Over 50 Fairtrade supporters will take to their saddles for a 500 mile cycle relay to celebrate 500 Fairtrade Towns in the UK. The first cyclists will set off from Aberfeldy, the joint first Fairtrade Town in Scotland on Saturday 23 October and pass on a ceremonial parchment to cyclists from 10 other prominent Fairtrade Towns before arriving in Cardiff, the world’s first Fairtrade capital city on Monday 1 November.
The name of the 500th Fairtrade Town will be revealed as they make their declaration via a video link to the Cardiff event.
Other Fairtrade Towns on the route include; Strahaven (with Aberfeldy the joint first Fairtrade Town in Scotland), Dunscore (with a population of 500 the first Fairtrade Town in Dumfries and Galloway), Brampton (on Hadrian’s Wall, declared a Fairtrade Zone earlier this year), Kendal (the first Fairtrade Town in Cumbria), Garstang (the world’s first Fairtrade Town), Chester (the world’s first Fairtrade City), Bridgnorth (the first Fairtrade Town in Shropshire), Hay-on-Wye (home of the famous Book Festival) and Ammanford (the first Fairtrade Town in Wales).
The Fairtrade Towns movement has been rapidly growing since Garstang declared itself the world’s first Fairtrade Town at a public meeting in April 2000. Since then thousands of people, passionate about change, have energised their communities to take action. There are currently over 850 Fairtrade Towns in 19 countries worldwide and cities such as London, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Copenhagen and San Francisco are now part of this international, social, grassroots movement aimed at changing the way trade is done. The fourth International Fairtrade Towns Conference will take place in Bonn later this year and the 1,000th Fairtrade Town is expected to declare in the first half of 2011.
Harriet Lamb CBE, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: ‘Congratulations to everyone in all 500 towns who have helped put Fairtrade on the map – and on our shop shelves. They are helping tip the balance in favour of smallholders and workers in developing countries, and the achievements of Fairtrade Towns in Britain are a dynamic inspiration to producers, and supporters, right across the world. This latest cycle ride is a great way to highlight the achievements towns have already made. As they pedal against poverty, they are showing that Fairtrade is the way to go. And they will be munching on Fairtrade bananas, fresh fruit, energy bars and chocolates for extra power!’
Fairtrade campaigners from the 500 Fairtrade Towns will use this milestone event to ask their MPs to sign an EDM, calling on the Government to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the continued growth of fair and ethical trade in the UK. The names of all Parliamentary signatories will be displayed at the final event in Cardiff. The ceremonial parchment that will be carried by the lead cyclists on each leg of the journey will be signed at special celebratory events held every evening along the route.
Bruce Crowther, founder of Fairtrade Towns and Fairtrade Towns Advisor says: ‘The 500th Fairtrade Town is a tremendous achievement that should be enjoyed and celebrated, especially by the grassroots campaigners that made it happen. But our campaign is a long journey, fuelled by better understanding and learning. We must therefore always stay focused on the wider picture of trade justice and global poverty, in the knowledge that the final destination will one day be reached.’
