Our Traidcraft Stall is now celebrating its third anniversary! We began trading in March 1999 and with very few exceptions have held a stall every month in the Parish Hall at coffee time after the 9.30 Service ever since.

The venture was started as a practical part of the Saint Mary's Mission Giving process. We chose to operate through Traidcraft, which is a Christian initiative and is the United Kingdom's largest fair trade organisation.

Traidcraft aims to challenge the way in which international trading systems are usually structured. Small businesses in 'third world' countries face many disadvantages in trade. Among these are that they may lack the capital to get started in the first place. International tariffs and quotas may limit how many of their products other countries can buy. World prices and demands for their produce may be unpredictable, ( coffee is a case in question here. ) These difficulties make it very difficult for small traders to compete on the World Market.

Traidcraft aims to pay a fair price for the products it buys and to help poor communities to work their way out of poverty. It establishes relationships with groups of small farmers and with community based enterprises. Access to credit can be organised in order to provide the raw materials which are needed to get started and support for training programmes to develop skills and knowledge is given. Fair trade can make a real difference to the lives of its producers, providing improvements in health care, housing and education as well as safe water supplies and abetter diet for the whole community.

Our regular stall at Saint Mary's therefore does not aim to make a substantial profit. Initially, Traidcraft allowed us sufficient credit to get started and financially we now break even. Last year were also able to make a donation of £ 100.00 to the Bishop Benzies Appeal. We take approximately £1500.00 per annum, which is largely ploughed back into the purchase of our stock.

Currently, on the credit side, we hold a substantial amount of stock. However, like all foodstuffs, it has a sell-by date, and we rely on our customers to buy regularly so that nothing is lost through unnecessary waste.

Our 'regulars' keep us afloat and usually buy their favourite items every month. And of course we would welcome more customers to the stall! We have a wide variety of goods ranging through tea and coffee, several different types of muesli, dried fruit, nuts, rice, sugar, delicious biscuits and a variety of chocolate and other sweets.

So why not visit us when we hold our next stall, which is usually held on the first ~ Sunday of each month? You may decide on your own favourites after a few visits, and of course all our trading supports Fair Trade.