Fairtrade Fortnight Launch

When I posted “Leaving the Fairtrade Foundation” on the Public Affairs Blog in July 2008 little did I think that at the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight this year I’d be giving away over 3,000 pieces of chocolate cake made with Fairtrade cocoa and sugar!

On Sunday 22 February London South Bank hosted a Fairtrade themed family sports day, highlights including making Fairtrade smoothies under pedal power and a Harry Hill look alike competition.

NFWI had been offered a promotional stand and I persuaded 3 of my friends (and I hope I can still call them my friends!) to made 45 chocolate cakes measuring 14"x 11" and weighing over 1 kilogram, the ingredients for our WI Fairtrade Chocolate cake was given to us by Sainsbury’s Supermarkets and Divine Chocolate. All 45 cakes were transported from Cambridge, Oxford and West Sussex by very varying means of transport to the South Bank. They were unpacked and cut up on site, over 3,000 pieces in all and placed in paper bags with a label bearing the WI logo and a quote saying –

“Bake for change, use the Fairtrade range”

Around 10,000 people visited the launch and this was a great opportunity to promote the WI and support Fairtrade as NFWI was one of the founder members of the Fairtrade Foundation.

It was an exhilarating and exhausting day spreading the word about WI, about our campaigns and interests and lots of women wanted to know how they could become WI members. The cake, of course, was delicious and a huge success with all the visitors – the recipe is on the WI website.

Many thanks to those who helped Emily (Boost) and I with this venture – would we consider doing it again? Well ………………

Janice Langley