Promoting Fairtrade in Pocklington: Students make a real-world impact with community action
Sixth Formers, Polina and Arthur, have spent the past year making a meaningful contribution to the local community by promoting Fairtrade in Pocklington. Working closely with Judith Micklem at Pocklington Fairtrade, they developed a professional leaflet that highlights which local shops and cafes use Fairtrade products - a resource now actively helping to raise awareness across the town.
“Our community action project involved promoting Fairtrade in our town by creating a leaflet that shows which local shops and cafes use Fairtrade products,” explained Polina. “We wanted to raise awareness and encourage more people in Pocklington to support Fairtrade by shopping or eating out.”
Their involvement began through the school’s Community Action Programme, which encourages students to engage with local causes. Pocklington Fairtrade welcomed their support, and the students were guided throughout the process by local coordinator Judith Micklem. “She gave us really helpful guidance on how we could contribute through this project,” added Arthur.
The research phase of the project was extensive. The students visited a range of shops and cafes in Pocklington and also reached out to many via email. “We asked if they used any Fairtrade products, like tea, coffee, chocolate, or bananas,” said Polina. “It was a great way to learn directly from the businesses.”
What they discovered was both surprising and encouraging. “We learned that quite a few businesses do use Fairtrade products, but not all of them advertise it,” said Arthur. “Some places used Fairtrade products without realising it. It surprised us how many people supported the idea but didn’t always make it visible to customers.”
The final product, a well-designed leaflet, is both informative and impactful. “The leaflets include a list of the shops and cafes we visited, and the Fairtrade products each one uses,” explained Polina. “There’s also information about what Fairtrade is and why it’s important. It was designed to help people from Pocklington make more ethical choices.”
Beyond the content, the process helped the students grow in valuable ways. “We developed a lot of useful skills, like communication when speaking to business owners as well as research and teamwork,” said Arthur. “We also improved our digital design skills by using Canva to make the leaflet look professional.”
Of course, the project wasn’t without its challenges. “The most challenging part was approaching people we didn’t know to ask them questions,” they admitted. But the reward was worth it.
“Seeing our leaflet finished and knowing it could actually make a difference in the community, that was the best part.”
Now that their work is being used around town, both students feel proud of what they’ve achieved. “It feels amazing to know that something we created is being used to inform and help people in the community,” said Polina. “It makes the project feel even more meaningful.”
Would they take on something similar again? Without hesitation: “Yes. It is a great feeling to contribute to the community and environment by engaging in such projects.”
Lucy Hornby, who leads the school’s Community Action Programme, praised their achievement:
“Our Community Action Programme is a vital part of the Lower Sixth experience, giving students the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to our local community whilst practicing the skills to develop into responsible, dependable young people. We’re especially grateful to Judith from Pocklington Fairtrade for initiating this valuable partnership, and to Arthur and Polina for their outstanding commitment to raising awareness of Fairtrade in the town. We look forward to more great collaboration in the years ahead.”
Well done to Polina and Arthur for a fantastic achievement, and thank you for making such a positive impact on our town.
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