Tag: scottish fair trade forum

AGM, Charity

Reminder: Rainbow Turtle AGM 2023

rainbowturtle2002

When: Tuesday 10th October at 7pm.
Where: Paisley Methodist Central Hall (Smithhills Street entrance).

The annual general meeting of the Rainbow Turtle charity will take place in person as above. We would be delighted if you could attend to hear about the progress of the organisation. 

For more information about the AGM, and to obtain copies of the papers for it, please click on the following link.

The business section of the meeting will be followed by the showing of a set of 5 short films commissioned by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum marking the 10th anniversary of Scotland as a fair trade nation. The films feature people from 5 different towns across Scotland (Alford, Castle Douglas, Motherwell and Wishaw, Paisley and Perth) celebrating the work that they are doing for fair trade. After the films we will have a discussion about them featuring a panel including Charles Sim of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, John Riches of True Origin (formerly JTS), and Nate Strawser of The Gatehouse Coffee Roasters. Tea and coffee will be provided with an opportunity to sample some Rwandan coffee from the Gatehouse and Kilombero Rice from True Origin.

Please email us to let us know if you can or can’t attend.

We do look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

Charity

Rainbow Turtle Charity AGM 2023

rainbowturtle2002

We’re delighted to announce our charity’s AGM on Tuesday 10th October 2023 at 7pm in the Methodist Central Halls in Paisley (Smithhills Street entrance). Tea and coffee will be provided. All welcome. Please email info@rainbowturtle.org.uk if you plan to attend.

The business section of the meeting will be followed by the showing of a set of 5 short films by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum marking the 10th anniversary of Scotland as a fair trade nation. The films feature people from 5 different towns across Scotland (Alford, Castle Douglas, Motherwell and Wishaw, Paisley and Perth) celebrating the work that they are doing for fair trade. After the films we will have a discussion about the films featuring a panel including Scottish Fair Trade Forum, JTS, Gatehouse Coffee Roasters, Alternative Coffee Co. and Rainbow Turtle.

Enclosed are the papers for the meeting (please click on the link to open the relevant paper):

  1. Agenda
  2. Minutes of AGM 2022
  3. Chair’s report
  4. Financial report

Charity, Education

Scottish Fair Trade film about Paisley

rainbowturtle2002

Many of you will be aware of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum’s (SFTF) celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Scotland as a fair trade nation. As part of their activities they produced a series of 5 films highlighting the work going on in Scotland to support fair trade. Each film was set in a different town in Scotland and we in Paisley were privileged to be chosen for one of them. All of the films can be seen here on the SFTF website, but as we thought ours was the best we have shared it on the page below.

The Paisley film shows the direct links between producers in Africa and our town, from True Origin (formally JTS) and Kilombero Rice, to The Gatehouse Coffee Roasters and Cocagi Coffee in Rwanda. Needless to say, all these products can be purchased in our shop. This for us creates a virtuous circle, where by buying fair trade products in Paisley we can support producers across the world and, not only can we benefit from their quality products, we also employ people in Paisley. True Origin also support the local food banks from their excess stock.

So, make yourself a cup of Cocagi Coffee (or a cup of fair trade tea from our shop), settle yourself down into a comfy chair and watch our film…

Charity, Education, Podcasts

Rachel Farey Interview

rainbowturtle2002

In this episode I am delighted to be talking with Rachel Farey of the One World Shop in Edinburgh. It’s a beautiful shop positioned at the western end of Princes Street in Edinburgh with the historic castle as a backdrop.

Rachel has had an interesting journey that started with working with L’Arche after she left school. L’arche is an international federation of Non-profit organisations working to create networks of community where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. From there she studied theology at Kent University where a friendship took her to Edinburgh and she started volunteering for the fledgling One World Shop. After a few years volunteering and then working for the organisation, she retrained as a religious education teacher and taught for a few years, before finally returning to the shop as manager. 

Rachel was involved setting up the British Association of Fair Trade Shops, was chair of the Edinburgh fair trade group, helped set up the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and was part of the team that helped Scotland become recognised as a fair trade nation.

In addition, Rachel has travelled extensively in the Indian subcontinent meeting producers and understanding the difference that fair trade makes to their lives.

Whilst I was chatting with Rachel I was struck by her knowledge of fair trade, the people involved, and the place that Scotland has played in helping producers and farmers across the world. We are fortunate to have people like her on our side! 

Shop

Rainbow Turtle wins Scottish Fair Trade award

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Rainbow Turtle’s fair trade business award

At the Scottish Fair Trade Forum’s online award ceremony on the 10th November, Rainbow Turtle won the Fair Trade Business Award. In their presentation they said:

Our first winner is a Fair Trade shop that has recently celebrated 20 years in business. Based in Paisley, it offers a high street retail shop for customers from Paisley, Renfrewshire and the surrounding area. It has also been a centre and catalyst of Fair Trade campaigning in its local communities. Congratulations to our winner – Rainbow Turtle.

