Rutland Fairtrade Christmas Market – Saturday 18 November

The annual Rutland Fairtrade Christmas Market returns to Oakham Castle on Saturday 18 November, from 10am to 3pm. With stalls offering a fabulous variety of Fairtrade and ethically traded products from around the world, the Market will be an ideal opportunity to stock up on gifts and foods in the run up to Christmas. The Market is organised by the Rutland Fairtrade Forum, a voluntary group which works to promote Fairtrade locally.

Members of the Fairtrade movement are strong advocates for action on climate change, both nationally and here in Rutland, because they can see the devastating impact that climate change is having on farmers in the developing world. By selling their output on Fairtrade terms, communities supported by Fairtrade have more resources available to adapt to climate change and to invest in climate-smart farming techniques, such as planting trees and protecting local biodiversity. In addition, across the world the Fairtrade movement is partnering with other organisations to provide training to farmers in sustainable farming methods. For example, last year 1,400 tea, coffee and flower producers in East Africa were provided with training on climate change awareness.

The Rutland Fairtrade Christmas Market has been running for more than ten years, becoming well-established as a popular event in the seasonal calendar. There will be a huge variety of items on sale, including food and drink, clothes, accessories, jewellery, crafts, toys, aromatherapy products and Christmas decorations. Admission is free.