Brechin has officially obtained Fairtrade city status following a campaign dating back to 2009.
A certificate marking the achievement will be officially presented to the Brechin Fairtrade Forum by Angus Provost Ruth Leslie Melville at a ceremony on Saturday in St Andrew’s Episcopal Church Hall on Castle Street.
The forum’s convener, Father David Mumford, said he was “absolutely thrilled” by the recognition, which will also see Fairtrade status granted to the surrounding areas of Edzell, Glenesk and Glen Lethnot.
The celebrations will form part of Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs until March 15, and come after a widespread drive to encourage businesses in the area to adopt a Fairtrade approach.
The forum has also actively encouraged schools in the area to take an interest in the issue, with Brechin High School in particular putting the issue at the heart of a number of its enterprise programmes.
Father Mumford said, “To promote the idea that people who produce things should be paid a fair price commends itself.Effort”We had to do quite a bit to gain the status because in order to be named as a Fairtrade town or city you have to have a certain number of retailers in the area selling Fairtrade goods. In that respect, we were very much helped by the Co-operative group.
“We also had to show that workplaces in the area were willing to use Fairtrade tea and coffee.
“It’s a big achievement for Brechin and we really are absolutely delighted by the news. Saturday will be a very happy occasion.”
Father Mumford said he hoped as many of the parties who had participated in the campaign as possible would be able to attend the ceremony, which begins at 5.30pm.
It will follow a Fairtrade Big Brew event from 3pm onwards, in which local people will have the opportunity to enjoy a cup of Fairtrade tea and purchase Fairtrade products.
Hannah Reed, Fairtrade towns manager, has also written to the forum congratulating it on the milestone.