In response director, Colum Scriven, thanked them saying:

Thanks to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum for the award. It’s particularly lovely that it has been given to us in our 20th year.

I’d like to dedicate this award it to all the volunteers, staff, trustees and directors of Rainbow Turtle, both current and former. They are the heartbeat of Rainbow Turtle. I’d also like to acknowledge the part played by the people of Paisley and of Renfrewshire for the support that they give to us. 

In a world where big systems seem to hold sway and where we’re troubled by war, economic problems and impending environmental disaster, I would like to recognise the difference that the small people make. For me it’s the small things that create the big changes. Where we, the small people in Paisley, can have a big effect on the world. Paisley is a place where someone can buy a bag of rice from our shop that can benefit a farmer and his or her family in Malawi. This story never reaches the news but for me it is far more important.

I’m grateful to the work that the Scottish Fair Trade Forum does in supporting the links with the other fair trade organisations in Scotland. For me fair trade is about community because we have to work together to make a positive difference.

Charity

Rainbow Turtle Charity AGM 2022

rainbowturtle2002

We’re delighted to announce our charity’s AGM on Tuesday 25th October 2022 at 7pm at the Methodist Central Halls in Paisley (Smithhills Street entrance). Tea and coffee will be provided. All welcome. Please email info@rainbowturtle.org.uk if you plan to attend.

The business section of the meeting will be followed by a talk by Kiera Wilkins of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum about the Alternative Coffee Company from Nate Strawser of The Gatehouse Coffee Roasters in Paisley who roasts their Rwandan coffee. There will be an opportunity to sample some Rwandan Coffee from the Alternative Coffee Co.

Enclosed are the papers for the meeting (please click on the link to open the relevant paper):

  1. Agenda
  2. Minutes of AGM 2021
  3. Chair’s report
  4. Financial report

Charity, Education, Shop

Rainbow Turtle’s birthday celebration in the PDE

rainbowturtle2002

The Paisley Daily kindly printed a double page spread on Friday of our birthday celebrations from the 31st August as well as photos from the past, marking our 20 years in Paisley.

Page 6 from Paisley Daily Express 2/9/22
Page 7 from Paisley Daily Express 2/9/22
Education, Podcasts

Martin Rhodes talk on COP26 and Fair Trade Part 1

rainbowturtle2002

Martin Rhodes of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum recently spoke at the Rainbow Turtle AGM about the importance of fair trade to the COP26 talks starting in Glasgow at the end of October. He states passionately that there can be no climate justice without trade justice.

This is part one of the podcast. Part two will be the question and answer session that followed.

Please subscribe to our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and Google podcasts. If you like us, please give us a 5 star rating or leave us a comment.

Shop, Uncategorised

Talking GLOVES Part 1

Elise Kelly

We are talking Fair Trade gloves with an added, added bonus!

NOT ONLY do the gloves already wash away and weed out unfair trade BUT… they are also of a seriously high standard…

How do I know? I have washed my fair share of dishes and ended up with my fair share of wet hands, despite always wearing rubber gloves! I have a large family and have never owned an electric dishwasher. With a house full of human ones (not electric), we have, until now, gone through too many pairs of washing-up gloves. Always the right hand, falling foul of a sharp knife or whatever secret predator lies in the bubbles, defying rubber gloves.

No longer! At Rainbow Turtle I have purchased a pair of Traidcraft’s wonder gloves and at an extremely modest price too. Note the singular: a pair, still going strong, many dishes and dry hands later!

As if that is not joy enough, we have customers on a waiting list for the marvellous gardening gloves. They have never known such good gardening gloves!

Do not despair, if your hands are smaller than large, as they are also available in medium.

The secret to these marvellous gloves? – aside from the fantastic price, quality assurance and practical way to purchase and support Fair Trade – is a supply chain that starts in a region in southern Sri Lanka and in Laos. It supports the farmers who grow the rubber trees and tap them for latex.

Join us. Shout out loud and clear about this extremely practical way to support Fair Trade. I invite you to be a voice for washing away and weeding out unfair trade, whilst remaining clean and dry.

If you want to give the gloves a try, pop along to Rainbow Turtle and buy, buy, buy…

Uncategorised

Fair Trade Finders

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Teachers and parents setting home learning activities may be interested in a fun game this Fairtrade Fortnight: being a Fair Trade detective! The Scottish Fair Trade Forum are asking for help in tracking down Fair Trade products all around Scotland, which you can alert them to here. These entries will then be added to their map, so that we can all see just how much the message of Fair Trade is spreading across the country.

So next time you visit the supermarket, local shop, or really any business with your children, ask them to have a look around for Fair Trade products, and maybe even let the shop know, either in person or online, if you aren’t happy with their selection!