Oxford’s two dedicated Fairtrade shops, Headington Fairtrade and Fairtrade at St Michaels, have joined forces to set up a third Oxford location for all things fair, ethical and sustainable. Despite all the upheavals and difficulties over the past couple of years with the pandemic – with both shops adapting quickly with online shops and new websites – they have now collaborated to open a three month pop-up shop in the Covered Market. Christened “Fairtrade in the Market”, it stocks a fantastic variety of fairly traded gifts, food and homewares, and represents a real boost to the livelihood of the farmers and craftspeople around the world who supply them with their wonderful products.
Whilst Covid has shaken up our lives in the UK, it has been devastating for Fairtrade producer communities, with issues including food insecurity, lack of personal protective equipment, poor access to hygiene facilities and job insecurity. However, Fairtrade producers have adapted to protect their workers from the worst effects of the crisis and to become more sustainable and resilient. This new temporary shop will help these small businesses and social enterprises to stay afloat in these uncertain times, and will support not only the artisans and producers directly, but also their families and communities.
With the help of Makespace Oxford’s programme ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire’ (a programme aiming to transform underused space in Oxfordshire’s urban centres), Fairtrade in the Market has rented the new unit in Avenue One of the Covered Market until the end of February. Fairtrade in the Market opened its doors for the first time on the 19th November 2021 and is ready to welcome customers keen to use their spending power for good. The shop will be open Mondays to Saturdays, 10am until 5pm and Sundays in December.
Rachel Walding, Fairtrade in the Market shop manager and committee member at Headington Fairtrade (second from right), says “We’re delighted to be starting this new venture in the Covered Market which will enable us to make a real difference in the lives of craftspeople and producers in other parts of the world who are struggling with the double impact of COVID and of climate change. It is great to be working with our friends at Fairtrade at St Michaels and to be alongside so many fantastic and varied independent traders here in the Covered Market in the centre of Oxford.”
Fairtrade in the Market
Unit 5,
Avenue 1, next to “The Oxford Cobbler”,
Covered Market,
Oxford
Open Mon – Sat 10 – 5, and Sundays in December