Many people are interested in starting a Fair Trade business, supporting them or campaigning to persuade people to buy from them. They are one of the fastest growing social businesses in the world and play an ever increasingly important role.

At this meeting we are going to look at Fair Trade as a social business and see what lessons we can learn from those who have started a Fair trade business, those who benefit from it as producers and how finance to established groups, often co-operatives, and support for their continual growth can benefit their trading. For those supporting the fair trade movement this should provide a rich source of information and case studies that will help promote the cause of creating a fairer world. We have joining us at this meeting,

Nuni Randall from Zodingdi. Zodingdi (previously Handloom Shop) is a home-based fair trade shop in North London selling clothes, accessories and home goods produced by charity organisations, cooperatives and self-help groups working among disadvantaged people in India. Zodingdi ensures that the producers receive a fair price for their labour, leading to a better quality of life with access to education for their children, adult literacy classes, employment, etc.

Hugo Villela is Shared Interests Regional Development Executive for Central America. Hugo joined Shared Interest in 2006 to advise the financial co-operative on which fair trade businesses in the developing world may be in need of a lending facility. He is a qualified agronomist and was awarded with his MBA in 2003. Previous work includes outreach programs at EARTH University and training of producer organisations in quality standards for international high value markets. He has a deep knowledge of rural frameworks within his region and works night and day (literally!) from the Shared Interest regional office in his home country of Costa Rica to help producers out in the field to get their goods to market. In 2008 Hugo was announced as one of three winners of forum3’s ‘Alternative Rich List’.

Sophi Tranchell is managing director of fair trade company Divine Chocolate, which sells chocolate bars made from Ghanaian cocoa to UK retailers. Sophi has been shortlisted for the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award for 2008. Regarded as the 'oscar' for women entrepreneurs, the Awards have been running for 35 years, with previous winners including Dame Anita Roddick DBE, Prue Leith OBE, and Dame Marjorie Scardino DBE. She will tell us about the Social Business model of Divine Chocolate.

Patricia Alexander, Managing Director of Shared Interest. Patrica is a qualified accountant with a recent MBA from Durham Business School. She has worked in various Finance Directors roles within manufacturing organisations and prior to joining Shared Interest she was Managing Director of Saint-Gobain Quartz. She is a board member of IFAT Europe (International Fairtrade Association) and also sits on the North East Industrial Board at One North East. She has been involved in charitable organisations for a number of year as a volunteer and trustee and is member of Soroptimist International.

Ambassadors For Fair Trade
Information will also be available on how you can become an ambassador for fair trade. As an Ambassador, members will be able to take part in a range of activities including:

• dispensing leaflets
  
• generating local media coverage
  
• speaking to groups
  
• staffing exhibition stalls
  

Shared Interest will provide Ambassadors with a resource pack to support them in the range of possible activities, together with regular information and updates on the Society, the Foundation and the Ambassador scheme, as well as suggestions for promotional activities. Ambassadors will also be invited to training days and will be supported by the team at head office.

Shared Interest is sponsoring our meeting on Social Business & Fair Trade. Shared Interest is a co-operative lending society that aims to reduce poverty in the world by providing fair and just financial services. They work with fair trade businesses all over the world, both producers and buyers, providing credit to help them trade and develop.

Come and Join us and take part in this event during Fair Trade Fortnight. It will be an interesting evening.

This meeting is being held as part of the “Fair Trade Fortnight” and is supported by the Fair Trade Foundation.