As a preparation for fair trade fortnight this year, we would like to welcome you to our exciting chocolate tasting event on Saturday 11th February at 12:30pm in the Methodist Central Hall, Paisley.
We have invited Juan Andres from Pacari Chocolates UK to come and take us on a journey through the world of chocolate. Listen to his expert knowledge and try out delicious, organic, vegan, WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) certified bean-to-bar chocolate from Ecuador. We are already salivating!
Get your tickets by using the enclosed EventBrite link. Ticket are priced at £15.
Our first winner is a Fair Trade shop that has recently celebrated 20 years in business. Based in Paisley, it offers a high street retail shop for customers from Paisley, Renfrewshire and the surrounding area. It has also been a centre and catalyst of Fair Trade campaigning in its local communities. Congratulations to our winner – Rainbow Turtle.
In response director, Colum Scriven, thanked them saying:
Thanks to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum for the award. It’s particularly lovely that it has been given to us in our 20th year.
I’d like to dedicate this award it to all the volunteers, staff, trustees and directors of Rainbow Turtle, both current and former. They are the heartbeat of Rainbow Turtle. I’d also like to acknowledge the part played by the people of Paisley and of Renfrewshire for the support that they give to us.
In a world where big systems seem to hold sway and where we’re troubled by war, economic problems and impending environmental disaster, I would like to recognise the difference that the small people make. For me it’s the small things that create the big changes. Where we, the small people in Paisley, can have a big effect on the world. Paisley is a place where someone can buy a bag of rice from our shop that can benefit a farmer and his or her family in Malawi. This story never reaches the news but for me it is far more important.
I’m grateful to the work that the Scottish Fair Trade Forum does in supporting the links with the other fair trade organisations in Scotland. For me fair trade is about community because we have to work together to make a positive difference.
The Paisley Daily kindly printed a double page spread on Friday of our birthday celebrations from the 31st August as well as photos from the past, marking our 20 years in Paisley.
Page 6 from Paisley Daily Express 2/9/22Page 7 from Paisley Daily Express 2/9/22
To celebrate our 20 years campaigning and selling fair trade products in Renfrewshire, we’d like to invite you to our family ceilidh on Saturday 3rd September at 7pm at the Methodist Central Hall in Smithhills Street in Paisley.
Space is limited, so please book your free place(s) with the following Eventbrite link:
Volunteers, Steph Mayo (left) and Clotilde Rayon (right), with education officer, Linda Okhuoya-Ologe (centre)
To celebrate Fair Trade Fortnight, Rainbow Turtle is hosting a series of tastings of fair trade goodies and home baking outside its Paisley shop in Gauze Street. If you come down to the shop between 10am and 2pm on Saturday 26th February, Friday 4th or Saturday 5th March you’ll be able to meet some of our wonderful volunteers and taste the delights of some of the products we sell in the shop. The home baking includes ingredients made with fair trade sugar, chocolate, olive oil and even beer bread mix! Also, on offer is fair trade coffee and hot chocolate.
The tasting is free but we also hope that you’ll like the products or ingredients so much that you’ll want to buy some for yourself inside the shop. Failing that, come and chat to our volunteers and staff at the stall, they’d love to meet you. Also, you’ll be taking part in one of our events to mark Fair Trade Fortnight where we remember the producers in developing countries and everyone that makes fair trade possible.
Our thanks go to all the staff and volunteers who prepared the stall, cooked the home baking, looked after the stall and encouraged passers by to try the food.
Have you seen our spectacular COP26 window display celebrating cooperation and close connections between consumers and producers and between all of the people around us? We hope so, as time doesn’t slow down and we had to say farewell to our COP display to welcome another wonderful artwork created by very talented Nicola Henry. Nicola is a Glasgow based illustrator, who was kind enough to let us into her world right in the time for Christmas. Come down to the shop to see us and admire Nicolas’s work in full. Besides the wonderful window display, we also have a lot of new stock and we (probably) have everything you need to finish off your Christmas shopping or simply treat yourself during this cold weather.
We have a range of nativity scenes – felt from Nepal, wood and olive wood from Bethlehem (doesn’t get more authentic than this!). On top of that, we have a big range of Christmas tree decorations and of course – TONS OF CHOCOLATE – white, milk, dark, vegan, big bars, mini bars, hearts, coins, elves, angles…you name it!
For those of you looking for more practical gifts, we have a fresh delivery of items made from inner tubes, coffee sacks and lorry curtain fabric: washbags, wallets, sports boot bags, ‘gig’ bags and decorations. For smaller humans we have some new Christmas themed items from Lanka Kade – perfect for Christmas stockings (which you can also get in our shop – Christmas sorted!).
If this doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. Our fantastic volunteers know answers to all your questions about the origins of items stocked in the shop. They are also great if you just want to pop by for a little chat. I’m going to risk saying that we have the best volunteers in town! 😀
So get your warm coat, hat and mittens (if you can’t find them, it’s ok, we have some in the shop!) and pop down to see us!
Martin Rhodes of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum recently spoke at the Rainbow Turtle AGM about the importance of fair trade to the COP26 talks starting in Glasgow at the end of October. He states passionately that there can be no climate justice without trade justice.
This is part one of the podcast. Part two will be the question and answer session that followed.
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We at Rainbow Turtle Just Trading Ltd are joining Scotland’s Support for World Fair Trade Day on Saturday 8 May 2021. Would you like to join us? Perhaps you could buy a Fair Trade product on Saturday and enjoy the difference it makes to others’ lives, and our world. Together, we can make millions of differences, in just one day!
Globally, we are asking that all countries build back up, in a fair way. A way that is better for our people and for our planet. Because…
we can #BuildBackFairer!
Our world is ailing due to the pandemic, inequality and environmental challenges.
The pandemic has shown us that we can WORK TOGETHER. Let us continue that trend.
Together, we can bring about transformations in our economies and trading practices for a FAIR and SUSTAINABLE future.
Join us!
WELCOME to Rainbow Turtle, 7 Gauze Street, Paisley, PH1 1EP : where you can buy Fair Trade, make a difference and even buy one get one free on quite Divine chocolate items – fair and delicious! #BuildBackFairer
We’re looking forward to this Tuesday, 27th April at 10am, to welcome you back to our fair trade shop. We’ve been working hard to get it ready in time. Note our new one way system to keep you safe. Admire the new shop layout to show off our delightful products, and marvel at our new refilling station where you can refill your Ecover and our new Bio D cleaning products.
Even if you just want to pop in and say hello to our devoted volunteers, it’ll be really nice to see you.
Please note, during the restrictions, only 2 family groups allowed in the shop at any one time. Thanks.
SAVE THE DATE – Rainbow Turtle reopens on Tuesday 27 April 2021 at 10am!
We’re fully stocked and up and running – looking forward to seeing you all!
WELCOME!
Buy your coffee, tea, sugar, biscuits, chocolate – crafts, toys, jewellery, gifts, cards and more… Don’t forget, refills of cleaning products are also available for sprucing up for Spring!
We are open every Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.
After such a long time with our shutters down, it is exciting to be opening up again and to see all of our regular customers, together with new. Please let your friends, family and colleagues know.
We do ask you to please wear a mask and to socially distance. We are allowed up to 2 family groups in the shop at one time.
