Swindon Soroptimists carried out a double celebration this week. They celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight by donating Fairtrade bananas, cocoa and chocolate to clients of the BIG Breakfast +. This coincides with the 10 year anniversary since the local Soroptimist Club first started volunteering at the BIG Breakfast in Broad Street, when we also celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight by giving fair trade bananas.
Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 25 February – 10 March and each year Soroptimists across the world use the event to highlight the people who grow our food, living in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid. This year the focus is on the people, in particular the women, who grow the cocoa in the chocolate we all love.
The Swindon Club felt it was doubly important to remember those in our society who may also be struggling and hoped that bananas and chocolate would go down well at the BIG Breakfast +. This was proven by the grateful smiles received when President Valerie Nuttall and members Lydia Cardew and Jackie Webb were there this week.
Almost every month since 2009 a rota of two to three members of Swindon Soroptimists have volunteered on a Saturday morning at 7am, at the BIG Breakfast +. As President Valerie commented “ The charity now operates at the Haven and is a very worthwhile organisation which we are delighted to support”.