Sharon Taylor pictured with Co-Op Store Manager Charles and Shop worker Donna.
Sharon Taylor, the Labour and Co-Operative Parliamentary candidate for Stevenage, visited the Co-op store at The Oval to meet the managers and staff and purchase some Fairtrade chocolate instead of her usual bar, as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight theme is The Big Swap – for two weeks between 22nd February and 7th March people are urged to swap their usual products for Fairtrade varieties. This can be anything from your morning cup of tea or coffee, to your five a day of fruit and vegetables or even your clothes!
Co-op stores have the largest range of Fairtrade products of any UK supermarket, with around 150 own brand products and over 50 branded Fairtrade goods. They were one of the first retailers to stock Fairtrade branded goods, in 1994 and launched their very own Fairtrade chocolate range in 2000.
Sharon said,
“It was great to come and meet the staff here at the Co-op, especially as It was a good excuse to buy some chocolate! Fairtrade Fortnight is a brilliant opportunity to find out about the huge range of Fairtrade products that are available that not only offer a great deal to the people that produced them, but are delicious as well. I would urge as many people as possible in Stevenage to see if you can swap your usual purchases for Fairtrade ones over the next two weeks.”
As well as visiting the Co-op store, Sharon will be hosting a Fairtrade Coffee morning at the Stevenage Labour Party office at Popple Way on Friday 26th February at 10:30am to raise awareness and let people try some Fairtrade products for themselves.