Putting the fair into trade

Putting the Fair

Trade into

Paisley’s very own Fair Trade store, Rainbow Turtle in the town’s Gauze Street, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. We’ve been speaking to the team to find out more about their work and their enduring success.

“Before the shop was open, fair trade goods were sold by committed groups of people around Renfrewshire at various local church stalls,”

said director, Colum Scriven. “Rainbow Turtle's success is down to a number of factors: the passion and commitment of its supporters who believe in fair trade, many of whom volunteer in the shop; the fact that the shop is embedded in the town, many of the people who shop in it and support it are locals. “Paisley has a history of social justice and we believe that doing something small in Paisley can have a big impact on poverty in other parts of the world. “Ultimately, it is about trying to make the world a fairer place. If farmers and producers are paid a fair price for what they grow or produce, they will improve their own lives and that of the communities that they live in. “The products we sell are made by people who feel valued in what they do rather than being exploited. We believe that you can tell the difference in the taste of food and the quality of the products that we sell.

“We sell the traditional fair trade products like teas and coffees and you can buy sauces and spices from Africa and honey from Central America. “We also stock a variety of quality hand crafted gifts like bags and scarves, jewellery, mugs, teapots and wine glasses, animals and gifts for the difficult-to-buyfor. As we’ve become more aware of sustainability, we also do refills for household cleaning products that are kind to the environment.

“Our fair trade chocolate of course always sells well. We offer dark, milk, white and even vegan chocolate in a variety of flavours like orange, mint, salted caramel, raspberry and pink Himalayan salt. “We have a really good selection of cards for all occasions that are really popular and our children’s wooden toys always do well, especially at Christmas time when parents want to buy alternatives to plastic. “When you buy fair trade gifts from our shop you are giving twice: firstly as a present to the one you love and secondly to the farmers and producers who have made the item.”

Paisley has a history of social justice and we believe that doing something small in Paisley and have a big impact on poverty in other parts of the world.

Rainbow Turtle is both a business and a charity. The business side looks after the shop but the main remit of the charity is in education. “Our education officer goes into schools and community/ church groups in Renfrewshire teaching about fair trade and the impact that their choices make when they shop,” added Colum. “We’re marking our 20th Anniversary with a series of events including a birthday celebration in the shop on 31st August, there will be cake! Then 3rd September we are having a celebratory ceilidh in Paisley, watch this space for details.”

So what’s the plan for the next 20 years?

“We see ourselves firmly embedded into the fabric of Paisley,” said Colum. “We believe that it’s small shops, like Rainbow Turtle, that give Paisley its identity. “Whilst out of town shopping malls, like Braehead and Silverburn, have led to the closure of many shops in the town, it’s the smaller retailers that offer the personal customer service that is often missing in the bigger malls. “Paisley also has had a long history of social justice that fits well with Rainbow Turtle’s ethos. We feel privileged to be part of that proud past.”