Halifax Minster opened its doors to 80 school children from across Halifax on Friday 13^th May, to celebrate World Fairtrade Day at a Fairtrade Conference organised by Holly and run by Fairandfunky.

The event is part of Holly’s campaign to achieve Fairtrade Town status for Halifax. Holly said:

“The campaign to make Halifax a Fairtrade town includes our schools; the conference is a great way to start conversations with our young people about Fairtrade and how we can give a helping hand, through trade rather than aid, to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

The conference brought together 9 primary schools from across Calderdale, to celebrate and learn about Fairtrade; it is the first schools conference in Calderdale to combine Fairtrade and the arts, offering innovative learning for students.

The 80 school children attending the event enjoyed a range of interactive workshops with leading practitioners Sea Pie Parcel, Pockets Theatre, Liberation Nuts and Fairandfunky, using Fairtrade as a tool for learning, integrating with curriculum subjects such as drama, music and geography.

Empowering people to take little steps to change the world, fairandfunky delivers interactive and creative workshops on global themes to schools and community groups.

The Director of Fairandfunky Helen Robinson said:

“We’re thrilled to celebrate World Fairtrade Day in Halifax.

“The conference at Halifax Minster is a wonderful opportunity for Fairtrade to become alive and real to the children of Calderdale and inspire the next generation to make change.”

The conference also links local businesses with Fairtrade, welcoming Suma Wholefoods as a Conference Partner. Nigel Kaye, Co-op member at Suma Wholefoods said: