We were very pleased to be mentioned in an article for the Peace and Justice Network published in the Milton Keynes Citizen Newspaper. The city has achieved Fairtrade status but the steering group MK has been working hard to get more commitment from the council. There are some very committed people in our city – including “our” Helen who runs a Fairtrade stall two Saturdays a month at Woverton Farmers Market.
MK Citizen article
Next weekend on October the 30th there will be the One World Fair at Christ Cornerstone Church between 11am and 3pm. Go along and look at Helens stall and the wonderful array of Fairtrade products.
I have a skip in my step. Simple things make such a difference. Finding new ways of doing things here which improve the way we work. A delivery which excites us. A new customer with a wonderful design. Ah happy days.
We had a delivery recently – directly from India full of our top quality aprons made with Fairtrade certified cotton. These are loved by the artisan manufacturer for example making speciality breads, sweets, pies.
seeing They boxes always arrive literally “stitched” up. Take a look at the photograph. There is no chance of these boxes being tampered with. It’s sort of wonderfully “not mass produced” , so effective and looks very interesting.
I am always childishly pleased when I look at them and open them. Ahhhh the joys of changing our company into an ethical specialist.
Delivery of Fairtrade Aprons “stitched up” in cotton
The university of Portsmouth are a Fairtrade University and we were pleased to supply them with aprons and polo shirts made with Fairtrade certified cotton all embroidered with their logo.
The university is supported by Cafe Direct so we also needed to add their logo which in bright orange was very effective.
Our range expands and interest grows exciting times at Cotton Roots!
We have just supplied organic natural aprons to “Fallen Angel Bakery”. It is one of those lovely embroidered designs that we notice when they are being embroidered. Even though we have been in the business fro years some designs just make us look and take notice.
Organic apron for Fallen Angel Bakery
What a fabulous name!
We wish them good luck in their venture and if you take at look at their website they are definitely worth a visit! Yum.
Leap Media are a new customer. They obviously are keen to work ethically and have links with the National Trust.
A few weeks ago they needed some apronsmade with fairtrade certified cotton. Urgently. We were able to supply them with our unbleached, natural aprons. Their customer the National Trust were pleased – and so were we. Here they are!
Fairtrade cotton aprons - National Trust
Now Leap Media are back wanted fairtrade certified cotton t shirts. Urgently. Well the more people make this choice the better so I am delighted, plus they are a pleasure to work with.
Every now and again I get a bit wobbly. As I did last night. I have purchased morestock of Fairtrade and organic garments to extend our range – and then I think……..have I done the right thing? Arethere enough people out there who will be committed enough to purchase it? Are there schools who will want school uniform made with Fairtrade certified cotton. Slight panic on my part. When ever I read about other people in business they always seems so certain. I wish I was more like that. So I have to spend some time in thought and think again of the things I am certain of. Well……..
I am certain that trying to trade more fairly is the way I want to work
I love the idea of trying to think of the human race rather that just humans in the UK
I am in certain that there are lots of other people who have similar thoughts
I do think that we need to care for our planet and realise that we need to give as well as take
Once I have written this it helps me to clarify thing again. I may “wobble” and worry but if I believe in what I have written then that must be the way for me to proceed. So I await my next delivery of goods and they include our school uniform options. This is exciting I want to find the name of the ship they are on and make it seem more real. They will be here in around three weeks.
NOW. I need to let let schools and companies of the options we can offer them. They do have quality Fairtrade and organic choices. I am certain of this as well – this will be the challenge – to ensure they know they have a choice and that we exist.
I visited India to spend sometime with the people who grow the cotton for our Fairtrade polo shirts and T-shirts which we supply to schools for their uniform. It was adventure rights from the word go and was fascinating from the moment the wheels of our plane wheels touched down in the City of Ahmedabad.
The whole trip was fascinating and wonderful however, there were two main highlights. We were talking to spinners at the large Mahima factory when we were suddenly ushered along, being told that the children were going home and that we would miss them. ‘Children? What children?’ I was puzzled as I looked around at the adult filled room. We squeezed into an old car and soon arrived at the colourful Swayan School Academy which was an inspiring experience! I was able to briefly visit each class and meet the children who were from the rural farming cotton growing communities surrounding the school. The school was financially supported by Mahima the spinning company we had just visited who produce solely organic and Fairtrade cotton.
