Christ the Servant King Church, Sycamore Road

Topics discussed:

Bucks Council (Wycombe District)

• Discussion re: lack of use of Fairtrade tea/coffee etc at the Council
• Suggested that we should challenge this as Wycombe is a Fairtrade Town

Bucks Council

• We could promote Fairtrade to the candidates standing for election on 1^st May and ask if they would support Bucks becoming a Fairtrade county if they were elected

Contact with Wycombe MP

• Meeting took place with Emma Reynolds on 14/02/25. It was a very constructive meeting and was reported, with photos, in the Bucks Free Press
• Emma will contact the relevant Minister to ask about possibility of England seeking Fairtrade nation status

Schools and Bucks New Uni work

• A link has been established with John Hampden School and a member of the steering group will be delivering 2 lessons to students in May
• The link with BNU is developing. Two lectures have been delivered to students and it is hoped that the Ambassador of Costa Rica will be able to come to BNU during Graduation Fortnight to officially open the CISE department and that Wycombe’s Mayor will also be present
• There are no plans at present to renew the Fairtrade status of BNU

Kelkheim link

• Kelkheim is a Fairtrade Town and they have sourced their own Fairtrade coffee from Brazil and had it roasted locally

Treasurer’s report

Social Media

• Our website has been updated re: the meeting with Emma Reynolds
• The BNU project to produce a promotional video for our group is on-going. Some parts will be re-recorded and interviews with shop owners are being arranged
• Cookie acceptance pop-up is now in place on our website

AOB

• World Fair Trade Day is on 10^th May
• Pann Mill stall booked for 11^th May
• Participated in a webinar by True Origin on 26^th February

Next meeting

Tuesday 6^th May at Christ the Servant King Church at 7.30pm

Christ the Servant King Church, Sycamore Road

Topics discussed:

Treasurer’s report

Social media

• Potential items for our website include a letter from Emma Reynolds (MP for Wycombe) and background on the Honorary President of our group
• Cookie requirement for our website was discussed
• Summary of visitor numbers to our website

Bucks New University

• 2 group members are meeting tomorrow with a lecturer at BNU and 2^nd year Film, TV and Media students re: the production of a promotional video for our group
• BNU will be ensuring that Fairtrade drinks are available in their refectories

Kelkheim link

• There will be a 40^th anniversary celebration in October of the High Wycombe and Kelkheim Twin Towns, hosted by Kelkheim. Two steering group members will be attending and hope to further the Fairtrade link between the towns

Discussions with local MP

• Meeting arranged for 14/02/25
• The All Party Parliamentary Group on Fairtrade doesn’t seem to be operational at the moment
• Need to ask re: the Fairtrade advocacy group in the EU

AOB

• Fairtrade stall at Christ the Servant King church on 16^th March. Also a Fairtrade quiz and stall at the church’s café on March 19^th
• Trying to organise a new contact at the school we have partnered with in Grecia, Costa Rica
• Upcoming Fairtrade coffee morning at Trinity URC church
• World Fair Trade Day is on May 10^th. We could highlight this at the Pann Mill Open Day and run a tombola
• Some new Fairtrade outlets in High Wycombe – Lacey’s Farm shop, General Havelock pub and Le De Spencer’s pub

Next meeting

Tuesday 4^th March at Christ the Servant King Church at 7.30pm

Venue

Christ the Servant King Church, Sycamore Road

Topics discussed:

Treasurer’s report

Social Media/Promotion of our group

• No longer able to access the feed from the Fairtrade Foundation blog
• Need to organise some software updates to our website
• Considering submitting an article to ‘Wycombe Life’ magazine
• It may be possible to advertise our group in the on-line publication ‘Wycombe Pulse’
• We are still a member of the ‘Mycelium Map’ which links groups with environmental concerns

Guernsey Project

• Project is going ahead to produce a coffee using beans from Costa Rica. Aim is to launch it in summer 2025

Bucks New Uni/Strathmore Uni link

• Strathmore is in the process of sending up-to-date information to BNU
• BNU have taken over the Brunel shed near Wycombe station and plan to develop it into a community hub
• A member attended the recent Sustainability Conference at BNU

Schools

• A member is trying to promote Fairtrade at King’s church

AOB

• There will be no Mayor’s Carol Concert this year
• A 15-statement document ‘Sustainability, Trade and Synergy’ has been prepared and sent out for comments. It will form the basis of the next article to be written for the Journal of Fair Trade
• Fairtrade Fortnight in 2025 is from 22^nd Sept to 5^th Oct
• Sam Rushworth MP asked a question on Fairtrade in the House of Commons on 31^st October ‘24
• Have had a communication from BNU re: an opportunity for 2^nd year students in Film, TV & Media to produce a 5-minute video for our group. Us to provide a brief and see if it is accepted

