1.) Moorside Primary School, Lancaster
This is the first in a series of short blogs about some of our champion Fairtrade-friendly schools, companies and institutions. These are institutions that have really put their heads above the parapet to support the plight of cotton farmers and clothing factory workers in the developing world through Fairtrade.
The first of these inspirational Ambassadors is Moorside Primary school in Lancaster…
Moorside and Koolskools: The History
Way back in February 2015 we were delighted to receive an e-mail from Janine Macgregor, a teacher at Moorside Primary. Janine had heard about our project from another school in their area. On 4 February 2015 Janine e-mailed Koolskools saying:
“… we would love to get involved in this. I am a Year 6 teacher and we were hoping to do some lessons on the cotton trade with a possible link to modern slavery…”.
Well, get involved they did!
Koolskools visited Moorside during Fairtrade Fortnight 2015, and Moorside’s subsequent embracing of Fairtrade was nothing short of meteoric.
Koolskools paid another Fairtrade educational visit to Moorside in October 2015. Shortly thereafter, the Year 6s decided they wanted to convert what they were learning about vulnerable cotton growers and textiles factory workers into direct action.
Moorside’s PTA gave them the chance to buy 2016 Year 6 Leavers’ hoodies made with Fairtrade cotton…
…but it didn’t stop there!
Moorside Student Fairtrade Advocacy
In July 2016 the Moorside students gave a presentation about Fairtrade school uniform to the Lancashire Schools Sustainability Conference at St Christopher’s School in Accrington. Koolskools is currently talking to several schools in the Lancashire area about Fairtrade school uniform as a direct result.
We are also delighted to say that this remarkable Moorside Fairtrade cotton advocacy is going to be in action again on 3 February in Preston. Moorside are teaming up with Koolskools to do a joint presentation on Fairtrade cotton and Fairtrade school uniform at the Preston Schools Fairtrade Conference.
Moorside Fairtrade Uniform
Moorside have just received their 2017 Year 6 Leavers’ hoodies; they are offering their parents an online
Fairtrade uniform choice through Koolskools; and even their staff are embracing Fairtrade cotton, having just received their first batch of Fairtrade Staff hoodies.
Once again, Koolskools would like to say a big THANK YOU to Moorside Primary on behalf of our Fairtrade cotton farmers and factory workers.
Andy
Koolskools