By HELEN COMPSON helen.compson@hexham-courant.co.uk

Last updated at 10:15, Friday, 11 July 2008

HEXHAM is well on its way to becoming Tynedale's first Fairtrade Town after councillors gave the initiative their unanimous backing.

Hexham Town Council's vote of support on Monday paved the way for the campaign group that formed earlier this year to submit its application to the Fairtrade Foundation.

It is expected the town will be granted its new status some time in the autumn.

The council passed a resolution, proposed by Coun. Nick Holder, to support Fairtrade as an effective way of fighting poverty in the developing world.

But it also extended the resolution to include local farmers and producers.

“Hexham Town Council recognises that local farmers and producers in Northumberland and the UK have the same need for a fair deal,” they agreed.

“And we see the Fairtrade Town initiative as a positive way of highlighting the needs of producers in both the developing world and the UK.“

Coun. Horner said both the council and the Hexham Fairtrade group had been keen to recognise the importance of supporting local producers, particularly in the current economic climate.

The backing of the town council ticked the final box on the application for Fairtrade status.

The group had already achieved the target set, in relation to population size, for the number of shops, cafes and churches serving Fairtrade products.

The required number of employers and community organisations had also signed up.

The campaign has attracted the popular support of residents and a respectable level of media coverage.

And the local steering group that has been convened will ensure continued commitment to Fairtrade Town status, if it is granted.

One of its members, Hanna Ruszczyk, said Hexham had been a good starting point for the Fairtrade movement in Tynedale.

“People are very open minded here, so we gained a lot of support quite quickly,” she said.

“Buying Fairtrade products is an easy thing to do, and yet it has the impact of helping to rid the world of poverty.

“Politicians and big organisations watch how consumers spend their money.”

An independent consumer organisation, Fairtrade negotiates fair deals with Third World producers for the 2,000 or so products on its books.

By guaranteeing the producers a minimum, reasonable price for their goods, it offers them the security of knowing what they will get for their next crop.

A percentage of the money changing hands is also ploughed back into projects in their local communities, providing facilities for the common good.

Hexham's schools are enthusiastic about supporting the campaign. Queen Elizabeth High School has already fulfilled all of the necessary requirements and submitted its application for Fairtrade status.

Meanwhile, the Sele First School has just begun the process, something that will take around a year to complete.

Mrs Ruszczyk said: “The steering group has two main focuses now – to strengthen its links with education and to get more businesses on board.

“The future of the Fairtrade movement depends on raising awareness and interest among children – the next generation.”

Garstang in Lancashire declared itself the world’s first Fairtrade Town in 2000. Since then another 300 have followed suit.

Hexham will be the first in Tynedale and only the second in Northumberland as a whole. Morpeth is already there.

First published at 13:26, Thursday, 10 July 2008
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk