The Mayor of Blandford Forum, Councillor Esme Butler, officially opened a Fair Trade shop called "Set Fair 4 Trade" on Thursday 6th October at 11.00am. The shop, at 22 Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum will stock fairly-traded packaged food products as well as fairly-traded crafts from many of the world's poorest communities.
Set Fair 4 Trade opened on Monday 3rd October and aims to offer goods carrying the fair trade logo, to indicate that the selling price includes a proper return for the original producers of the goods. The crafts and foods come from a variety of countries including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Peru, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and the Philippines.
Crafts to be sold in the shop are imported by Tearcraft and Toybox. Tearcraft is the trading arm of Tearfund - a Christian relief and development organisation that works to alleviate poverty in the poorest communities of the world. Toybox charity works with street children in Latin America and the profit from sales of crafts supports this work and the livelihood of indigenous people. The shop's food products are imported by Traidcraft, an established organisation who work to with producers, farmers and craft workers, helping them to build a better future for themselves and their families.
The shop is the brainchild of David and Jennie Rake of The Close, Blandford Forum, who have been volunteers for Tearfund for over 20 years, selling fairly traded crafts around Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, from where they recently moved.
Jennie said "We firmly believe in doing something practical to help those in need in the world. By selling fairly-traded goods and foods we are supporting justice in trade. Artisans, farmers and producers, wherever they live, should have the opportunity to receive a fair price for their work, for their own self-esteem and for the sake of their family."
The shop is being supported by many of the Churches in Blandford, including the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, where David and Jennie worship.