Tag: fairtrade

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We’re Still Open!

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Fair trade toilet paper and kitchen rolls
Eco cleaning products
Hand made soaps

As of Wednesday 18th March we are still open, with our normal opening hours of 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Obviously the situation with Coronavirus is changing minute to minute, so this might not always be the case and we might have to close with short or no notice, but for the moment we still have supportive customers and we think we can continue to provide a useful service for our community. Cleanliness has been stepped up in the shop to protect our customers and our volunteers, who we are so grateful to for keeping us going in this challenging time.

We also (for now!) still have stock of toilet roll, handwash, and soap. We’ll also be receiving a delivery of our refillable Ecover handwash tomorrow, and rice and pasta soon. Continuing to shop with us, rather than clearing out your local supermarkets, will help our small business to survive this difficult time as well as ensuring that our fair trade producers don’t lose their much-needed income.

If you’re interested in our fairly traded and eco products, but can’t get into our shop, let us know, maybe we can deliver to you.

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Sugar Producers’ Visit

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Today we were lucky enough to have a visit from Malawian sugar producers, Nduzani and Aubrey, organised by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, in conjunction with ourselves and the Renfrewshire Fair Trade Steering Group.

First, Nduzani and Aubrey visited Bargarran Primary School in Erskine to speak to pupils from Bargarran, St John Bosco and Rashielea about all of the work that goes into growing sugar cane and how the support of the Fairtrade Foundation helps them to grow their business and support their communities. All three schools had lots and lots of questions for the sugar producers, covering everything from housing, climate change and the weather in Malawi to how to defend your crops from snakes and elephants!

After our visit to Bargarran, Nduzani and Aubrey were then whisked over to the Rainbow Turtle shop to have a look at (and a taste of!) our selection of Divine chocolate, which their sugar cane is used to make. It was a very enjoyable and very informative day!

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Rainbow Turtle Ceilidh

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Whirling Dervishes. Some people were moving so fast that they were a blur!

Saturday night’s ceilidh, to mark Fairtrade Fortnight and the closing of the Roots Festival, was a huge success. About 80 people of all ages came along to the event at The Wynd Centre in Paisley to listen to the fantastic music by renowned ceilidh band, Haud Yer Lugs.

The ceilidh was such a success that it managed to raise over £700 for Rainbow Turtle. Thanks to Roisin for the photos. Note that people were moving so quickly around the dance floor that they were just a blur!

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Volunteers’ Tasting Event

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As part of our efforts to work more closely with Paisley-based fair trade organisation, JTS, we recently hosted a tasting event for Rainbow Turtle volunteers in our Paisley shop. JTS import and distribute fair trade products from around the world, many of which are on sale in our shop on Gauze Street.

Tracy Mitchell from JTS brought a selection of Eswatini jams and chutneys and Ukuva sauces. She talked about the difference that we make to the lives of the producers when we buy their products. We learned of the difficulties that these small producers have in making and distributing their foods, often from land locked countries. We heard how JTS has to overcome complex logistical problems from international banking systems, transport issues and UK health and safety regulations. More importantly we were able to taste these delicious foods lightly spread on oat cakes and gluten free crackers.

My favourite definitely has to be the Ukuva Peri Peri Sauce mixed in with cottage cheese (or for those on a dairy free diet mixed in with an oat cream cheese) on an oat cake. Mmm… mmm… Also available was Ukuva’s Chermoula Sauce which is currently JTS‘ flavour of the month and profiled in one of our latest blogs.

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JTS Flavour of the Month – Chermoula

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Our friends at JTS choose a Flavour of the Month to promote every month and for February it’s the very tasty Chermoula sauce – available now in Rainbow Turtle!

Chermoula is a mild, fragrant sauce with a fascinating North African character: it is light, green chilli and coriander with lemon – popular and deliciously versatile.

Brush onto game fish, chicken or lamb – rest for half an hour before grilling. Serve with extra sauce.

Excellent in North African salads with bulgar wheat, parsley, tomato and cucumber.

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90kg Rice Challenge Schools Event

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A few weeks ago we worked together with our friends at JTS, WOSDEC, the Social Enterprise Academy, and the Renfrewshire Fair Trade Steering Group to bring local primary schools together for an event to learn about the 90kg Rice Challenge and to celebrate the links the Challenge has with fair trade, social enterprise, and wider global citizenship.

There was a great buzz about the event, with some really enthusiastic and empowered young people keen to increase their knowledge about the world around them. We were also lucky enough to have visitors from Renfrewshire Council and the local press to help us spread the word even further.

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Our Updated Mission Statement, Vision & Values

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Rainbow Turtle logo

We recently had a review of Rainbow Turtle to determine if what we were doing was still needed and if we should change the focus on what we do. Out of that process we had another look at our Mission Statement, Vision and Values:

Mission statement 
Our purpose is to help alleviate inequality and financial inequity across the world as part of the global Fair Trade movement. We help educate and empower Renfrewshire citizens to understand and act upon global inequities to lead to a fairer world for everyone.
Vision
An equal world where everyone is paid a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.
Values
Equity, Equality, Education, Global and Local Empowerment.
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Fairtrade Fortnight Ceilidh – 29th February

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We thought you’d like to make a “leap” into Fairtrade Fortnight this year with a fundraising ceilidh for Rainbow Turtle. Starring the renowned ceilidh band, Haud Yer Lugs, this year’s ceilidh will be held in the Wynd Centre in Paisley on Saturday 29th February at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale in the Rainbow Turtle shop, priced £5 or £20 for a family. Tea and coffee will be provided.

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Paisley Daily Express Article on our Christmas Window

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Thanks to the Paisley Daily Express on the 2nd of December, a lovely article was written by Alison Rennie about our delightful Christmas window, designed and installed by the students of Mary Russell School in Paisley. Come and see our shop window and buy something different for the special person in your life, knowing that your purchase supports producers and their families in developing countries.