Over 100 twinkle-toed Central England Co-op members take to the dance floor to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight

Posted by james brindle | Published: 28/02/2019


Central England Co-op members put their dancing shoes on to take part in a special event to help mark Fairtrade Fortnight at Burton Town Hall.

Over 100 people attended the Fairtrade Tea Dance on Wednesday (February 27) and were treated to a fun-packed afternoon of dancing, as well enjoying the opportunity to sample some delicious Fairtrade products.

The event was held to celebrate the annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of ethical trading practices and was jointly organised by the Southern, Northern and Western Membership and Community Councils (MCCs).

James Knight, Member and Community Relations Officer at Central England Co-op, said: “As a co-operative retailer we are deeply passionate about ethical trading and our communities so being able to host a Fairtrade Tea Dance during Fairtrade Fortnight was a great opportunity to raise awareness of this vital campaign and give our members a really enjoyable time.

“The Fairtrade products showcased at the event proved very popular with our members and highlighted the great range and quality of ethically sourced food and drink available in our Food Stores. It was also great to hold a raffle of Fairtrade products to raise funds for our corporate charity partner Dementia UK.”

Fairtrade Fortnight takes place until 10 March and is seeing thousands of individuals, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid.

A major focus of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight is a campaign to make a living income a reality for cocoa farmers in West Africa.

Members attending the tea dance were treated to a gift of Co-op Fairtrade chocolate to give them a taste of the quality chocolate which is produced from cocoa grown by Fairtrade farmers and show them what a great, ethical alternative it is.

More details about Fairtrade Fortnight can be found by visiting www.centralengland.coop/fairtrade

The Southern, Northern and Western Membership and Community Councils are made up of Co-op members who are passionate about their community and want to make a difference within it. Each council is given funding and support by the Society to organise activities and events.

People can find out more about the work of the MCC by visiting https://www.members.coop/

 

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. 

It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.

Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2019.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop