Fairtrade status for University

 

Fairtrade products are sold in all its catering outlets and a new Fairtrade café recently opened at its Walsall Campus.

 

Dr Barbara Gwinnett, Dean of the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, is the University’s representative on the Wolverhampton City Fairtrade Partnership and has been instrumental in achieving the status.

 

She said: “I am very proud that we have been able to achieve Fairtrade status as it is something I feel very passionately about.

 

“The University’s Catering Services have worked extremely hard over the last few years to help us achieve this status, offering a wide choice of products at all outlets and promoting these to staff and students.”

 

The certificate was formally presented by Hannah Reed from the Fairtrade Foundation at the new Mayor’s Fairtrade Reception on Friday (JUN20) in the Civic Centre Mayoral Suite.

 

The University has worked closely with the City Council on Fairtrade initiatives and helped Wolverhampton become a Fairtrade city.

 

Several key criteria had to be met and the University also worked closely with the Students’ Union to achieve its goals.

 

A formal Fairtrade policy was created and a special steering group set up, chaired by Dr Gwinnett and comprising members from a broad cross-section of University departments.

 

The University had to supply an audit of products sold in its outlets, as well as details of awareness events and initiatives, such as supporting Fairtrade Fortnight and holding seminars.

 

Dr Gwinnett said the next stage was to look at other products the University could use in addition to food and drink, such as Fairtrade cotton for catering and caretaking uniforms.

For more information please contact Emma Kilvert in the press office on 01902 322003.

 

Fairtrade looks to offer support, infrastructure and trading opportunities to producers from both developing and developed countries. It aims to create long-term partnerships in a fair trading environment.

 

Ref:  4231/17/06/08/EK

Date issued:  Tuesday 17 June 2008