Fair Trade

Saint Margaret’s is a Fair Trade church. This means we are committed to using Fair trade tea and coffee and to try to use as many other fairly traded products as possible. We mark Fair-trade fortnight in February every year in various ways including coffee mornings and a combined Christian Aid/ Fair-trade quiz night. We promote Fair-trade products when ever possible and offer the opportunity for people to buy cards, gifts and household items such as toilet rolls and rubber gloves as well as foodstuffs and confectionery at our Fair-trade stall. This is open every Sunday after the main Sunday service and sometimes at special events as well. The chocolate goes down very well with the children but we also have tea ,coffee, muesli , pasta and many other items. We have recently started selling Eswatini jams, sauces and chutneys from Swaziland which we get on sale or return from the Balmore Coach House.

We  have a small, enthusiastic group of workers including several of our young people and we are called the Saint Margaret’s Fair-trade group. We regularly canvas the rest of the congregation for their opinions on the products we sell and have a large number of very enthusiastic buyers.

Our provider is Traidcraft which was founded as a Christian response to poverty but who work with people of all faiths and none to express the Christian call to love our neighbour and seek justice for the poor. We have catalogues available for people to peruse at their leisure so that they can order any products they particularly like. To find out more visit : www.tradcraft.co.uk

Every year we have a stall at the Newlands Community  Council Fête in September where we can spread the word of fair trade beyond our own congregation. We are always willing to consider new ways to promote this worthy cause so if you would like to become involved contact us via Saint Margaret’s Church.

Eco Congration Meeting – Monday 15th March 7:30pm – Hear about the amazing story of “Fairle Community Garden”

Eco Congregation

“Eco-Congregation Scotland is a growing movement of currently 227 churches from Shetland to Dumfries, and from Iona to Aberdeen. They are urban and rural, small and large, Protestant and Catholic, traditional and cutting-edge…..As well as taking action in their own church life, Eco-Congregations are working together in networks and promoting the programme to other churches through talks, workshops, events and materials…….Eco-Congregation is an ecumenical programme endorsed by Action of Churches Together in Scotland….. Eco-Congregation Scotland is supported by the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church…..Eco-Congregation Scotland is part of the wider Eco-Congregation”

http://www.ecocongregation.org

St Margaret’s joined the Eco-congregation movement in October 2008, a decision which had to be endorsed by the vestry and congregation as a whole. By signing up to the Eco-congregation programme we have committed ourselves to taking the care of God’s creation and acceptance of our Christian responsibilities towards those less well off than ourselves who will undoubtedly be the worst casualties of Climate Change. The programme helps us to incorporate this work into all aspects of our church life:

• Grow in faith and understanding

make the link between environmental issues and Christian faith

• Put God’s House in green order

Take practical action in the church

• Change lives, change communities

Influence attitudes and take action in the local or global community

As an Eco-congregation, St Margaret’s has grown in many ways: we’ve benefited from assistance from the Energy Savings Trust through an energy audit and a visit to talk informally to the congregation about ways to reduce energy bills in the home. We’ve got hippos in our loos………..to reduce the amount of water used in a single flush! We have a “no disposables” policy regarding catering. Our regular “Eco-info Stall” (along side our regular Fair Trade Stall) helps to share information & useful product ideas and our church magazine features a regular eco-congregation piece which aims to be informative, inspirational, encouraging or all three!

We aim to bring environmental issues into our worship on all possible occasions – in prayer, readings, song and focused services, involving all our congregation

The aim is always to pose the question in all that we do: “ What is the environmental impact of our action” In this way we can open our hearts to God’s guidance and act accordingly.