Fair trade enters the Dragons Den

Piecing together a story from B'ham Archive images

Over the last three weeks over 100 young people from Holy Trinity Catholic Media Arts College have been working on their own ideas for fair and ethical trading to appeal to young people in Birmingham.

Their creative ideas could be developed with the support of Fairtrade Association Birmingham and Creative Partnerships.  Their enquiry 'should all trade be fair?' was supported by a range of our different fair trade experts who made presentations about their practice, and answer any questions about the ideas of the young people.
Apart from the obvious enthusiasm of young people to explore fairness and trading, there are a range of curriculum learning objectives that could be covered by this project. We supported learning by offering a range of different workshops covering related issues:

• Birmingham and Fair Trade - Marcus Belben (Bham Archives and Heritage)
• Marketing and Publicity - Marcia Springer (Bright Space)
• The Cooperative movement - John Boyle (Midlands Coop)
• Fairtrade and film, John Cooper (Just film Cooperative)
• Trade and Charity, Sylvia Gardner (LUCIA)
• Faith and Fair trade, Karem Issa (Faiths Act Fellow with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation).

Mapping out where goods have come from to make their clothes

The dragons den was hosted at Holy Trinity, the panel including young people, teaching staff and Jane Colbourne (FAB secretary and procurements manager, University of Birmingham).  Each class from year 8 presented one of their ideas, including clothing for young women, sportswear, drinks and make up, mobile phones and an app to find fairtrade goods, footwear including fairtrade trainers (Fairtrainers+, the dragon's den winners) and not forgetting chocolate.

Clothing designed during project

Presentations were mostly organised with powerpoint, including drama, artwork and a rap, all demonstrating the understanding of young people and their creative approach, in their words, to 'young people changing the world'

Sushan Dasgupta also coordinated a meeting at Shared Earth, on 10th March to discuss and develop a youth forum for young people and schools across Birmingham. Our work at Holy Trinity and all the other schools we have worked with over fairtrade fortnight in Birmingham, has demonstrated a need to collaborate more with young people to develop their campaigns on fair and ethical trading in Birmingham.

Young Guns Fighting Poverty

Shared Earth is committed to Fair and ethical trade. As a part of Shared Earth’s 25th Anniversary, we want to meet young people active or interested in campaigning for fairer trade.


On the 10th March, 4:00 to 6:00, we are inviting young people from Birmingham to join us at our New Street shop for a networking event, sharing ideas and experiences where young people make a difference fighting poverty through fair trade.


Shared Earth and Fairtrade Association Birmingham (FAB) are committed to supporting young people in Birmingham, and we intend this to be the first meeting, and the beginning of a Birmingham wide Young People’s Forum for fair and ethical trade.

Special guests, Jeremy Piercy, founder and managing director of Shared Earth, John Boyle, Chair of Fairtrade Association Birmingham and Members Relations Officer, Midlands Cooperative Society, and Matt Windle, Slam poet and former young Poet Laureate, will be taking part in our network evening. Snacks available, any dietary or other special requirements, please let us know.

Whether or not you will attend our event, please register interest by forwarding your email, or other contact detail you wish us to use to Marcus (see below).


Please contact Sushan Dasgupta (Shared Earth 0121 633 0151) or Marcus Belben (FAB, marcus.belben@gmail.com, 07784302283):


Shared Earth
87 New Street
Birmingham
B2 4BA

0121 633 0151