Gosport

The Borough of Gosport is a Fairtrade Community

In 2018 we celebrated 10 years as a Fairtrade Borough.

      

Who are we?

We are Gosport Fairtrade Action (GFA), a group of volunteers, meeting regularly since 2006 to promote Fairtrade in Gosport. Our members come from a range of voluntary organisations, schools, youth organisations, businesses, various political parties and religious groups. We worked closely with Gosport Borough Council to meet the Five Goals needed to achieve Fairtrade Borough Status. We did this first in January 2008 and have renewed that status regularly since.

Our most recent renewal of Fairtrade status was in August 2023 and we are due to apply again in 2026

 

 

 Our aims

We want everyone to know that by choosing Fairtrade products they can change peoples lives. So we want to increase awareness of Fairtrade, encourage more people and organisations to use Fairtrade goods, and more retailers and catering establishments to sell them. We seek to promote Fairtrade in community organisations and workplaces of the borough.

We are committed to raising the awareness of our fellow community members that every pound we spend is a powerful decision, with ramifications that echo across continents, countries, and communities. When we choose Fairtrade products, good things happen:

• producers can earn enough from Fairtrade prices to provide for their families,
• they can use the Fairtrade Premium to improve facilities and services in their communities
• they can get training and support to:
  • to invest in their business
  • adapt to climate change
  • farm their land sustainably
  • take better care of their environment – for the benefit of us all
• During the Covid19 pandemic Fairtrade Co-operatives provided members of their communities with sanitary equipment, advice and supplies; emergency food supplies to cope with the hardship.

What we do:

GFA aims to promote Fairtrade to all sectors of the community in Gosport by:

• organising events in Fairtrade Fortnight, involving, where possible, a Fairtrade farmer or producer
• taking part in local events through the year, including
• selling Fairtrade products;
• offering tastings to introduce Fairtrade products to new audiences
• offering fun ways of finding out more about Fairtrade;
• working with groups in Gosport to explain why Fairtrade matters and how people can introduce Fairtrade to their:
  • schools and colleges
  • businesses
  • places of worship
  • voluntary organisations,

 Resources

GFA can offer you locally produced resources (Visit the RESOURCES page) for events: exhibitions; talks with PowerPoint presentations including videos, customised for your school, or organisation, on a wide range of Fairtrade related issues [phone 9258 2140 or contact us here) – We’ll have a chat and see what can be done.

Gosport Fairtrade Action Newsletters

we try to publish one each year and include an illustrated annual review of what we have been doing – see recent ones here

 If you would like to receive a Newsletter or if you would like to be involved in any way with Gosport Fairtrade Action, please contact us

We would be delighted to welcome volunteers who could offer a few hours a month.

Recent Activities

To see what we have been doing visit our Recent Events in Gosport 2020 page here  or in 2019 here or read our latest Newsletter

A Leaflet for Gosport

We are planning a new one

In February 2015 GFA published a leaflet, “Fairtrade in Gosport: where to buy and why it’s worthwhile”.  This included information about Fairtrade including messages from Fairtrade producers; ideas for getting your school, place of work, business and place of worship more involved with Fairtrade and information about retail outlets, cafes and B&Bs that offer Fairtrade products, based on our recent survey (see below).  A big thank you to the Southern Co-operative who sponsored this leaflet.

If you would like copies of this leaflet please contact us with your requirements.

Survey of Outlets

Our members  completed in 2013 a survey of outlets, retail and catering,  We endeavour to update it regularly and would appreciate your help by letting us know if you notice any significant changes.  Do you know of a business or voluntary organisation or a cafe that uses Fairtrade products but is not listed in our Directory? Or a listed one that has closed or no longer offers Fairtrade products?  If so, please let us know.  We’d love to here from you.

Where you can buy Fairtrade products

In Gosport

All of the large supermarkets in Gosport Borough stock a range of Fairtrade certified products. The Coop has a wide range (including the widest selection of Fairtrade wines of any supermarket in the Borough) and is a longstanding champion of Fairtrade. All of Waitrose and Partners’ own brand tea, coffee and chocolate confectionary is Fairtrade. Corner shops too have some Fairtrade products from chocolate to ice cream.

Nationally and on-line

Visit the National Fairtrade Purchasing Guide