To celebrate this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight children in St John’s School ran a Fairtrade Pop-up Cafe.

Back in January, The Isle of Man’s One World Centre hosted the Primary Fairtrade Conference in the Douglas Tynwald buildings, which four Year 5 children (aged nine and 10) attended.

Afterwards, they shared their experience with the class who went on to learn more about Fairtrade.

Fairtrade products are sold at a premium so that farmers and workers in developing countries earn a fair price for their produce, which leads to higher living standards.

The children decided that they wanted to run a Fairtrade pop-up cafe for the school and community to both publicise the Fairtrade cause and funds for the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Co-op in Peel donated Fairtrade tea, coffee and chocolates after some of the children wrote to its store manager, Susan Walker, asking the shop to support the event. Parents, children and staff baked cakes and cookies using Fairtrade ingredients to be sold at the cafe together with Fairtrade tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juice.

Margret Newton supplied Fairtrade food and Traidcraft goods, which the children sold on a stall at the cafe.

Teacher Mary Jane Douglas said: ’The children planned the event, designing posters to promote it, set up the school hall and served the customers. Over £180 worth of Fairtrade goods were sold and more than £130 was raised for the Fairtrade Foundation.

’[It was] a valuable learning experience for the children and enjoyed by everyone who took part.’