At a public town meeting on Thursday 27th April 2000 the people of Garstang voted for Garstang to become the world’s first Fairtrade Town.
While visiting Garstang, George Foulkes, the then Under Secretary of State for the Department of International Development said “The beacon that has started here in Garstang can spread like wildfire across the whole of the country and beyond.”
Now, with Fairtrade Towns throughout the United Kingdom as well as many other countries across the globe, his prediction has proved correct.
In November 2001 Tony Robinson, of Blackadder and Time Team fame, unveiled a plaque (on the wall of the former Council Offices) to commemorate Garstang as the world’s first Fairtrade Town.
Harriet Lamb, Director of the Fairtrade Foundation then presented the first Fairtrade Town certificate to Garstang’s Mayor to launch the Fairtrade Town initiative to the world. Garstang’s first fair trade retailer was The Mustard Seed, which opened in 1991.
You can find out more information about Garstang and Fair Trade on their website here
You can also view a BBC report filmed in the year 2000 about Garstang being the World’s first Fairtrade Town here