FAIRTRADE

We would like to start off by thanking everyone who helped out and participated in our Fairtrade events that took place the previous academic year. Thanks to you all we have achieved the Fairtrade School Status again.
Fairtrade has helped many workers in developing countries by improving their working conditions and maintaining a decent wage for them and their families. Their aims are to help producers create better trading conditions and promote sustainability through a system based on justice and fairness. It guarantees a fair amount of money goes to each person involved in developing a product from the farmers to the retailers. Buying products with the Fairtrade logo, ensures everyone receives a fair price, plus a little bit extra so they can invest in more projects of their choice. People across the world are part of the fast growing Fairtrade movement and it is now being introduced in more countries. They believe that small actions add up to big changes that make the world fairer for everyone. Fairtrade exists in the hope that the world can become a better place for everyone and provides a fairer life. It's important that every person no matter how far away they live or what they do for a living gets a fair chance at life. 

What is a Fairtrade School?
A fairtrade school is committed to Fairtrade. A fairtrade school means young people understand how trade works and support it in any way they can. The school supports this cause by selling products and promoting fair-trade in any way possible. It's great for the school, because it's putting this issue at the heart of this people's movement for change. It's brilliant for teachers, offering loads of ways to enhance the curriculum and develop young peoples understanding. It's terrific for young people, because its fun and it is part of something occurring across the globe and because of the enthusiasm and support, it benefits farmers, who are earning a fair price, and feeling the support of people on the other side of the world.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2012.
This year's theme is all about taking a step whether its a small step or a big one. This can be from swapping your teabags to fair-trade permanently, persuading the staff to change from regular tea and coffee to fair-trade tea and coffee in their staff room. There will be more news about this soon.

Fairtrade Events
We have continued with selling fairtrade products and introduced Dairy milk and KitKat's to the school. We have continued doing this by selling it in the LRC snd selling our products in the school panto. However our biggest achievement so far has been the Fairtrade Christmas Fete. As the school began to get into the swing of Christmas festivities, the Fairtrade team held a Christmas event in H13, resulting in approximately £150 being raised. Stalls to tempt students and staff to spend their cash included the sale of Christmas cards; guessing how many sweets were in a jar; name the reindeer and the chocolate fountain which, needless to say, was very popular.
In addition to this, a raffle was also held: the winner of a Thornton's chocolate Santa is Anisha Bhath (7E) and for the staff prize, the winner of a bottle of wine is Mrs Wright. New for this year was Glen Coco's Candy Canes – inspired by the movie 'Mean Girls', QMers had the opportunity to buy candy canes for their friends and have Santa come round to classrooms to deliver these surprise treats.

By promoting fairtrade we have presented assemblies to make students more aware of what Fairtrade is about.
Fairtrade Aims For The Year:
• To invite the canteen staff to become more involved, this is a project we've already started on.
• We aim to get fair-trade into your curriculum, in subjects such as geography, R.S, maths, science etc.
• We want to continue selling our fair-trade chocolates and products and we hope to continue organising successful, new and fun events.
• Achieve our Fairtrade status again for next year
We hope this year turns out to be a brilliant one for Fairtrade

Nutty Chocolate & Coffee Brownies recipe

(Makes about 12 brownies.)

Ingredients
50g dark Fairtrade chocolate, roughly broken up
110g butter
2 eggs, beaten
225g unrefined (golden) Fairtrade sugar
50g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
100g hazelnuts (chopped in half)

For the frosting
100g butter, softened to room temperature
100g icing sugar
100g cream cheese
1 tablespoon strong black Fairtrade coffee

Method

Brownies:
1- Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
2- Grease a tin measuring approximately 27cm x 18cm and line with baking paper, allowing the paper to rise 3cm above the tin.
3- Toast hazelnuts in oven for 10 minutes (maximum) until lightly browned.
4- Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
5- Sieve flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Beat in eggs and chocolate mixture until well-mixed. Stir in hazelnuts.
6- Pour mixture into the tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until centre springs back when lightly pressed. 7- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in tin.

Frosting:
1- Beat butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy.
2- Beat in cream cheese and coffee.
3- Spread frosting on cooled Brownies.
4- Chill in fridge for 30 minutes, then cut into squares.