Go Bananas for Fairtrade
Fylde’s Local Strategic Partnership and the Council are going bananas this week to mark the end of the Fairtrade fortnight.
A banana getting peeled
And urging residents of the Fylde to join in, in an attempt to break a record in the process.
Over the last two weeks the partnership has been out and about in the Borough promoting Fairtrade in an attempt to persuade people to buy products that will benefit the producers who often do not get paid a fair wage for their work. The fortnight is set to come to a close with a massive national ‘Go Bananas’ event to see which area of the Country can eat the most bananas in 24 hours.
Starting on 06 March at noon until noon the following day the LSP and its partners will be giving away around 300 Fairtrade bananas throughout Lytham and St Annes to persuade people to buy Fairtrade when they do their shopping. Staff at Fylde Borough Council will be kicking off the bid to eat the most bananas as they tuck in to a bunch before hitting the streets of St Annes to give more bananas away.
On the Saturday morning Rev Glynn Eatock, Chair of Fylde’s Fairtrade Steering Group, has organised 100 bananas to be available outside Booths in St Annes for passers by doing their Saturday shopping. They can then go in to Booths to buy more and do their bit for Fairtrade.
Rev Eatock said: “We were truly thrilled to be named as a Fairtrade Borough last June and we have seen so many businesses and groups come on board with the Fairtrade ethos ever since. The message of Fairtrade is so important and we must do all we can to encourage people to buy Fairtrade.
“The Fylde has had a great fortnight starting with the St Anne's pancake race last week – involving local chefs, Lancashire County Council staff and Fylde Council staff - and a wonderful Fairtrade Flower demonstration too. This Banana eating campaign is a bit of fun for the Country to get behind and I know that Fylde is truly getting in to the spirit of things.”
At the same time Children from St Bedes School will be in Lytham, again outside Booths, counting up the number of people that have bought bananas as the Fylde attempts to be the biggest banana eaters in the Country. The school will be spending Friday afternoon eating bananas as they learn about Fairtrade and the importance of the messages it supports.
Councillor Albert Pounder, Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Partnerships, said: “I think we all need a bit of fun at the moment to lift the spirits of the borough and this is something we can all easily get behind. It would be great if we could break this record as a borough.
“The LSP has done a great job in pulling together the activities over the fortnight and I hope some of them can be done again in future years.”
Other local businesses and schools have jumped on board and will be aiming to get as many people as possible eating bananas throughout the 24 hour period.
The figures will be added up by the LSP and sent to the organisers of the national event. It is hoped Fylde can prove it deserves the Fairtrade status it was awarded last year by really getting behind the campaign.
For more information on the campaign residents can log on to www.fairtrade.org.uk/gobananas or www.fylde.gov.uk/lsp.
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