A Big Brew Coffee Morning ~ Polly McKay
We are holding a Big Brew Fairtrade Coffee Morning on Friday, 27th February in Church, 10am-12pm. There will be cakes and refreshments, an opportunity to donate to the Fairtrade charity Transform Trade, to find out how you can continue to support Fairtrade and to purchase Fairtrade items from the cupboard at a reduced price as we sell off current stock, to add to our donation. If you can’t come, we can continue the sale on Sunday. Transform Trade is celebrating 40 years, and are asking if we can raise £400 this Big Brew fortnight.
That sounds like a big sum to raise, but we already have £140 in the kitty from previous sales and donations last Sunday. St Luke’s is a generous church, with a history of supporting Fairtrade for over 35 years and around 25 years as a Fairtrade church, so let’s see if we can raise another £260 through donations and sales.
Transform Trade was previously known as Traidcraft Exchange, and started 40 years ago as the charity arm of Traidcraft. They partner with producers to fight for a fairer trade system. They campaign for trade to be fairer, greener and smarter – championing good practice in businesses and people centred trade, where everybody benefits - good both for people and the planet we call home.
Transform Trade’s latest campaign, which our local MP, Wera Hobhouse is supporting, is asking parliament to set up a fashion watchdog, so that garment workers can have fair contracts, living wages and safe conditions, and retailers can be brought to account if they are treating their garment workers unfairly.
Money we raise this Big Brew fortnight, will work for trade justice, funding work with producers in Asia and Africa, helping them to increase their incomes, grow their businesses and provide for their families. You can read some of their stories at the coffee morning on Friday, or in church on Sunday.
And don’t forget to look out for the Fairtrade mark when you are doing your food shopping, and search for Fairtrade products when shopping online. We can show we care and help to make all trade fair, by our shopping choices.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 58.6-7