News

Education, Fair trade, Shop

Our new fair trade map of Renfrewshire

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Our interactive fair trade map

Welcome to our new map of Renfrewshire that shows the traders, suppliers and cafès who provide fair trade products.

However, we’re going to need your help to populate it. We would like anyone who’s interested, shoppers, cafè aficionados, schools, everyone(!) to provide us with the information we need to create a map of Renfrewshire that shows its residents where they can go for fair trade goods.

To do this, click on this link and fill out the information that you find out. We then will add those details to our map. Once your information has been added you can click on one of the purple icons and display it.

Charity, Education, Fair trade, Podcasts, Volunteer

Meet the volunteers episode 5

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Our delightful Paisley shop

In this episode we introduce you to two more volunteers with the organisation.

First up is Anne Scriven. Anne has been involved in fair trade for a long time, starting with her local church group in Kirkintilloch though to helping out in the Rainbow Turtle shop, various stalls and events.

We finish with Steph Mayo who started out as a community worker helping local women’s group who were interested in global issues. This lead to a meeting with Maureen Brough, a long term volunteer with Rainbow Turtle, helped Steph to get involved. Now Steph volunteers in the shop and is a trustee of the charity.

Charity, Education, Fair trade, Podcasts

Linda Okhuoya Ologe Interview

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Our education officer, Linda Okhuoya Ologe

In this mini podcast episode we meet our education officer, Linda Okhuoya Ologe. Linda has been on maternity leave for this past year and, just before fair trade fortnight, I popped round to Linda’s house to interview her and to hold her new baby, Zoraya!

As well as talking about fair trade, Linda spoke about an interesting project that she’d been involved in to bring fair trade coffee beans from Rwanda and Uganda to Paisley. She linked a new social enterprise, The Alternative Coffee Company, that imported the green beans from the cooperatives, with a small, high quality coffee roaster in the town, called The Gatehouse Coffee Roasters. With this venture she has created a beautiful connection between Paisley and farmers in Uganda and Rwanda.

AGM, Charity, Fair trade

Rainbow Turtle Charity AGM 2024

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We’re delighted to announce our charity’s AGM on Tuesday 29th October at 7pm at the Methodist Central Halls, Paisley (Smithhills Street entrance). Tea and coffee provided, all welcome. Please email info@rainbowturtle.org.uk if you plan to attend.

The business section will be followed by a talk by Margaret Foggie of Olive Tree, the charity that sells products from Palestine and supports schools in Palestine.

Enclosed are the papers for the meeting (please click on the link to open the relevant paper):

  1. Agenda
  2. Minutes of AGM 2023
  3. Chair’s report
  4. Financial report

We look forward to seeing you there.

Charity, Education, Fair trade, Fair Trade Fortnight, Podcasts, Shop, Volunteer

Meet the Volunteers Episode 4

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Our delightful shop in Gauze Street, Paisley

In episode 6 of our current series we meet 3 more volunteers from Rainbow Turtle.

First up is Kitty McEachen, an escapee from Glasgow who, to her surprise, found that Paisley wasn’t such a bad place to live in, especially when she came upon Rainbow Turtle and some of the committed volunteers, including the inspiring founder, Liz Cotton.

Next we have Duncan Macintosh, a long term supporter of fair trade, and early stall holder, who became a volunteer in the shop when he retired in 2009.

Finally we meet Marianne Sermanni, volunteer and trustee of the charity who, though her friendship with Roisin Mulholland (we spoke to Roisin in episode 2), started working in the shop in 2017.

AGM, Charity

Save the date – RT AGM 29/10/24

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Rainbow Turtle 20th anniversary logo

Just to give you an early heads up, Rainbow Turtle charity will be holding its annual general meeting on Tuesday 29th October at Paisley Methodist Halls at 7pm.

Following the business part of our meeting, Margaret Foggie of Olive Tree, we will be giving us a talk about the work that they do in Palestine.

Tea and coffee provided.

All welcome.

Charity, Education, Fair trade, Fair Trade Fortnight, Podcasts, Volunteer

Meet the Volunteers Episode 3

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In episode 5 of series 3 of our podcast we meet Elise Kelly, our creative shop manager. Elise has been in charge for about three and a half years. She joined us when we were just coming out of covid when things were tight and sales were poor. During that time Elise has transformed Rainbow Turtle shop into a bright and colourful place to come and buy fair trade products. 

After Elise we have Jonathan Barr, one of our younger volunteers, who was unemployed when he first joined and now has developed a broad set of retail skills.

Finally, we have Sarah Hurst, our newest volunteer, who combines her background in sales with her developing aptitude in social media to help promote the shop on Facebook and Instagram.

Charity, Education, Podcasts

Meet the Volunteers Episode 2

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Rainbow Turtle shop in Gauze Street, Paisley

In this edition of our podcast, Rainbow Turtle Rebooted, we introduce you to Joyce Jackson who started out as a fair trade stall holder in her local church before being inveigled into volunteering at the shop by Liz Cotton when she retired 7 or 8 years ago.

Following Joyce we have Clotilde Raydon, who 6 years ago came into the shop to get some refills for cleaning products. After a couple of visits, Liz Cotton, the then manager and director of the shop, invited Clotilde to become a volunteer. 

Finally, we hear from Chris Johnstone, volunteer, director of the shop and chair of the charity trustees. He started out in fair trade when his GP’s practice became the first fair trade practice in Scotland.

Charity, Education, Fair trade, Fair Trade Fortnight, Podcasts

Juliet Robb Interview

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Photo courtesy of Paisley Daily Express

In this episode we meet Juliet Robb of Olive Tree, a charity that buys products from crafts people in Palestine and then sells them in Scotland. The money provides the artisans with a living and any profits made from the sales goes to support charities in Palestine.

Juliet first thought about working with people from Palestine after a trip to the Holy Land. At the end of the trip, the minister said to her, “so what are you now going to do!” She now has a successful organisation that sells quality, jewellery, embroidery and ceramics that involves about 20 volunteers, all run out of her house!

I hope that, like me, you’ll be inspired by this courageous woman.

Education, Fair trade, Podcasts, Shop, Volunteer

Interviews with our volunteers

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Our colourful Paisley shop

In this mini podcast episode, we meet long standing Rainbow Turtle volunteers: Gillian Henry, Roisin Mulholland and Maureen Brough. In it they share why fair trade is important to them and what are their favourite products that they can buy in the shop. Unsurprisingly, chocolate and coffee feature high on their lists!