Children wow judges in Fairtrade competition

Organised by the Hartlepool Fairtrade Town Steering Group, the competition marked Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 which ran from February 24th-March 8th.

The quality of all the entries impressed the judges but Catcote Academy was selected as the winner, and pupils attended a special event at Hartlepool Borough Council’s Community Hub Central where they received the Hartlepool Fairtrade Challenge Trophy.

Pupils at the Community Hub Central.

Steering Group Chair Martin Green explained that the story-telling contest was a change to their usual competition format which has traditionally involved pupils baking items using Fairtrade ingredients.

“Last year, Fairtrade Fortnight focussed on women workers in cocoa farming and that theme was extended into this year with the headline “She Deserves a Different Story”. So instead of running our usual baking competition, we thought it would be more appropriate to ask schools to write this “different story”.

Steering group member Chris Eddowes judged the competition and praised everyone who entered, saying: “In my time as a teacher I have read thousands and thousands of stories. I think this was actually the hardest thing I have ever had to do because all of the stories were so lovely, yet also so different."

The Hartlepool Fairtrade Steering Group aims to raise awareness of the plight of food growers in some of the world’s poorest countries who are often exploited and badly paid. Buying goods with the Fairtrade mark guarantees growers a fair price.

Last year, Hartlepool’s status as a Fairtrade Town was renewed for a further two years following a successful application by the group to the Fairtrade Foundation. Hartlepool has now been a Fairtrade Town since 2005.

For more information about Fairtrade go to www.fairtrade.org.uk or follow Hartlepool Fairtrade Town on Facebook at /hpoolfairtrade