Itchen gains official Fairtrade status

Itchen Sixth Form College has become the first college in Southampton to be awarded official Fairtrade status by the UK’s Fairtrade Foundation. The accolade was granted in recognition of Itchen’s proven and ongoing commitment to supporting fair trade.

The College, which last year was the first college in Hampshire to gain the International Eco Schools Green Flag, is committed to the Fairtrade scheme of supporting producers and trade in developing countries.

The Itchen Fairtrade and Green Group works tirelessly to ensure that environmental, sustainability and Fairtrade issues are embedded in the College’s day-to-day practices and ethos. Staff and students have been encouraged to choose the Fairtrade products readily available in the College shop and canteen and to understand the significance of making such a decision. In order to ensure that the Fairtrade message was relayed College-wide, the Student Union organised a ‘Fairtrade Day’, full of exciting activities such as inflatable banana racing and a Fairtrade quiz.

The College now joins the University of Southampton, Solent University and other local schools, awarded Fairtrade status, in boosting Southampton’s contributions to Fairtrade practices.

September 2009