Local Fairtrade group contribute to world's longest line of bunting

Fairtrade fans in Ealing are celebrating after contributing to a world record breaking line of Fairtrade bunting.  

On World Fairtrade Day (Saturday 14 May), the Fairtrade Foundation hung a total of 3.4 kilometres (2.1 miles) bunting around Battersea Park in London to highlight their campaign demanding trade justice for West African cotton farmers.

Ealing Fairtrade Group joined people in Fairtrade Towns, Universities, Schools and faith groups across the country in decorating over 130,000 individual pieces of Fairtrade cotton bunting - equivalent to almost 31 kilometres km (19miles) worth - with messages to the UK Government and European Parliament demanding an end to unfair cotton subsidies.

Well-known names including actress Dame Helen Mirren, TV presenters Fern Britton, Sir Michael Parkinson, Lorraine Kelly and Linda Lusardi, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, business leaders including Mark Price (Managing Director of Waitrose) and Richard Gillies (director of Plan A and Sustainable Business at Marks and Spencer) and over 100 Westminster MPs (including Ealing North’s Stephen Pound) also decorated their own pieces of Fairtrade cotton.

Christina Stringer of Ealing Fairtrade Group said: “We are so pleased that we managed to get the world record.  The world record attempt is part of the ongoing Great Cotton Stitch-Up campaign to end harmful subsidies in the EU and US keeping West African cotton farmers in poverty. This alone won’t change trade but we hope it will act as a powerful message to leaders in the UK, Europe and beyond.”

Over 300 pieces of individually decorated Fairtrade cotton bunting were produced in Ealing.  Contributors included Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, St Benedicts School, St Stephens Church, Ealing Council employees at Perceval House, Ealing Central, Acton and Northolt Libraries and Ealing Broadway Centre shoppers who joined a public bunting-making session outside Tescos on March 13th.

25th May 2011