Next meeting

Tuesday 14^th January at Christ the Servant King Church, at 7.30pm

LOCATION

Christ the Servant King Church, Sycamore Road

TOPICS DISCUSSED

Treasurer’s report

Social Media

• Website is up to date. Any articles will be posted on our social media within a few days
• 63 visits to our website in the last month

Wycombe Celebrates event 08/09/24

• Facilities good and good contacts made
• Our A3 info board had been printed by the organisers and was displayed
• Possibly serve food next time to help engage public

Guernsey project

• 2 members attended the unveiling of William Le Lacheur plaque at St Katharine’s dock, London on 15^th September
• Coffee from Coope Victoria has been Q graded and aim is to have it ready for sale between Easter and summer 2025

Bucks New Uni/Strathmore Uni link

• Relationship between Business and Law schools in both universities will be formalised
• Proposed to set up joint on-line lectures, student exchanges etc

Churches

• Recent correspondence with Christian Concern for One World re: their Churches’ Action Guide

AOB

• Plans to produce a poster to take round to our events, based on posters seen at the last International Fair Trade Towns conference
• Fairtrade stall at Christ the Servant King Church on 13^th October and, on 16^th October, there will be a Fairtrade stall and quiz at the church’s community café
• Fairtrade coffee morning at Trinity URC on 25^th September, as part of Fairtrade Fortnight
• One member attended a recent Wycombe Friends of the Earth meeting

Next meeting:   To be arranged

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

Schools/Higher Education

• Has been an on-line meeting with the lecturer for the MBA course at Bucks New Uni
• Two 40-minute sessions have been delivered to students
• Attended meeting of Sustainability Committee at Bucks New Uni
• Contact with Fairtrade Foundation re: arranging a talk to be given at Bucks New Uni by a Fairtrade farmer

Treasurer’s report

Pann Mill stall 12/05/24

• Good weather and good pitch position
• Children’s section very successful and eye-catching
• Contact made with a teacher from a local primary school who teaches about Fairtrade

Social Media

• Discussion re: posting on our Facebook page
• Steering group’s new e-mail address nearly up and running

Wycombe and Grecia/Coope Victoria Partnership

• Fairtrade Guernsey have agreed to work with us on our ‘Galleon’ coffee project
• 2 kilos of beans sent from Coope Victoria to roaster in Guernsey

Barbican Event 04/06/24

• Part of the Fairtrade Foundation’s 30^th anniversary celebrations
• Plan to ask the speakers for their opinion of ‘direct trade’

AOB

• Are progressing the 2^nd article for the Journal of Fair Trade
• Discussion on possible venue for future meetings
• Social event to mark the 10^th anniversary of Wycombe becoming a Fairtrade town
• Stall booked for ‘Wycombe Celebrates’ event on 08/09/24
• Fairtrade Foundation’s website has been revamped

NEXT MEETING

To be arranged

Venue

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

Topics discussed

Synopsis of events since last AGM and thanks to all current members

Recent events

• Invitation from Fairtrade Foundation to a drinks reception at the Barbican, as a result of the ‘campaigner of the month’ award in January
• Fairtrade quiz at Christ the Servant King church
• Discussions with BidCo re: putting Fairtrade logo onto Wycombe map showing retailers that stock Fairtrade

Schools/Higher Education

• Ongoing talks with Strathmore Uni in Nairobi and Bucks New Uni re: setting up a link and Fairtrade modules within their curricula
• Upcoming presentation to be given to students at Bucks New Uni
• Meeting has taken place with 2 new teachers at Highcrest Academy

Treasurer’s report

Wycombe and Grecia/Coope Victoria Partnership

• Ongoing discussions with Guernsey Fairtrade group re: Galleon coffee project

Social media

• Need to get information out before events, so we can advertise them and ask for volunteers
• New e-mail for the group has now been set up: wycombe4fairtrade@gmail.com

Pann Mill Open Day 12/05/24

• Stall has been booked and we will be selling Fairtrade goods
• Also hope to also have an activity to engage children

AOB

• Fairtrade Foundation are running a forestation event for schools
• Possibly invite a representative from the National Campaigner Committee to one of our meetings

Next meeting

May 21st at The Avenue Church at 8pm

Venue

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

Topics discussed

Treasurer’s report

Mayor’s Carol Concert 10/12/23

• Fewer people than last year but there was a good interface with the public
• Donations for refreshments separate from those for Mayor’s charities and this worked better

Social Media

• Need to do more promotion of upcoming events
• Need to issue minutes sooner after meetings, particularly summary for website
• A new e-mail address for the group will be set up and e-mails will go direct to one member. The comments section on the website will be linked to this

Galleon Coffee

• Investigations taking place to see if it will be possible to produce this, using coffee from our partnership in Costa Rica

Schools/Higher Education

• A talk to be given to GCSE students in September
• Meeting has taken place with Bucks New Uni – linking of Fairtrade Universities discussed

A.O.B.

