP said it was clear from her mailbag (and a significant amount of it was from SI Burnley members) that it was something that her constituents wanted and was “the right thing to do to give a guaranteed income to subsistence farmers throughout the world.”
A number of SI Burnley members attended the initial meeting where the MP asked for suggestions and proposals from the members of the various church groups and voluntary organisations who had been invited.
Suggestions were offered and information was exchanged. More meetings took place and much progress has been made since then with many large employers, shops, cafes and restaurants now offering fair-trade produce to their staff and customers.
Burnley Soroptimists continue to support the campaign and Fair Trade initiatives. The Council passed a resolution to enable Burnley to fulfil the criteria to become a Fair Trade town and this was confirmed in time for the 2008 Fair Trade fortnight. Members of SI Burnley attend the Fair Trade planning meetings and support all their initiatives.