i've asked the hemel hempstead lions club if they would like to take
part in a fundraising for comic relief as one of the four squares
available in the floor space.

Not only do comic relief support the makepovertyhistory campaign but
they co sponsor dubble and divine fairtrade chocolate, so combining
with a fundraiser they can get the public familiar with fairtrade
chocolate. this feeds right into the fairtrade and makepoverty
history message. the idea is to STOCK THE CHOC, get people to ask for
fairtrade at their local shops, and i've ordered special cards that
people sign to hand in. The body shop also sold dubble choc last year
during fairtrad fortnight so i could approach them and maybe get them
to do a special discount on an item in store. This could then go the
comic relief stand. The comic relief stand can factor in all the
petitions which we want people to sign as well as handing out
information about maketradefair and make povertyhistory.

The marlowes marketing team have asked for a meeting to discuss the
floor arrangements but i've not even got all the people i want yet
other than asking freshcafe to supply hot coffee and i'm bringing
back hadeel from last year to sell palestinian crafts. the setup will
be no different from that arranged last year, four square zones of no
more than 3m by 3m with 3m clearance between the squares. a nice
modular pattern.

i don't know whether to ask the local traders in but i remember last
year there was a local honey producer, goat cheese lady, and ofcourse
mr bird box man.

The four squares are oxfam, traidcraft, comic relief so there is room
for local producers, although i've remembered i've invited freshcafe
to serve fairtrade coffee, he's not replied and i may do a deal with
marks and spencers instead to hand out a voucher for fairtrade cafe,
that would be quite good actually.

i hope to try and sort out in the next seven days who is contributing
what but i'd be grateful if marion could help me set up a friends of
the earth contribution with the local traders as a reserve, if we
dont' get local traders we should have a friends of the earth local
stall advising people on envrionmental issues i feel. That would make
up the four squares anyhow. i'll have to see what lions club come
back with before i can ok inviting local traders, i'll know by the
end of this week.

need to set up a meeting with marlowes shopping centre asap but i
suggest we set the meeting for two weeks from today. Please advise
availability.

Regards

Francois

The website is being updated for latest news on the fairtrade
fortnight. We have now put a list of fairtrade retailers on the
website. We plan to add more details later to promote the brands
available.

Fairtrade Fortnight events planned are listed below:

3/3/05   Hemel Hempstead -Fairtrade stall @Tesco Jarmans park
4/3/05   Berkhamsted -Fairtrade Coffee farmer @Costa Coffee 12-2pm
5/3/05   Hemel Hempstead -Fairtrade stall @ Sainsburys Apsley Mills
7/3/05   Berkhamsted – Fairtrade stall @Waitrose St John's
Well Lane
12/3/05 Hemel Hempstead- Fairtrade market @ Marlowes Shopping Centre
12/3/05 Tring – Fairtrade market @ Victoria Hall

Some of these events are not quite confirmed yet, Sainsbury's is yet
to approve the store tasting. Tesco's has given the go ahead though,
as well as Waitrose and not listed here are co-op store tastings, i'm
awaiting the details from co-op group.

There are photo opportunities to be had at these events so i would
respectfully invite the members of the various political parties and
other representative organisations to appear so that we can involve
the local presss. As mentioned before Marks and spencers also
interested in a photo opportunity but the store manager can only
offer Mon, Tues, or possibly Wed for such an event. Thursday, Friday
and Saturday being too busy for them.

NEW COSUMER GUIDE
The special edition New Consumer guide will be printed in time for
the fairtrade fortnight events but alas not until 25 february, and
ofcourse being a 10,000 print run of colour magazines i won't be able
to update it all year. Howver it's professional form and content make
it a flagship for communicating the message of fairtrade to the
public and local businesses, council, parish council and so forth.

In the meantime i produced a mini guide sponsored by myself which i
can email and is really just an A5 flyer, (four pages double sided on
A4 and folded to A5 booklet). This has it's own strength notably that
it is updatable as retailers are added on. i suppose you could call
it a supplement. It's not planned to push this out more than once or
twice, in the year.

