Join the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership

At the heart of Newcastle’s bustling Fairtrade movement is Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership, a growing community of local businesses, institutions and leaders united in their commitment to fairness and trade justice.

Established by Newcastle City Council, the Partnership champions Fairtrade throughout Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and collaborates with its members to amplify their stories and positive impacts.

For over 15 years, Shared Interest Society has been a member of the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership, alongside local legends such as Food Newcastle, Northumbria University, Westgate Hill Primary School and The Co-op.

Whether you are a shop, a school, a business, a place of worship or an individual looking to sell, promote or support Fairtrade, the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership would love to hear from you.

Why join the Partnership? 

By joining the Partnership, you will have the opportunity to:

• Strengthen Newcastle's Fairtrade city status and network. 
• Participate in future events and activities.
• Feature across our social media, Newsletter and other communications.
• Receive a unique platform to promote products and services to a like-minded audience.
• Collaborate with like-minded businesses and individuals to deepen impact, marketing or other purposes.
• Bring your ideas to the table and shape the public's engagement with Fairtrade in the North East.

Information shared with the Partnership can also be used to grow its Fairtrade directory and handy map  of organisations supporting Fairtrade in Newcastle.

If you would like to find out more about joining the Partnership, please contact fairtrade@newcastle.gov.uk

Why support Fairtrade? 

Fairtrade helps make visible something that is often hidden: that our everyday consumption is connected to the lives and livelihoods of people worldwide . It asks us to think not only about price and convenience, but also about dignity, rights and justice.

In the UK, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992, and Fairtrade-labelled products began appearing soon after. Since then, Fairtrade has become a recognised international framework, linking producers, campaigners, businesses and consumers in support of a more just trading system.

Beyond the Fairtrade movement, Fairtrade is also a certification system, which makes trade fairer and more equitable for the farmers and workers who grow and produce many of the goods we rely on, including coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, sugar and cotton.

Fairtrade works through internationally agreed standards designed to support fairer prices, better working conditions, environmental protections and a stronger voice for producers and workers.

Fairtrade in Newcastle 

Since Newcastle became the first metropolitan authority to receive Fairtrade City status in 2003, the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership has brought together organisations across the city which sell or support Fairtrade.

The members of the Partnership help to deliver the city’s Fairtrade action plan , encourage wider participation and keep Fairtrade visible in civic life.

This matters because Fairtrade is not sustained by a label alone. It depends on relationships, advocacy, education and ongoing public engagement. Here in Newcastle, that has meant building a network of like-minded people and organisations, passionate about making ethical trade part of the fabric of the city, inspiring younger generations and encouraging ethical consumption practices.

What the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership has achieved recently 

In recent years , the Partnership has promoted Fairtrade and its supporters at regional and local events, including Great Big Green Week, COP29 Climate Day of Action, Newcastle University Freshers’ Fayre, the Hope not Heat festival and Shared Interest’s supporter event in Durham.

The Partnership has also boosted public awareness through social media, information stalls and a new online newsletter.  These activities highlight the role of our partners in building a fairer world, such as Westgate Hill Primary School receiving a FairAchiever certificate and Newcastle Unitarians continuing their support for Fairtrade in the city. You can find a round-up of the Partnership's work last year, here.

There were important civic and political milestones, too. In September 2024, Newcastle City Council passed a motion celebrating 30 years of Fairtrade, and in doing so, reaffirmed its support for the Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership.

The Partnership also engaged local parliamentary members through the Fairtrade Foundation’s ‘Be the Change’ pledge, with all five MPs within Newcastle signing in support.

Together, these activities show that Fairtrade in Newcastle is anything but static. It is alive, collaborative and evolving, rooted in the efforts of people across the city who want trade to work fairly, for everyone.

If you would like to find out more about joining the Partnership, please contact fairtrade@newcastle.gov.uk