NEWCASTLE Emlyn Fairtrade Group is still determined to mark this year's Fairtrade Fortnight despite the coronavirus restrictions,

The UK-wide annual celebration of Fairtrade will be happening from Monday, February 22 until Sunday, March 7 and this year’s theme is climate justice.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 will highlight the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with. The facts are straightforward. Farmers and workers in the global south, who have done the least to contribute to climate change, are disproportionately affected.

Newcastle Emlyn’s Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations will kick off with a collaboration with Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr, which will be doing a Facebook Live 'Cook Along', on Monday, February 22, which is also the launch of their two week-long St Davids Day activities.

Chef Lloyd Henry will be demonstrating two traditional Welsh recipes using sustainable local and Fairtrade ingredients. Menter will also be running a Fairtrade cookery competition where people can send in their recipes, method and photo for the chance to win a Fairtrade hamper.

Another activity Menter is organising is a Fairtrade wordsearch which it will post on its social media pages with a bit of fun for the children.

Another collaboration will be with Newcastle Emlyn Girl Guiding. They will be doing Fairtrade and climate change activities at their online meeting on Monday, March 1, supported by Fairtrade steering group member Frankie Chissim.

In previous years, the Fairtrade group’s pub quiz has been very popular. This year it will be hosted online, via Eventbright.

The quiz, on Saturday, March 6 (7pm), is open to all. Compiled and hosted again by Frankie Chissim, there will be rounds to test participants’ knowledge on Fairtrade and climate change. This is a fundraiser for the Fairtrade Foundation and donations can be made on the night.

This Fairtrade Fortnight, the group wants to look at what can be done to challenge climate change in the local area.

This is the thinking behind the ‘Transform Your World’ planting competition, which will encourage people to grow or plant something in a space where there wasn't anything before by transforming an area of their garden or community with a new tree or plants.

People who wish to enter would take a 'before' picture during Fairtrade Fortnight and an 'after' picture on World Fair Trade Day in May (by which time something should have grown) with a prize for the best entries.

The final planned event is a challenge to bring attention to climate change and how it affects Fairtrade producers, with a focus on women as it is also to celebrate International Women's Day.

As two of the town’s Fairtrade steering group members are committed ‘chill swimmers’ this challenge will be held in collaboration with the Ceredigion Bluetits.

The 'Climate Change Gets On My Tits!' challenge is a chance for people to dunk themselves in cold water and send a photo or video of themselves doing it to the Facebook Event page.

This event, being held on Sunday, March 7, is a fun activity to highlight a very serious message. Those participating in the challenge must follow the current Covid-19 Welsh Government guidelines and do the challenge at their own risk.

Welsh Government guideline compliant photos and videos will be published on the Event page on International Women's Day on Monday, March 8.

“Last year we celebrated International Women's Day and Fairtrade with a swim at Aberporth beach, but clearly we can't do that this year,” said Lenshina Hines, member of the Fairtrade steering group.

“We still wanted to do something that was fun so we came up with the idea of 'Climate Change Gets On My Tits' and if anyone wants to do the challenge to raise money for their own climate change or Fairtrade cause, then so much the better.'

All of the Newcastle Emlyn Fairtrade Fortnight events, as well as other events happening throughout Wales and the rest of the UK, will be advertised on the Newcastle Emlyn Fairtrade Group Facebook page.