LIBRARY DISPLAY - FAIRTRADE PHOTO'S AND PRESS COVERAGE
After the fortnight is over i have a library display booked for the
week at the Hemel Hempstead library in coobme street, so i'm hoping
to be able to put up photographs of all the events and participants
as well as reinforcing the fairtrade town.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED - ( we need an independant photographer, can anyone
oblige?, digital camera desirable, camcorder would be fun, can be
more than one voluteer but must have pictures available for download
or printing asap after the event)

i'd appreciate volunteers for any or all of the events listed above
in any shape, or form, but especially if people can help on the oxfam
and traidcraft stalls selling goods. Alternatively press, pr, labour,
transport, or just coming along to cheer us on, and so forth.

Regards

Francois

The University of Hertfordshire will shortly become the 11th
University in the country to have achieved fairtrade status. It has
applied for the fairtrade foundations certificate and awaits
verification before it's award.

we should follow up on our local campuses dacorum college and nearby
west herts watford to follow suit.

i now have the colour guide i worked so hard to produce with New
Consumer Magazine. It's great, who wants a copy ? or a few dozen
copies? i have 10,000 copies and they will be on hand at the
fairtrade market on the 12th.

i'm hoping i can persuade the supermarkets to take some as well. If
anyone wants to make a voluntary contribution to the cost of
producing it, feel free, but otherwise there is no charge.

i was going to write to fifteen schools, i didn't have time, but now
i think i will anyway, enclosing a copy of the guide, they can have
fun studying the articles for their citizenship stuff, they can come
down to check out fairtrade at the market. And i was going to write a
newsletter to the people on the database who came to the fairtrade
launch, but gee ..i didn't have time, now i will.

Hmm who want's to sponsor me postage?

no, didn't think so. heh heh.

Regards

Francois Henderson

i was phoned up by three counties for an interview to talk about
fairtrade this morning at around 10:30. i had 45 minutes to prepare,
at least it wasn't an on the spot interview. Sadly i couldn't record
it i don't have the facility on this computer and there's no radio
recorders anywhere in teh house. doh!

Well, i think it went a bit better this time, but although i tried to
keep it simple, it's so easy to be taken by the moment when you're
live and you lose track of the things you meant to say.

i was asked why fairtrade was so much more expensive, they were taste
testing the green and blacks organic drinking chocolate and they
compared it to cadbury's bottom of the line drinking chocolate.
ofcourse now i can think of any number of things to say but such as...

why are you comparing the quality of a green and blacks organic cocoa
to a bottom of the line product?

and why are you asserting that it's only fairtrade that is expensive
when clearly there are other luxury chocolate drinks of the market
that are just as if not more expensive

my anwers was:

the price reflects the true value of the product and..

what is value for money anyway? The single most important thing to
remember about fairtrade is that it offers shoppers a choice. people
don't always buy the cheapest things, they buy on a range of factors
such as quality, disposition, belief in the product and ofcourse
taste. When people learn about what fairtrade means they can then
choose accordingly.

Now one of the things the radio interview said at the beginning of
the interview was that sales had increased by 50%. so i wish i had
made a connection back to that and reminded him that clearly the
british public are choosing to buy fairtrade despite the price.

i also said that many fairtrade products are as competitive if not
cheaper than some mainstream branded goods. They have to be to
compete in the market.

i remember saying that the purpose of fairtrade fortnight was to
raise awareness among consumers and to remind the british public that
fairtrade offers not just a great tasting product but a real and
lastin difference to the lives of the producers enabling them to earn
their way out of poverty.

Anyway, i hope my point about the value was a good enough answer
although i can think of additional points i could have made.

Finally he asked me about the events we had planned so i told him we
had events across the borough starting with costa coffee's opening in
berkhamsted with a fairtrade coffee producer and in store tastings in
waitrose, berkhamsted, hemel hempstead for tesco's, sainsbury's and
waitrose, and two fairtrade markets in tring and hemel hempstead and
tying in with comic relief and make poverty history.

would like to have finished with 'look for the mark and buy with the
heart' but forgot. oh well.

i need more practice on radio interviews, i'm reminded of what a good
idea it would be to join membership with a local radio station and
work on making programmes and getting more practice.

