More than two years of effort went into the bid to the Fairtrade Foundation, which finally awarded RBWM the status of a Fairtrade Borough.

A small group of people, initially working separately in Maidenhead and Windsor, but then coalescing in the joint group has an uphill battle to achieve this award. While there were pockets of enthusiasm especially amongst the churches, the number of retail outlets, cafes, schools and other organisations that needed to use Fairtrade had still to climb steeply. With a population of 133,000 in the Borough, the Fairtrade Foundation’s criteria for proportionate response seemed large. The number of retail outlets climbed slowly to 34, as Fairtrade slowly gained momentum nationally as well as locally.

The backing of the Council has been so important. The Council uses Fairtrade tea and coffee in all its canteens and also has been using its good offices to get literature into the libraries, schools and leisure centres.

Why Fairtrade? Fairtrade ensures that those who produce what we eat, drink and wear – neighbours even though we may not see them – receive a fair return for their labour. It guarantees farmers a fair price that covers the cost of living, and workers a fair wage and labour rights. It gives producers’ communities a “fairtrade premium” to invest in community needs: things like wells, school supplies, and maternity clinics. Fairtrade requires adherence to environmental standards and encourages continual improvement in environmental care. It offers producers in developing countries information that can help them negotiate world markets and plan better for the future.

The hard work of the group finally paid off when a resubmitted bid was made in January.

Olu Odeniyi, Joint Chair of the Fairtrade Group remarked:
"This is excellent news and well deserved after 4 long years of campaigning"

The next step is a formal and public declaration being planned for 9th March, during Fairtrade Fortnight. During the day, an event is planned at Maidenhead URC where people will be able to sample coffee and other Fairtrade snacks, buy from the growing range of goods and meet at banana producer from the Windward Isles. In the evening the banana producer will speak again in the Guildhall in Windsor in the presence of the great and good whom we hope will come to celebrate RBWM’s success.


Royal Borough of
Windsor and Maidenhead
Fairtrade Group

Tel 0845 0091090
www.fairtrade-rbwm.org