For the first time in its rapidly growing Fairtrade relationship with Scotland, Koolskools will be visiting the country for the second time in a calendar year in September 2015. This rapidly growing Koolskools connection with Scotland can be put down to a combination of the tremendous support for Fairtrade in Scotland driven by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and Fairtrade Campaign Groups up and down the country, and the growing number of Scottish Fairtrade schools who not only embrace our Fairtrade educational presentations and work, but also understand that in doing so they should go that crucial step further and offer their students the chance to convert what they have learnt into direct action in support of Fairtrade.
On the agenda in a very busy 12-day September visit are Fairtrade presentations and classroom sessions at around 20 Scottish schools. We shall be starting off in Glasgow where, in addition to visiting Glasgow schools, we shall be joining our friends at the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to judge and decide on the winning entries for the “Design a Hoodie Competition”. We shall then be visiting schools in Edinburgh for the following few days before travelling northwards to Aberdeen, Ellon, Aberlour and Inverness, finally ending up in Elgin, where the Fairtrade Campaign group kindly hosted a very enjoyable evening during this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight for our special guest, Pamela Intelligent, from our Fairtrade-licensed factory in Mauritius – see our March blog. At another Fairtrade Fortnight event organised by the Aberdeen City Fairtrade Group, we met North Link ferries, who have decided to lead the way on Fairtrade cotton work wear by investing in Fairtrade cotton polos for their staff. See the article, and watch this space for further information on FT Banana’s travels!!!
During the September visit we shall also be speaking to a teachers’ CPD Conference run by Highland One World at the DEC centre in Inverness. The idea here is that the teachers learn about Fairtrade cotton, and some of the arguments in favour of embracing Fairtrade cotton uniform in schools.
This Autumn, Pamela and her colleagues at our factory in Mauritius will be making the hoodies that carry the winning designs for the SFTF’s hoodies competition. The winners will be awarded with their hoodies during Fairtrade Fortnight 2016. Here is Pamela’s recent message to Scottish schools:
“Dear Students in Scottish Schools,
Thanks to all of you and your teachers for making my first ever visit to Scotland during Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 so special. The Scottish Fair Trade Forum, the City of Edinburgh and the City of Edinburgh Fairtrade Group, together with Scottish schools and various inspiring Fairtrade Campaign groups around Scotland, gave me a fantastically warm welcome. The hospitality was second to none, such that I will never forget my first ever visit to Scotland.
Those of you who heard me speak whilst I was in Scotland know from my story that engaging with, and buying, Fairtrade cotton makes a real difference to people’s lives. This is why I personally would like as many of you as possible to submit entries to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum’s “Design a Hoodie Competition”. I know that we have already received some terrific entries, but we want students from
as many Scottish schools as possible to enter the competition, hence this personal message from urging you all to do so!
The deadline for entries to the competition has been extended, so please send your entries as soon as you can. My colleagues and I in turn will look forward to making the winning Fairtrade Cotton hoodies later this year in time for the winners to pick up their winning hoodies with their individual designs on them during Fairtrade Fortnight 2016.
Good luck!
Best wishes,
Pamela”
So, if you are a Scottish school student reading this and your school has not yet entered the competition there is still time to do so. In any event, we look forward to seeing all of our friends in Scotland again in September.
Andy