Still in the meantime any offers from somebody who wants to be press
and publicity officer for the group?

Regards

Francois Henderson

Tesco were requesting Tony McWalter MP attend our fairtrade in store
promotion tomorrow at Tesco's Jarman's Park. Tony wont be able to
come but perhaps MIKE PENNING or RICHARD GRAYSON would like the
opportunity to come along and give us their support?

Tony's coming to the fairtrade market in marlowes on the 12 march, so
in a show of solidarity, if either of you have time, maybe you could
use this as a press and photo opportunity. i don't know if the press
will come out at this short notice though, but you can have another
chance on SATURDAY when Camille and I do SAINSBURY'S APSLEY MILLS
STORE ON 5TH MARCH.

One thing i am desperate is for someone to bring a camera, digital
preferably.

Tomorrow is also the official launch of Berkhamstead new Costa Coffee
bar next to Ottakars bookshop. A fairtrade cafe farmer from tanzania
will be there and looks forward to meeting the customers. Ceremony at
11am.

Regards

Francois Henderson

Dear fairtraders,

Dfid is awarding £750,000 to the fairtrade foundation over three
years to support it's work with fairtrade. There is also now a new
EDM which reads as follows, please ask Tony McWalter to sign it.

EDM 797
  NATIONAL FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT 28.02.05
  Lazarowicz/Mark
  That this House welcomes the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight on 1st
March; recognises that the Fairtrade mark is the only independent
guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries; notes
the difference which can be made to producers in the developing world
when towns and cities across the UK achieve Fairtrade status;
welcomes the news that by the end of Fairtrade Fortnight 100 towns
and cities across the UK will have reached Fairtrade status and that
over 220 further towns and cities are actively running Fairtrade
campaigns; welcomes the Department for International Development's
support for the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK; and calls on the
Government to continue to raise awareness and actively encourage
schools, local authorities and retailers to adopt fair trade
principles.

my thanks for help offered to man the stalls from Oxfam shop staff,
Hemel Churches together, and Berkhamsted Lions who are travelling all
the way over to help set up and keep things moving.

There's a lot organise and i've got people who answered the ad for
press officer coming down on the day to muck in. Always great to meet
new members like this.

MARION for your information and everyone else,

Alan and i will be picking up the tables from Dacorum Council
Voluntary Service torrow and i'm getting a tombola as well for the
prize draw raffle. Marion i'd be grateful if you could look after
selling tickets for the prize draw raffle, i'm hoping for cover too
as i have additional volunteers who will help you or take over thus
freeing you up to do friends of the earth stuff.

Fact is i'm also selling white bands for make poverty history and
i've decided to bring along the white folding table and white chair i
have becuase the white is the colour of the make poverty history
camapaign.

Again, Marion, people, the plan is to set up all the tables for the
friday evening when we will get into the marlowes centre for 6:30pm.
we'll move all the tables down to the trading area and set the lot up
ready for the goods next day. This includes the tables for the ILM
and i hope two spare for Unison and Friends of the Earth.

MARION, jean blackman says she hans't got the friends of the earth
table but that you might have it. in any case i'm asking alan and
hazel johnson to supply their pasting tables although they say it
will be a bit wobbly. If you find the friends of the earth table
could you bring it along? anyway email me or phone me later tonight.
wish i still had a mobile, not having one is a hindrance.

Saturday morning. we can come in and set up as early as we want and
i'll try to do a really early morning 5am start up. I'm going to get
some help from John Portman berkamsted lions to use his car to shift
more stock from my home address. he'll be there at 8am to help set up
goods and also do an hour's shift. Well done john and thanks.

