Dear fairtraders,

i've not been very active lately on here because i've been working
double shifts in december trying to earn money.

You remember i mentioned there was an opportunity to get the new
consumer magazine to back a full colour publication for dacorum
fairtrade with a 10,000 copy print run. this is probably not a good
time to realize that there aren't enough fairtrade outlets out there
to justify such an ambitious project but i did get carried away
somewhat and hammered away at sponsors to raise the money for the
publication. please don't ask me how much it cost or i'll do an
impression of an ostrich and stick my head in the sand.

ostrich or not all the art copy is in, the accounts are being
settled, and i'm going to need help delivering this thing around to
as many people as you know. i'm hoping the fairtrade fortnight market
in marlowes is going to shift a few of them.

i need volunteers by the way to help me run the market stalls. don't
all raise your hands at once ...no on second thoughts...stampede your
offers of assistance to help with the day immediately.

There is a full council meeting next week on the 19th january i think
and i was going to address the full council but i've been so busy i
didnt' get around to putting my name down to speak. Still if i rush
the letter to the council by friday i might be able to say something.
At any rate i still wish the fairtrade town petition to circulate a
bit more so it might wait until fairtrade fortnight so i can make
sure it gets round to more people.

1000 people might sound like a modest target for a petition but i'd
feel comfortable with that figure if i had to stand up and talk for 3
minutes. This is the year that the campaign to make poverty history
is running and this year is also comic relief so it would be
marvellous if the council could pass a resolution declaring their
support if ...on nothing else ... at least a committment to promoting
fairtrade and serving tea and coffee at their meetings.

i do feel though that the new community plan which makes provision
for the fairtrade town as part of it's environmental agenda ought at
least to allow the council to act in support of initiatives that
dacorum fairtrade manages to fund.

if any of you out there havn't gone to sleep i'd be glad to hear your
comments. Meanwhile i think posting the draft layouts of the consumer
guide pdf's files on our website will help to 'sell' the support
needed for it's distribution.

Regards

Francois Henderson