Southend comes out in support of Fairtrade fortnight

Pupils and staff at Southend High School for Boys are leading the charge on cruel working conditions and pay by committing to ethically sourced traders.

For the last five years the school has purchased Year 13 leavers hoodies from Kool Skools, a leading ethically sourced school uniform supplier.

At the end of the last school year the grammar school expanded the initiative to include Year 11 leavers, and now orders between 350 – 400 hoodies annually.

School ethos - SHSB Headteacher Dr Robin Bevan.

Henry Hall, sixth form pupil and co-lead for the school’s fairtrade committee said: “In an age where supply chains are being scrutinised, we purchase fairtrade hoodies for our leavers to ensure the workers who toiled in producing the items we cherish as memories of our time in school have been made in an environment without exploitation.

“I am immensely proud, and privileged, to represent SHSB Fairtrade, a fantastic body of more than 50 students and teachers that has grown from a grassroots organisation into actively preaching the benefits of fairtrade to our local community. “

And this year pupils taking part in a new campaign, ‘trade, not aid’, learning how fairtrade improves living standards for workers in the developing world.

Ethically sourced - Southend High School for Boys hoodies on show.

Headteacher Dr Robin Bevan said: “As an outstanding school, Southend High School for Boys is a national leader in providing educational opportunities to promote global justice in a fairer society with a positive vision for the future. Fairtrade status sits at the heart of this outlook. Student leadership of our Fairtrade activities ensures their educational value.”

Andrew Ashcroft, CEO of Kool Skools ethical clothing, added: “Southend High School for Boys have set themselves apart from many in the country and demonstrated their commitment to fair trade, ensuring cotton farmers get a fair price for what they produce.”

Ethically sourced - Southend High School for Boys hoodies on show.

And across Southend there are numerous organisations demonstrating their support for the cause to mark Fairtrade Fortnight which ends on Sunday, March 6.

The two-week scheme sees thousands of people across the country come together to fight to better the lives of those who grow our food and drinks, mine our gold and grow the cotton in our clothing, people who without fairtrade assurances, would often be underpaid and exploited.

On Saturday, March 5 the Co-op will be hosting a taste test for fairtrade products at Leigh Baptist Church to educate customers about ethically sourced foods.

Support the cause - Darrell is dedicated to growing Fairtrade products.

Darrell Binding, the community member pioneer for the Co-op in Southend, said: “Fair trade is such a huge focus of ours and through our taste tests we hope to get people on board with supporting these important projects and principles.

The 64-year-old former civil servant has been working part-time for the Co-op since 2017 added: “I hope to see many of you at Leigh Baptist Church so I can demonstrate the products taste just as good, if not better, when they are fair trade sourced.”