Everything must be set up for trade by 8:30am.

i have maps and everything of where to but some of you will have been
there before with me last year. if you want to chat and discuss
please call me.

my biggest task today is to organise the cash box and floats so i'm
taking £100 which i'll sort into demonminations. Actually i wouldn't
mind if somebody gave me a hand with this, bit short notice so i'm
remembering for next time to delegate more becuase there's so much i
could delegate if i write up a schedule. i know you all want to be
more involved.

i could use another cash box, i have one for oxfam, one for
traidcraft (not a very big one, has somebody got a bigger one?) and
i'm going to need one as well for the sale of white bands. I hope the
ilm can get their own if they are going to sell comic noses and
stuff. i really ought to have invited them into this email group
shouldn't i? oh well never thought of that.

all i can think of now, catch you later, please write, call, shoot
with any idea's. After this we'll all have some sort of get together,
a  must have i think, it didn't happen last year becuase everyone had
differenet committements so make a note that we will have another
fairtrade market like this, there will be a date and there will be an
aftershow date for a social gathering. That way we can keep our
schedules free.

i'll write some more info about the event later this evening

Regards

Francois Henderson

i've just realized, i've the black backdrop used to cover the oxfam
stalls from last year i can use and a white tablecloth, also a yellow
one which i also used for oxfam's tables. but i'm going to need to
find something to cover up the traidcraft stalls. Their colour scheme
is light yellow and green. Can anybody help me find a light yellow
but also light green table covering to use on the day to cover the
traidcraft stalls?

And if you have any spare baskets so that i can stack or put in goods
could i a few of those as well? dont' get carried away though. just
have a rummage.

i have cloakroom tickets for the prize draw and am hiring a tombola
from dcvs for a mere £4.00.

That's all for now

Regards

Francois

Could someone help me build the prizedraw raffle? last year we
crammed in the contents into a box and lined it with bags then sold
the tickets on the floor.

Could someone look out for a suitable box or gift basket or hamper
that we can let go of and help me fill it with the prize draw items.
I've got £20 vouchers from Tesco and i've got dividend cheques from
the co-op to go and buy co-op stuff. i'll bundle in the stuff i got
from oxfam plus some contributions from others.

MARION, since you live in berkhamsted, could you do me a favour? i'd
like to go and buy some fairtrade fruits, i'll reimburse you. Or some
organic vegetables might be just as good, you can call me tonight and
well discuss it. One of the items i have from traidcraft is a
vegetable basket, it looks really cool and it thought i could fill it
wtih fairtrade mark fruits or organic vegetables. Give me a call
tonight and we'll have a chat about it so i can get your thoughts.

i already got a prize draw contribution from cooks delight he gave
me  a packet of hampstead tea and coffee company organic fairtrade
teas.

If i give you a list maybe of all the contributors you could write up
the contents of the prize draw hamper and get it printed off, would
save me some time, much appreciated.

Regards

Francois

Dear fairtraders,

things have been quiet on here becuase i've been rather busy. We have
pictures for the web site which will be updated eventually. i was
hoping to have a new volunteer start writing the newsletter but we
seem to have lost contact for the time being.

However i will write it if need be and i'd like it out before the
next couple of weeks. i have MS publisher i can provide something
decent looking with that.

The Dacorum Guide still needs to be extensively distributed and i'll
be asking for volunteers to do that, although i must keep track of
where it is being distributed to.

i'm hoping now to write up job specs for the Dacorum Volunteer
Bearuax ..gee i just can't spell that word, anyway i'm looking to
build up five or six dedicated people, in effect i'm building the
organisation.

There will be a council meeting in a few weeks to progress the
fairtrade town resolution.

The next event of consequence i will involve the group in will be the
Boxmoor Music on the Moor for the two days. But between now and then
i'll be starting an extensive letter writing campaign to get more
support and start urging cafe's to stock fairtrade. i think the
supermarkets should have copies of the guide and i'll be wriring to
tesco's, sainsbury's, and marks and spencers to get them to stock the
guide.

i'm also going to need help telephoning companies for a new dacorum
guide 2006. i'll see if Dacorum Volunteer B_______. (i'm not spelling
that until i've learned it by heart) can help again.

i'm also looking for fundraisers, becuase i want to get the group
registered charity status. The DVB (i'm not even trying now) are
going to love me, and this is also the year of the volunteer so there
are many opportunities to publicise community involvement.

