Then . . .
In 1994, Aileen Garden, then Manager of Gateway World Shop in Durham, attended a meeting of European World Shops in Maastricht, the aim of which was to consider setting up an international association. Most European countries already had a World Shops’ Association and the UK was an exception. Amid great enthusiasm, NEWS (the Network of European World Shops) was established. Inspired, and fueled by all this enthusiasm, Aileen came home and organised a conference for all of the fair trade shops in the UK with whom she had any contact.
The response was huge and a year later in 1995, BAFTS ‘The British Association of Fair Trade Shops’ was formed; a membership organisation for shops selling fairly traded handicrafts in the UK.
In 2000, BAFTS became a registered company limited by guarantee.
In 2011, we welcomed registered suppliers to our membership network and changed our name to ‘BAFTS – The British Association of Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers’.
All our members are committed to the 10 principles of Fair Trade and to bringing about positive societal change in the communities where they work. In 2018, our members voted to rename us ‘BAFTS – Fair Trade Network UK’ as we become more widely known as the WFTO’s network member for the UK.
Now . . .
Recent changes in the way people shop, including increasing reliance on e-commerce and the global pandemic meant that we had to support our members to be agile and responsive to changes in global trade.
BAFTS has supported members to thrive in e-commerce on the eBay for Change programme, and our partnership with graphic design students at Portsmouth University has helped members design new logos and promotional materials at low cost.
Now with over 100 members we remain the WFTO’s network member for the UK and a supporter member of Social Enterprise UK.
Next . . .
Since its formation in 1995 BAFTS has undergone many changes, while always maintaining its commitment to following the 10 principles of Fair Trade and promoting the transformative power of Fair Trade enterprises. While celebrating our past, we constantly look at how we can improve.
We have recognised and acknowledged the lack of diversity within our organisation and the potential harm that can be caused by the language and images we use in storytelling and so have become signatories to the Hub Cymru Africa Anti-Racism charter. This series of 12 pledges will help us move forward as an actively anti-racist organisation. Increasing the inclusivity and diversity of BAFTS is a vital part of our plans for the future and by working on making sure our storytelling is relevant in today’s society, we can only make our message stronger.
Also key to the future of BAFTS is for us to grow our organisation and our recognition as a major voice for Fair Trade in the UK. We want to see our name and logo being widely recognised and respected. The launch of this new website plays a vital part in this. Our hope for the future is that one day BAFTs will no longer be necessary as all trade will be fair! But in the meantime we will continue to show that there is a better way to do business that puts people and planet at its heart.
