Wellspring Church in Wirksworth, a Baptist / Methodist LEP, celebrated this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight by joining with the other churches in Wirksworth to put on a Churches Together Fairtrade Stall at the local Farmers’ Market on October 4th. With tea as the theme of the Fortnight this year, people were encouraged to sign a petition asking for a better deal for tea workers. According to a Fairtrade Foundation survey, given that too little of the money in the industry goes back to the people who grow and pick our tea, only one in five tea workers and farmers in Kenya can afford the essentials of life for their families.
The stall also launched a new leaflet, Wirksworth Fairtraders for which Ingrid Keith, Wellspring’s Fairtrade rep, co-ordinated a survey carried out in the town to find out where people can find Fairtrade goods. A wide range is available within a ten minute walk of the church, from tea and coffee to charcoal, cotton wool and flowers.
The celebrations continued into Wellspring’s Harvest Festival the next day. We heard again the story of Ruth and were reminded of God’s provision for the poor through the simple practice of leaving some crops unharvested. During the service Rev Kevin Price invited members of the congregation to take part in a Tea Tasting involving five different Fairtrade Teas. In one case, the Fairtrade Premium had funded beds for tea pickers, who until then had no choice but to sleep on the floor. He encouraged us to reflect on the potential of tea to change the world. A hundred million cups of tea are drunk every day in Britain alone. Imagine what could be achieved if they were all Fairtrade!