Colourful art and poetry from school children across the borough will star in the Solihull Fairtrade Trail as part of celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Fairtrade.
The trail will take place in Solihull town centre for five weeks from Monday 19 August to Sunday 22 September, displaying the children’s posters in well-known shop windows.
Entries have been narrowed down and selected by The Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Shahin Ashraf MBE, with 15 featuring in the trail, including 10 in the town centre and five in The Core.
The children’s work will help to shine a light on the importance of buying Fairtrade and the positive impact Fairtrade has on workers, farmers and communities across the world.
Children and families are being encouraged to take part in the trail and an accompanying quiz to learn more about Fairtrade, with clues to the questions hidden in the poster borders. The trail map and quiz – plus the answers – are available online to download, while printed copies will be available in The Core Library throughout the trail.
The Solihull Fairtrade Trail has been organised by Solihull Council to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fairtrade Mark in the UK and coincide with the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign, which this year returns with the theme ‘Be The Change’, highlighting that however big or small a purchase this Fairtrade Fortnight, you have the power to make a difference.
The trail comes off the back of Solihull only just being re-awarded Fairtrade Communities status, having held it since 2010.
The Mayor of Solihull said:
"It is urgent to tackle climate change now by supporting ethical fair trade so we can protect our planet and ensure a safe, fairer future for this generation and those to come.
“As a borough, we are proud supporters of Fairtrade, and the annual Solihull Fairtrade Trail is a great way to raise awareness of the Fairtrade movement and its importance.
“I was therefore delighted to see so many entries for the trail this year and I would like to say well done to all of the children who entered for helping to bring the issues highlighted by Fairtrade to life. Good luck to everyone taking part!”
Fairtrade was first established in 1992 and introduced the Fairtrade Mark in the UK two years later to provide a certification system for products which meet Fairtrade Standards.
Now an international movement, Fairtrade supports more than two million farmers and workers in more than 70 countries, helping to set safe working conditions and fair terms of trade, as well as addressing climate change challenges by promoting environmentally friendly practices.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Planning, Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, said:
“Echoing the theme of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, we all have the power to ‘be the change’ by reflecting on own shopping choices and considering the ethical and environmental implications of the products we purchase.
“That is particularly important in the fight against climate change, which is one of the most significant challenges farmers face with adverse weather making Fairtrade products such as sugar, coffee and bananas more difficult to produce.
“By choosing Fairtrade, we can support those threatened communities and help them to adapt, mitigate and become more resilient to the climate crisis – protecting their livelihood, families and the global supply of products on our shelves.”
For more information about the Council’s climate change and sustainability campaign and how to get involved, visit the Your Future Solihull webpages, or sign up to the Your Future Solihull newsletter.