A WHITCHURCH market trader is pleased with support for fairtrade in the town as it marks Fairtrade Fortnight.

Judy Bellingham is a Whitchurch Fairtrade Steering Group member and was selling Fairtrade chocolate, coffee and other products from her stall in Whitchurch Market on Friday, March 3.

Whitchurch became a Fairtrade town in 2010 and the town is marking Fairtrade Fortnight 2023 which is taking place from Monday, February 27 to Sunday, March 12.

Judy said she has been selling Fairtrade products for many years and believes it is beneficial to people in developing countries.

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She added: “I have been doing this for about 30 years.

“I was keen to support small farmers both abroad and here.

“I hope to make sure they get decent wages and decent conditions."

One of the products Judy was selling was chocolate from a well known Fairtrade company.

“The cocoa of Dive Chocolate comes from a cooperative in Ghana," she said.

“It is good for people there as it means people get more of a share of the proceeds."

Judy was pleased with the way the first week has gone.

She said: “It is very encouraging.

“Whitchurch Town Council has been very keen to support it.

“We are very encouraged by the way people have gone.

“I think times have changed a bit.

“When it first started people  did not know what it was.

“People have come on board which I think is really good.”

Judy was pleased with the support fair trade has received in Whitchurch over the years.

She said: “Years ago when we first campaigned to be a Fairtrade town, we struggled.

“It took us about five years to get the accreditation because we could not gewt enough cafes.

“We had to get two and could only get one.

“Times have changed and we have got quite a few now and it has spread to shops.

“Some of the original shops have gone, but we have new people on board and they have been very supportive.

“Even the supermarkets stock quite a few Fairtrade products, particularly Lidl.

"People have come on board which is really good."