Events to mark Fairtrade Fortnight will be bigger than ever in Beccles as the town celebrates a decade as a Fairtrade town.

Launched on Monday and running through to March 11, the two-week campaign is extra special for Beccles as the community celebrates its tenth year supporting farmers and producers around the world to get a fair deal.

The theme for this year is opening doors to Fairtrade, with a range of activities planned to invite residents to join the celebrations.

The Beccles community is embracing the occasion, with businesses and schools supporting the Fairtrade message and encouraging people to buy from the many local stores that sell Fairtrade products.

Wendy Moxon, chairman of the Beccles Fairtrade Committee, said: “We are extremely proud to support Fairtrade, and this year is extra special as we’re marking our tenth anniversary as a Fairtrade town. We work with the community to bring Fairtrade products to more Beccles retailers, and I’m delighted to say that we are well supported by local businesses. I’m pleased to see so much support for this year’s event and look forward to the celebrations.”

A special tenth anniversary reception will be taking place on Friday, March 2, at Hungate Church in Beccles with special guests including town mayor Richard Stubbings, Waveney MP Peter Aldous, and former MP Bob Blizzard, along with representatives from businesses and other local groups that have supported Fairtrade in Beccles over the past 10 years.

The town’s Fairtrade committee will also be hosting a pop-up café next Saturday, March 10, at Beccles library, with exclusively Fairtrade refreshments and snacks on the menu, and the opportunity to find out how the Fairtrade Foundation makes a vital difference to people around the world. The café will be open from 10am to noon and adults and children are welcome.

And the Sir John Leman High School will be holding special assemblies on a Fairtrade theme so that pupils can find out about the many projects that support farming communities in other countries.

Patrick Kaberia, a Fairtrade tea farmer from Kenya who visited Beccles in 2016, said: “To us farmers your networks are key in righting the scales for a better deal.”

For more information about the campaign and how to get involved, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight

Fairtrade Foundation

Each time someone buys a product bearing the Fairtrade mark, they are helping farmers in developing countries to get a fair deal, with an estimated 1.65 million people across more than 76 developing countries benefiting from the international Fairtrade system.

Local shops and cafes bearing the Fairtrade Beccles sticker are proudly demonstrating their support for the initiative - to qualify as Fairtrade retailers and businesses must sell at least three Fairtrade products.

Adam Gardner, communities campaign manager for the Fairtrade Foundation said: “Farmers get a better deal when they sell their crops on Fairtrade terms. This leads to a higher and more stable income and can help them break the cycle of poverty they are trapped in. Through Fairtrade, farmers can invest in better farming and earn more money for their crops, and make sure their children are fed and can go to school. Communities can invest in clean water and clinics, improving everyone’s health.”