Westport first Fairtrade Town in West

Westport Town is Ireland's latest to achieve Fairtrade Status

Last Friday committee member Mary Walsh received a written confirmation for Fairtrade Ireland that Westport had met all the required conditions and would now be conferred with the Fairtrade town status.

Westport is to become the first Fairtrade town in Connaught and joins the Fairtrade city of Galway in leading the way for other towns in the region. The announcement was made on Friday that Westport will receive its official Fairtrade status this week piping Castlebar to the post by just over a week.

Westport’s Fairtrade Steering Committee was established in early 2005 with the aim of making achieving Fairtrade status for the town. The committee members are Edel Hackett, Mary Walsh, Roisin Moran, Sue Minish, Brian Quinn, Cllr Keith Martin, Gemma Hennesy, Sheila O’Donnell and Bríd McAuley.

Last Friday committee member Mary Walsh received a written confirmation for Fairtrade Ireland that Westport had met all the required conditions and would now be conferred with the Fairtrade town status.

In order to achieve the status of Fairtrade Town, Westport had to accomplish the following.

A local steering group is convened to ensure continued commitment to its Fairtrade Town status.

The Town Council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and agrees to serve Fairtrade coffee and tea in the office and at all its meetings and continues to support the Fairtrade Mark.

A range of FAIRTRADE Mark products are available in the Town’s shops, supermarkets, local cafes, restaurants, and hotels.

FAIRTRADE Mark products are used by a Flagship business as well as 12 other local businesses and organisations. This should include schools, churches, large offices and local voluntary groups.

The group attracts media coverage and popular support for the campaign.

A significant number of schools become Fairtrade Schools. They use the Civil Social and Political Education pack on Fairtrade for secondary schools and the Alive 2008 programme for Primary Schools.”