Pupils at the Royal Hospital School mark Fairtrade Fortnight
04 Apr 2016
The Geography Club, Eco Committee and catering team at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, joined up to promote International Fairtrade Fortnight, as well as contribute towards the School’s efforts to achieve the Carbon Charter Gold Award.
Fairtrade Fortnight is an annual promotional campaign, co-ordinated by the Fairtrade Foundation, when everyone from commercial partners to schoolchildren, producers to politicians, come together to talk about and raise awareness of Fairtrade. Fairtrade Fortnight has been going since 1997 and this year it ran from 29 February to 13 March.
The Fairtrade Foundation explains: “Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. With one simple choice we can get farmers a better deal. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their futures and lead the dignified life everyone deserves”.
Fairtrade Fortnight at the Royal Hospital School kicked off with the Geography Club delivering an excellent chapel talk all about the benefits of Fairtrade and the unveiling the Geography corridor which had been transformed into a rainforest- complete with rainforest noises.
Each break and lunchtime throughout the fortnight, Year 8 pupils led activities to promote Fairtrade. These included; Fairtrade chocolate tasting, guess the product, match the produce to the country, a QR treasure hunt around the School, Fairtrade milkshake, films, poetry competitions and an afternoon conserving the trees at Princes Wood. The campaign culminated in a whole-school quiz where 14 teams battled it out for first place, using the knowledge gained throughout the Fairtrade Fortnight activities.
Pupils were also invited to pledge their promise to the rainforest and eco-commitments by writing on a ‘leaf’ and adding this to the geography rainforest. Staff also joined in the celebration drinking only Fairtrade tea and coffee in the common room, pledging their own promises and cheering on their houses in the Fairtrade quiz. The catering department encouraged the purchase of Fairtrade products in the school café and labelled every meal served at breakfast, lunch and supper with the origins and associated food miles.
Head of Geography, Harriet Izod, said “The concept of Fairtrade has well and truly been engrained into all elements of school life and it has been fantastic to see every age group get involved. The display of promises will remain up in the geography corridor for the remainder of term to remind pupils and staff of their pledge. The Geography club and Eco-committee have worked tirelessly and passionately throughout the fortnight, taking a lead role in everything from the chapel talk to hosting the quiz. Not an easy feat for 12 year olds; I am extremely proud of them”.