The children themselves were so polite and a little shy with us but they were clearly very happy. It was one of those rare moments that I know I will remember forever. As I left the school I realised that the whole trip to India would have been worth that one special visit. The knowledge that by manufacturing Fairtrade and organic school uniforms we were connecting directly with, and supporting this school made everything seem real and worthwhile.
Swayam Academy Class
I squeezed into the car again and was driven along a very bumpy track to a Fairtrade co-operative of cotton farmers. I had no idea what to expect as I had been told that the harvest had already taken place. However, another memorable experience was about to take place.
Drummers making us welcome
On arrival two young men drummed us a greeting and as I walked into the village I was surrounded by excited children and smiling adults. The harvest was not over and I was shown around the crop by a group of proud farmers. . They seemed honoured by my visit and interest which was so touching because of course it was me who was so honoured at their kind and excited reception.. Later I sat with the head of the village in the yard, and was presented with an Indian doll carrying Fairtrade cotton which was a very touching moment for me. These people, who in comparison to our Western lifestyle have so little, gave so much to me in time and smiling pride, and it may seem cliché but I was truly moved by the whole experience.
Once back from our trip I was absolutely committed, even more so than before, and it seems to me that we to supply Fairtrade school uniform seems the perfect thing for Cotton Roots to concentrate on. It’s fairer, has a good impact on the environment, and helps these children with an education that all our children in the UK already enjoy.
Another new customer to be proud of. We have been working with Christian Aid and supplied them with Fairtrade cotton hoodies and Fairtrade and organic T shirts.
All in bright red.
If you click on their logo above and look at their web site you will see all the wonderful work that they do.
The great thing about the organisations we work with, they may have different faiths, or live with slightly different approaches, but they all strive to care for others and our planet. I have also found another reason to love building this business……..the customers are a pleasure to deal with. They are interested, patient and warm. Oh happy days.
Wearing our Fairtrade & organic polo shirt
Here we have a Christian Aid worker wearing one of the polo shirts which we have embroidered with their logo.
Well the order for the Eden Project, aprons dyed with tea and coffee, have all been safely delivered. I am genuinely proud of them. The are of great quality, the weight of fabric and the construction and the colour……I love the strong but somehow, still soft colour.
We decided to have some made to hold in stock for potential new customers. It is this type of judgement that we have to make – to hold stock or not? Do we take the risk of buying garments without having confirmed customers or do we wait for customers and then manufacture to order for them?
I have made a few mistakes – and although I realise that this is the only way to learn – my mistakes are not my most favourite thing. For example I have lots of organic bar aprons in both unbleached and black fabric, but I have found that we have had sold far more of our Fairtrade and organic bibbed aprons – the bar aprons wait patiently (but not me).
Naturally dyed garments in our industry (company clothing, uniforms) are a step ahead. It will take us a while to find the customers who are committed and leaders themselves to take this route with us.
We have had t shirt fabric manufactured and dyed so that we can show potential customers. Currently we have pomegranate, madder, coffee, tea plus swatches of a huge range of other colours we can supply using less familiar plants found in India. My favourite colour at the moment is the beautiful orange dye made with the skin of pomegranate.
My current idea (as I am writing this) is to ask Jenny and Ros to come up with a print design for the front of naturally dyed T shirts. A design that gets across the message of “Dyeing for change”. We will then print it, or embroider it and see if we can find a committed organisation who would like to use it for their uniform or to sell in their shops to promote the idea of dyeing naturally.
Maybe there is a museum out there whose theme will be dyeing, or textiles, or sustainability and the idea will fit perfectly
……Well it’s Sunday and I am expecting a visitor so I have to stop thinking about business and start 1. to tidy the house 2. to think about preparing food (maybe a picnic). But before I go, if you are interested in “the perfect t shirt” take a look at http://www.betterthinking.co.uk/perfect/ I found this article sometime ago and found it useful and interesting.
Well hurrah! They arrived today from Morses in India.
Our new, hot of the press, Fairtrade Polo shirt sizing sets.
In our business before our order is manufactured in bulk Morses sends us a set of garments so that we can check that the sizing is just as we expect it – and today our set of children’s t shirt and children’s polo shirts were delivered. They are perfect! We also received our “lab dips”. These are small swatches (pieces of fabric) dyed to show us that the colour will also be perfect.
Morses has been a real help to help. He is thorough, gives me confidence and is looking after the manufacture of our garments. I met up with Morses when I visited India last year. It really makes a difference to talk face to face.