The library display was well recieved and we have gained two new
members, although i don't think they are going to get involved at
steering group level.

i've gained approval from the Fairtrade Foundation for use of the
group's letterhead. So we have now have an official letterhead,
compliment slips.

i didn't do meetings for some time becuase meetings aren't always do-
able but if i can get a substantial team built up and regular
meetings, even if they are just reporting on email on progress. Well
oxfam has a meeting once a month, we'll see how it goes. Since the
Friends of the Earth meet third monday of the month, i cover most of
the issues there, and that is how it will stay for the time being for
Hemel until i have more members.

i'll keep you posted on the web site development and ofcourse i'll be
writing a newsletter and hiring.

i wrote this as much for new members that may decide to join the
email group as to all of you existing members.

Regards

Francois

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
for music on the moor 9th and 10th july saturdy and sunday.
from midday to around 7pm or perhaps a bit longer on saturday and
midday to no later than 7pm on sunday. Selling fairtrade foods and
stuff.

FAIRTRADE CATERERS AND JUICE BAR
Despite difficulties with the trader i think this can now go ahead.
Smiths coffee will provide fairtrade coffee for the two days so i'll
have to provide the fairtrade tea from oxfam.

FAIRTRADE SMOOTHIES. (not as straightforward as it looks)

There was the promise of fairtrade smoothies but as i'm now finding,
making smoothies would involve food preparation which although i have
qualified caterers would raise the risk level, and becuase of the
handover of my caterers business to a new owner the certificates
might be harder to get hold of in time. In any case i'll have to
discuss it with him.

I could get a blender for £500 that would do the job but all the
fruit would have to be prepared for it to go into. I'd rather invest
a bit more for a combined fruit and veg juicer where you just bung
the ingredients in with the plunger and juice comes out the other
end. That would cost £1000 but hey i can earn that in a few weeks on
overtime in my new job and while some people waste their money on
computers i'll just plough my energies into this. Besides i reckon i
can get the payback at future events and even hire it out to other
charities. why not?

Ofcourse if anyone knows someone that already has a professional
juicer would they like to ask them to lend us theirs? i could ring
around all over the place and i'm not saying i wont' still do that
but that nice stainless steel machine looks groovy.

WAITROSE FOR THE FRUITS

i'm hoping to get the fruits from waitrose, i could go after organic
vegetables but hmm i wonder how much all this will cost? time to make
some enquiries. Maybe i can get waitrose to sponsor the cost. failing
that the co-op maybe. There isn't much time left.

DACORUM FAIRTRADE STALL
will be selling traidcraft crafts, jewellry, bits and pieces and
oxfam foods, although i don't know if the chocolate would stand up
well to a potentially hot event so we'll probably go for the snacks,
biscuits, juices, honey's etc. Naturally there'll be a hamper
fairtrade prize draw.

That's all for now folks. Please let me know if any of you can
volunteer and please spread the word.

The jarmans centre are celebrating ten years this saturday since they
opened. So they've invited a lot of charities to be there to promote
their cause. Oxfam will be there to sell fairtrade food from set up
at 9am. The event will run until 6pm or until we sell out. I've
someone to help me set up and she will be there from around 9am.
Wouldn't mind a bit of a hand though for the later part of the day
especially when i'll have to clear up.

Another market will be on gadebridge park on 11 september. So i'm
planning to hire two or three tables and do that one for dacorum
fairtrade. i'll probably invite some other stallholders. Could do
with some volunteers there as well.

Finally, it's white band day two on 10 september. i'm thinking of
contacting apsley paper mill to get a load of white paper to wrap
something up. Maybe my car? park in town, put up a stall, collect for
the whitebands and get people to sign the make poverty history
petition. If anybody has any other idea's? welcome.

Any help offered for any of this appreciated.

