Buxton & Leek College students have been celebrating their innovative fair trade activities as part of a six-week induction project – culminating in two “forward-thinking” showcase celebrations this week at both Buxton and Leek campuses.
Last year Buxton & Leek College was the first College in the country to be awarded the new national Fairtrade University and College Award, following a new accreditation scheme.
As a Fairtrade status institution, the College is keen to maintain its high ethical standards and has now introduced a college-wide “Fairtrade induction project”, so that new students start thinking about fair trade as soon as they arrive.
Ingrid Keith, the Chaplaincy Coordinator, who was instrumental in the College reaching the standards said:
“We’re immensely proud of all the work our students and staff continue to put in as part of our Fairtrade status. This week we’ve enjoyed two celebratory showcase events at both our Buxton and Leek campuses marking the end of their induction projects.
“The showcases have included a number of different student-led activities. Our childcare students based their activities on The Very Hungry Caterpillar storybook and made caterpillar skewers with Fairtrade chocolate and fruits to represent what they like to eat.
“The Hair and beauty students created fair trade shampoo bars, hair masks and exfoliators.
They researched online and substituted ingredients such as sugar and honey for Fairtrade versions.
“Our Media students also researched and recorded their own fair trade podcasts, whilst IT and business students have been making computer games based on fair trade. We’ve also been amazed by art & design, engineering and carpentry projects that were all fair trade inspired.”
Well-deserved refreshments were provided by the college’s Learning for Living & Work students who baked fair trade cookies and cakes for the event, all washed down with lovely Fairtrade tea. Special guests that attended the events included Bob Harrison, Community champion at Buxton’s Morrison’s and Cllr Susan Coleman, Chair of Leek Fairtrade Town Committee