Press Release: 1600 people challenge Witney Town Council to 'Make Witney a Fairtrade Town'

Witney Fairtrade Campaigners wait to be called into the council meeting on Monday night. From left to right/back to front: Mahalla Mason, Jude Levermore, Wendy Maddison, Elgin Crewe, Caprice Barber and Staci Beevor.


On Monday evening (27th November) the Policy and Finance Committee of Witney Town Council was challenged to ‘Make Witney a Fairtrade Town’ by a delegation from the Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG).

Fairtrade campaigner, Wendy Maddison made a presentation to the council, saying:

“On behalf of 1,600 people we are asking you to join us in making Witney into a Fairtrade Town, the first in West Oxfordshire. We ask you to recommend to the full council that they pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and move to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at your meetings and offices.”

"This is a simple request but it means a decision you make tonight will benefit some of the poorest people in the world at the same time as benefiting the people and economy of Witney. Tonight you have the opportunity to demonstrate real leadership."
Wendy went on to explain:

"Put simply, Fairtrade is about millions of farmers and producers in developing countries who want to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Fairtrade is about building a fair relationship between us in Witney as consumers and the producers. Buying a fairtrade product in Waitrose or Hacketts here in Witney really does transform lives."Caprice Barber and Staci Beevor, two young people from Base 33 were there to speak at first hand about how fairtrade works. Both had recently travelled to Ghana where they visited the farmers who provide those tasty pineapples in Waitrose and benefit from Fairtrade.

Jude Levermore, from Base 33 spoke to the council saying:

When we visited the pineapple growers in Ghana, we asked what difference does Fairtrade makes? They said ‘If we didn’t have fairtrade we would die. When we visited Ghana we saw the difference fairtrade makes to some of the poorest people."

A petition of over 1,600 signatures backing the campaign was presented. Support has also been received from the Churches Together in Witney, local businesses including Wychwood Brewery, the farmers’ market, David Cameron MP, and Base 33 to name but a few.

The meeting did not ask for any clarification or any questions and went into ‘closed session’ for the discussion. Wendy Maddison commented:

"We are waiting to hear the outcome of the meeting and hope the Town Council show leadership and support the community as we work to make a difference by making Witney a Fairtrade Town."