Renfrewshire’s Fairtrade Fortnight continues with a night of high quality speakers held at Paisley Town Hall.

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Local and national campaigners will be on hand to discuss the issue of fair trade and their first hand experience of running fair trade businesses.

This will take place on Tuesday 1 March in the North Minor Hall of Paisley Town Hall at 6:45pm. This is a free event and all are invited to attend.

Angus Coull will discuss Bala Sport which was set up to expand the availability and use of ethically produced Fairtrade sports balls, focusing initially on footballs, in the UK and beyond.

Carishea co-founder Trevor Gregory will speak about working in disadvantaged communities by offering trade and employment as a route to combating poverty through the sale of fair and ethical bath and beauty products.

Local Renfrewshire businesses will be represented by Liz Cotton of Rainbow Turtle, Juliet Robb of Olive Tree and James Johnstone of Just Trading Scotland.

Fairtrade Fortnight takes place from 29 February-13 March and encourages people to wake up to the challenges facing workers and farmers across the world.

This year’s theme focuses on Martin Luther King’s quote “‘before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world”.

People are encouraged to have a ‘Big Breakfast’ to recognise that despite our dependence on farmers and workers for the foods, drinks and products that we love, about 795 million people are undernourished globally.

Councillor Jim Sharkey, Chair of the Renfrewshire Fairtrade Steering Group, said: “This is a great event as part of our Fairtrade Fortnight activity with a number of high quality speakers in attendance.

“It is important that we use Fairtrade Fortnight to spread the message that fair trade is the best way to trade. If we treat others fairly then we give them the confidence to treat us fairly. The days of exploiting each other and the planet are well and truly over.

“Fair trade and co-operation are the future and it is our young people who are leading the way.

“I encourage everyone to come along and support this event which promises to be an exciting insight into fair trade in Renfrewshire and beyond.”

For more information visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/FairtradeSpeakersEvening or email fairtrade@renfrewshire.gov.uk