Regards

Francois

Tomorrow am setting up for the market all day at jarman's park,
(cinema, and tesco complex top of st albans hill)

i've got a volunteer to help me set up at 9:30am and a volunteer to
help me from 4pm onwards. Can anyone help with the stall between about
midday and 4pm? please phone 01442 254772.

i'll send a timetable for volunteers for the market on 11 september in
gadebridge park. That's an all day event as well.

Regards

Francois

Dear fairtraders,

St. Albans Oxfam activist group (involved in st.albans fairtrade town
campaign) is running a sponsored walk to raise money for fairtrade
coffee farming co-operatives in haiti. Last year they raised £5235.70
for water projects in brazil.

The walk starts and finishes at Wheathampsted passing through kimpton
and some beautiful hertfordshire countryside. Some nice pubs along
the way as well.

i've been on this walk myself last year and there are three routes of
3 miles, 7 miles, 12 miles and the full 18 miles. If you are
interested in supporting this walk either by walking it or providing
help to the Oxfam group as a marshal for a couple of hours or
anything else, please contact them

either refer to their website
http://www.oxfamstalbans.com/HertsHike.html for details and follow
the links or call them on 01727 860177 or 07775 962761

It's a great day out so i recomend it

Regards

Francois

there's to be a big campaign lobby at parliament on 2nd november.
similar to the trade justice lobby of 500 MP's. Anyone want to be
involved? we'll be in good company with all the campaigning charities
converging on parliament. This is the last chance to 'MAKE POVERTY
HISTORY' campaign before the summit with the wto. we would form a
delegation to raise the issues with our local MP mike penning.

The council are still proceeding slowly towards acceptance of the
five goals. yesterday recieved a phone call from andrew tippen who
works for economic regeneration at the bridge. The economic scrutiny
committee meets this thursday with it is hoped agreement on issues
discussed by all the members. A report has been drafted to go to the
cabinett.

Once council has accepted and worked out all the legal implications
they want to work with dacorum faitrade group to promote fairtrade
for the borough. Anyway it's encouraging news especially as i
remember approaching the bridge last year only to be told that they
couldn't get involved for political reasons. So progress there.

Meanwhile the boxmoor trusts annual conker festival is this year on
sunday 16th october and we have two tables for a stall for dacorum
fairtrade. We;ll be under a marquee so protected from the weather.
It's only for three hours but if anyone want to come along and help
sell fairtrade. We;ll be serving up fairtrade mulled wine, or at
least we will be once i get the hang of the recipe.

Anyone fancy getting involved?

hi folks,

just a reminder to say that the boxmoor trust conker knockout is this
sunday which starts at midday to 3pm. Oxfam will have a stall right
next to friends of the earth ( i asked louise to put us together).
The location is blackbirds moor which is right opposite St. John's
Church Boxmoor on one side and across the road from the Boxmoor
Playhouse on the other.

Would appreciate a hand to set things up from around 11am. As it's only
three hours it can be managed by one or two people at the most. i'll be
there for the whole of it so does anyone fancy doing a stint for an
hour or so? We'll have 4 litres of fairtrade mulled wine on hand to
sell to the public but i'm sure the staff can have a sip.

If you fancy getting involved please call me on 01442 254772.

Thanks and see you there

Francois Henderson

Oxfam are doing a stall at the school on saturday 26th november. We'll
be selling fairtrade foods ofcourse and it's all day from 10am to
17:30. Anyone want to help man the stall? Would be much appreciated.

It's a very big affair i understand, and very popular. Once again any
help with the stall would be much appreciated

Rudolph steiner is located at langley hill in kings langley.

Anyway once again please phone 01442 254772

Regards

Francois

Hi, friends of the earth folks,

i've got you the table you wanted at the rudolph steiner fair
discounted as discussed. So you want to start thinking now about
getting the volunteers to staff it and coming up with some workshop
idea's to get people involved. i'm not sure if you'll be next to the
fairtrade stall or not but i'll ask when i send the booking form.

