TROWBRIDGE Fairtrade Town Group has been busy raising awareness about the benefits of Fairtrade products over the past two weeks as part of the National Fairtrade campaign.

The group held an event at Wesley Road Church Hall as part of Fairtrade Fortnight, which ran from February 23 until Sunday, while it also had a stand at St John’s Primary School.

Members of the group produced banana splits from Fairtrade products at the event, with Sainsbury’s donating 80 Fairtrade bananas, while children took part in an art competition.

This year’s National Fairtrade campaign slogan is “choose products that change lives”, as purchasing Fairtrade products provides a subsidy back to the producer and their communities.

Local group spokesperson Peter Barnett said: “Every year there is a Fairtrade Fortnight, which promotes Fairtrade products, and this year the focus is on products that change lives.

“We held the event at Wesley Road Church Hall to raise awareness and promote bananas, which are usually the first product that comes to mind when people think about Fairtrade.

“We made banana splits after Sainsbury’s kindly donated 80 bananas, as well as promoting products such as tea and coffee. It was a great event and we had around 60 children enter our art competition.

“There are also trying to push lesser known items like cleaning products, soaps and disinfectants, which use coco oil and other natural products.”

Trowbridge Fairtrade also held an event outside Trowbridge Town Hall on Saturday to promote Fairtrade palm oil products, with children involved in a bubble blowing competition.

Mr Barnett added: “We wanted to show the diverse range of Fairtrade products available. Producers of these products are in poorer developing countries and rely on a fair price and income known as a premium through selling as a Fairtrade marked product.”

For more information, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk