by Andrew Williams |
March 02, 2015
|
Here we are half way through Fairtrade Fortnight - hopefully you have seen an increased profile for fair trade produce in your local shops. It would be wrong to see fair trade as a niche which could only exist for a couple of weeks, but events like Fairtrade Fortnight can play a vital role in raising awareness and keeping the issues at the forefront of consumers' minds.
Here in Hay on Wye we are delighted to welcome a fascinating event this evening (Monday 2nd March) featuring a sugar farmer with hands on experience of the difference that fair trade can make. Allan Saidi is visiting from Malawi as part of Fairtrade Fortnight to give his insight as part of his role as secretary of the Fairtrade Premium Committee in his home country. It promises to be an inspiring talk with an opportunity to ask searching questions about the impact of fair trade.
Also speaking will be local journalist and friend of Eighteen Rabbit, Oliver Balch. Ollie has recently returned from a trip to Nicaragua where he visited coffee plantations and saw first hand the work being done to make the coffee industry more equitable for its workers.
There will also be a screening of the film "Fairtrade Matters" about tea farmers in Malawi. You can watch the film online here.
If you're in Hay on Wye the event takes place tonight at Tomatitos Tapas Bar from 7pm, and best of all it is free!
Tagged:
eighteen rabbit,
fairtrade fortnight,
hay on wye,
malawi,
nicaragua
by Louise Davies |
June 24, 2014
|
We've just had an amazing delivery of new necklaces from the Philippines. These intricate designs are more like pieces of art than jewellery. All of the pieces are made by a co-operative in the Philippines who design and produce high quality jewellery and fashion accessories; employing fair trade principles and using natural and sustainable materials.
We currently have four designs in stock, which we have named after areas of the surrounding countries - we hope these incredible, exotic pieces will capture your imagination and transport you to sunnier shores!
Tagged:
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
hay on wye,
Philippines
by Andrew Williams |
May 19, 2014
|
It is nearly festival time, and Hay is gearing up for the busiest ten days of the year. From this Thursday we'll have the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts as well as How the Light Gets In on our doorsteps. A very warm welcome to everyone planning a visit to Hay over the next fortnight.
We already have some big highlights to look forward to. In our diaries so far are Billy Bragg, Carrie Fisher, Ben Watt, Toumani Diabate, Gruff Rhys, Tracey Thorn, James Lovelock, Katherine Hamnett and many more!
We'll be running a fair trade pop up cafe next to our shop at Hay Castle - we hope you'll be able to join us at Coffee on the Cobbles for a fair trade cuppa during the festival.
We wish you all an entertaining, inspiring, thought provoking and fair trade Festival!
Tagged:
2014,
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
hay castle,
hay festival,
hay on wye,
how the light gets in
by Andrew Williams |
January 26, 2014
|
We're back in the shop after an incredible trip to Cuba. A really remarkable place, and without adding to the cliches, a "land of contradictions." The country seemed to be teetering on a see-saw balanced between left and right. Friends we've spoken to who have visited previously tell us it has changed a huge amount over the past decade, and I've no doubt the next ten years will see that change continue. At its heart though the story of the revolutionary struggle was quite remarkable to see played out in reality.
Now that we're getting back into the swing of things we have big plans for 2014. We want to increase the diverse range of products we're stocking to reach as many potential customers as possible. We hope to grow our online audience so that customers outside of Hay can still join in the fun - if there is anyone you can recommend us to we would really appreciate it!
We are also planning an exciting event for the spring - Hay Green Fair, a celebration of all that's great about green Britain. We'll have inspiring speakers, great stalls, activities and fun for all the family. More news on that soon.
Thanks for choosing to shop fair trade in 2014 - you are making a real difference.
Tagged:
2014,
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
hay green fair,
hay on wye,
spring
by Andrew Williams |
October 05, 2013
|
One of the down sides to running a shop selling cool fair trade items is that inevitably we meet a few customers who would prefer to buy something made in our local area. We are lucky in Hay on Wye to have a thriving artistic and craft community who produce some stunning pieces - and we have great shops in Hay selling them, such as Brook Street Pottery, the Haymakers, and our neighbour at Hay Castle, The Thoughtful Gardener. Explaining why we don't stock any local items ourselves is always a good opportunity to reinforce some of the benefits of making trade fair.
That's not to say that we don't care about local businesses, or local shops! We love the retail community in Hay and we try to be a part of supporting our thriving High Street through the Chamber of Commerce. Now we're involved in a new scheme called Totally Locally, which we're hoping to launch in Hay in the next couple of months.
Totally Locally is a clever marketing campaign to get people to think about where they are spending their hard earned cash. It's not anti-supermarket or anti-internet - there's a place for those guys too. But by showing the benefits of diverting just a small amount of money being spent into local shops, we can see a real difference in the economic health of the town.
We're hoping to launch Totally Locally Hay around the Winter Weekend festival. We believe that fair trade and local shopping make great companions on the road to a more prosperous High Street.
Tagged:
Christmas,
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
hay castle,
hay festival,
hay on wye,
local,
totally locally
