Salisbury Fairtrade

Sixty people celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight with a delicious meal cooked by Sarah Stancliffe.

They later listened to three speakers from organisations supporting Fairtrade producers practically and financially.

Triodos Bank, founded in 1980, finances enterprises only in areas that add sustainable value. Its Fairtrade Saver Account invests exclusively in Fairtrade

businesses, for example Café Direct and Zaytoun.

Shared Interest was set up in 1990 to provide long and short term loans to Fairtrade producer organisations and importers who work with

them. Producers usually have difficulty in raising money from banks because they have no collateral. Shared Interest also provides training and advice to producers to assist them in improving their productivity. Investors deposit funds with Shared Interest to finance the loans made.

Traidcraft Exchange is the charity arm of Traidcraft plc, founded in 1986. It is the only charity in the UK fo

cussing exclusively on trade. Traidcraft Exchange trains and supports businesses as well as working with governments and international bodies to ensure that trade and development policies take the needs of the poor into account.

Further information about these organisations is available at triodos.co.uk, shared-interest.com, traidcraft.co.uk.

The following day a Civic Service, attended by the Mayor, was held in St Thomas’s church to celebrate the granting of Fairtrade City status to Salisbury.