By the way has anybody seen the new nescafe partners blend anywhere in
the shops, waitrose in berkhamsted didn't have it, i can't see it in
tesco in hemel either. Perhaps some other big supermarket store nearby?

Regards

Francois

i got the mailing instructions from rudolph steiner. oooops change of
plan.

friends of the earth stall is in the marquee. i've got a map and
stuff to give to friends of the earth, paul harris should have that i
think. i'll get it to you as soon as i can. If you're in town the
next couple of days paul, i'll be at the oxfam shop this afternoon
and tomorrow, so call in and i'll give you the instructions.

The fair will be open from 10:30 am to 5:30pm alright

STALLHOLDERS CAN SET UP FROM 8:00 AM, so please make arrangements for
volunteers for the friends of the earth stall that you should come in
earlier. probably from around 9am or maybe even 9:30 am. Thinking
about this, you wont' be lugging much around other than campaign
materials.
but you won't want to try to set up when the punters come in and i
don't think the organisers would like that either. It's a matter of
health and safety i suppose.

i was going to try to get hold of stuff you could sell, although it's
a bit late now and my food delievery has been so delayed in the
christmas rush that i'll be working the next two days just to get it
all ready.

i'm now so committed this week that i havn't got time to do anything
else. But i'm sure you'll be ok organising yourselves.

Anybody that can give me some time though to help man the fairtrade
food stall for oxfam, (separate stall for those that don't know)
would be welcome.

Dear fairtraders,

the marlowes shopping centre is again booked this year for the
fairtrade market on 11th march Saturday from 9-5pm. i'm also hoping to
hold tastings at sainburys and tesco again. There is also a fairtrade
24 hour coffee break which actionaid are urging people to get involved
in. I'm hoping Mike Penning can attend some of these events?

i'll let you know dates as i have them confirmed.

Regards

Francois

Dear fairtraders,

Tesco UK are in contact with me and will be advising me when we can do
a store tasting. Am also contacting Sainsbury's for the same.

Am still looking for traders contributors for the market.

Going to need a lot of volunteers too. i'll post the volunteer forms
onto the files section, obviously i'll need to know what times and
dates you can help me which will all go onto a master sheet.

i'd be grateful if Mike Penning could attend one or more of these
events. Last year i tried to arrange something with Marks and Spencers
but it didn't work out. Tesco's also wanted the MP to attend our store
tasting. Anyway the big fairtrade market is on the 11th March Saturday.

<<are there any dates free in your diary Mike? Could we meet and have
a chat sometime?>> i'll see about inviting the mayor as well.

Starbucks has opened recently next to Debenhams and is serving
fairtrade coffee on request. They also retail Fairtrade mark chocolate
and Coffee.

O'briens coffee bar are now serving Fairtrade Mark tea although i'm
not sure about the coffee.

You can now buy Divine chocolates in miniature size. Very handy for
tasting and stuff.

i'll let you know more about dates as soon as i have them.

(hope to get in touch with you Mike about forthcoming appearance)

Regards

Francois

Dear fairtraders,

HEMEL GAZETTE FAIRTRADE HAMPER COMPETITION
Great news, The local paper has agreed to do a feature on fairtrade
for readers to win a donated fairtrade hamper (supplied by us with
some help from Tesco, co-op and oxfam funds, throw in a few voluntary
donations etc) This will be great publicity.

TWO WEEK LIBRARY DISPLAY HEMEL HEMPSTEAD STARTING 27TH FEBRUARY
Chance for a bit of advertising

DACORUM FAIRTRADE GUIDE 2005
can't afford to print up any more of these so will use last years,
still got loads. pity the MP & mayor's changed. 90% of the rest of the
guide is still extremely useful however.

More news on Events.

ASDA HEMEL TOWN CENTRE MONDAY 6th MARCH
Hoping to do Asda store tasting monday 6th march probably 3 or 4 hours
from maybe 9 or 10am to no later than 2pm. Asda UK has said they will
ok this with the branch manager.