• Our group was awarded Fairtrade Campaigner of the Month for January 2024 by the Fairtrade Foundation
• Frans van der Hoff died in February this year. He was instrumental in setting up the first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, in 1988
• We have been invited to take part in the Festival of Wycombe event on 8^th September
• We have also been invited to a Community Board meeting on 13^th March
• Cosmetics now available in Primark which use Fairtrade ingredients and the Red Nose T-shirts in TK Max use Fairtrade cotton
• Have been discussions with BidCo re: updating their map of retail outlets in Wycombe to show which ones stock Fairtrade goods. Bucks New Uni would like to give this map to freshers
• World Fair Trade Day is on May 11^th this year and the next Pann Mill Open Day will be on May 12^th

Next meeting

April 16^th at The Avenue Church at 8pm

Venue

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

TOPICS DISCUSSED

Treasurers report

Social Media

• Discussion on possible website upgrade
• Need more content for website
• Setting up of new e-mail address for group, to be monitored by one person

International Fair Trade Towns conference (Sept 23)

• presentation from ourselves/Coope Victoria went really well and generated many questions
• theme of conference was ‘connectivity’ and there was a focus on the word ‘fair’
• examples of Fairtrade products being combined with local products

Wycombe and Grecia/Coope Victoria partnership

• meeting between Costan Rican contacts and roaster in UK on 26^th Sept went well
• meetings between ourselves and other UK roasters also being arranged

Pann Mill Open Day 10/09/23

• sufficient helpers but weather not so good
• perhaps concentrate on May and July open days

Liaison with other groups

• mainly with environmental groups at present

Other initiatives/ideas

• could produce tote bags displaying that we are a Fairtrade community
• try to get local roaster to sell and promote Coope Victoria coffee
• follow up contacts re: road signage and flower bed
• pursue other contacts with local schools
• will be providing refreshments again at Mayor’s Carol Concert
• work is being done to promote international links for Bucks New Uni re: Fairtrade
• Fairtade stall and quiz being organised at Christ the Servant King church

Meeting Venue

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

Topics discussed

Wycombe and Grecia/Coope Victoria Partnership

• 2 representatives from Coope Victoria will be able to attend the International Fair Trade Towns Conference 21st – 23rd September and then meet with a roaster and wholesaler in the UK on Sept 26th
• Will be a Zoom meeting on 8th Sept to discuss arrangements for this
• CLAC will be using our work as a template for future partnerships

Treasurers report

Pann Mill event on 10/09/23

Will be selling Fairtrade goods and remaining few bags of the partnership coffee

Fairtrade Town renewal

Most of the on-line renewal has now been completed

Ideas and Initiatives

• Try to attend meetings of local environmental groups
• Recruitment drive
• Liaison with Bucks New Uni and Highcrest
• Try to further our contact with other schools – assemblies/arrange talk
• Town signage – raise issue with Mayor

Next meeting:

Tuesday 17th October at The Avenue Church 8pm

Venue

The Avenue Methodist Church, Rutland Avenue

Topics discussed

• Social Media
• Updating our website and Facebook page
• Need to rationalise our group e-mails
• Pann Mill Open Day 14/05/23 – Weather was good and we sold 19 bags of Partnership Celebration coffee. Also held Costa Rican quiz and there was a straw tombola for children
• Campaigns Catch Up Zoom event 13/06/23
• An update on the Fairtrade Communities scheme. A more straightforward on-line renewal process
• International Fair Trade Towns Conference – Switzerland 21st – 23rd Sept
• MK will be presenting a workshop at this event re: our partnership with Grecia/Coope Victoria. Discussion on enabling representative from Coope Victoria to attend
• Presentation by JM – Re: his work in establishing ethical supply chains
• Wycombe and Grecia/Coope Victoria Partnership
• Meeting at Costa Rican Embassy on 19/05/23 and Teams meeting on 08/06/23 re: promotion of coffee sales in the UK

Other Matters

• Recruitment drive needed for our group
• Maintaining links with Bucks New Uni and Wycombe Friends of the Earth
• Need to pursue possibilities of having a stall in the Eden Centre, Fairtrade signage for the town and Fairtrade themed flower bed near the Town Hall

Next meeting

Tuesday 5th Sept 8pm at the Avenue Church