TESCO JARMAN'S PARK HEMEL HEMPSTEAD WED 8TH & THURSDAY 9TH MARCH
This has been confirmed by TESCO UK and they've sent us a load of
promotional stuff including £30 worth of vouchers for tasting and stuff.

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD FAIRTRADE MARKET SATURDAY 11TH MARCH
This i'm sad to say isn't going to be as big as last year. i just
don't have all the traders i had before. Confirmed are Oxfam, African
crafts, palestinian handicrafts, and i was hoping the co-op who have
agreed to help. They are low on volunteers though so i might call
around and ask some sympathetic activist groups to lend a hand.

If anybody can help would be most appreciated.

SAINSBURY'S STORE APSLEY SATURDAY 18TH MARCH
got a few people here offering to help but if you can manage that day
please feel free to offer your name.

Regards

Francois

Ahh!! where have i been all this time? have i just woken up?

Fairtrade Theatre comes to town on 24 February, a Saturday at St
Mary's Church Old Town High Street Hemel Hempstead. There will be two
performances, a matinee at 3pm, and an evening 8pm performance.

i have posters, printed tickets and flyers to send out.

It's actually a play all about slavery becuase this year is the
Bicentenary of the abolition of slavery. But it's very much tied into
the theme of Fairtrade and i've booked them to open the Fairtrade
Fortnight for Hemel Hempstead.

Can Mike Penning make it to either of these performances on the
Saturday, 3pm or 8pm? the show is an hour long but it will be quite
interesting as i've been told the the show's producers are inviting
the audience to get involved with the setting up of a fairtrade
initiative.

More details will follow in the press release and file attachments i'm
posting to this message board under Files.

Tickets are on sale RIGHT NOW! and are only £6.00 or £4.00 concessions.

And although i havn't even started yet i suppose i'll do the usual run
of supermarket tastings.

By the way, WATFORD is to become officially a fairtrade town this
march. Annoying that isn't it? Because we are still trying to sort it out.

Please let everyone you know about this show and get back to me for
buying tickets

Regards

Francois

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the DacFT
group.

   File        : /THE FAIRGAME THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS.doc
   Uploaded by : greembark <greembark@...>
   Description : ONE FOR ME

You can access this file at the URL:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/DacFT/files/THE%20FAIRGAME%20THEATRE%20COMPANY%\
20PRESENTS.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

greembark <greembark@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the DacFT
group.

   File        : /fairgameth.doc
   Uploaded by : greembark <greembark@...>
   Description : production notes on theatre show

You can access this file at the URL:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/DacFT/files/fairgameth.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

greembark <greembark@...>

hi,

who is doing the friends of the Earth magazine these days?
i'd like to add if it's possible material for fairtrade fortnight 2007.

And for you other folks out there subscribe to this group, please add
details of the forthcoming events and production to any promotional
material that will help send the message out. you can look at the
files that are now uploaded onto the yahoo groups files section and
print out the theatre poster or write up anything editorial from the
production notes that will help sell it, such as audience
participation in the foundation of a fairtrade cotton project.

The message from the fairtrade foundation for this years fortnight is:

CHANGE TODAY, CHOOSE FAIRTRADE! PLEASE HELP TO SPREAD THE WORD

Regards

Francois

it's been a while since i posted on here. i've been less than
activist in the right places. i need winding up like an old clock.

Has anyone seen the movie BLACK GOLD? it's brilliant. And it'll be on
channel 4 soon. just google it to see when. you can buy the film for
a mere £10 from amazon. it's well worth it. it's won sevral awards at
independant film festivals.


Anyway, this coming fairtrade fortnight, i'm not doing the
supermarket promotions this time around. But i've put together a
fairtrade hamper which will appear in the gazette or herald express.
Dacorum Borough Council members are actively involved now in the
fairtrade cause for hemel hempstead. I think it's really going to
happen this year becuase these friendly folk are very switched on
movers and shakers. And it's helpful that there'll be a lot more
publicity coming through dacorum borough councils press officer with
their contacts to local press and business than in previous years.

That's all for now but keep an eye in the local paper

sincerely

francois