STUDENTS and staff at St Mary’s School in Menston were recently involved in Fairtrade Fortnight

Various activities took place from February 29 to March 11 to raise awareness of Fairtrade issues and products.

St Mary’s gained Fairtrade Schools Status in February 2013 and actively campaigns for the scheme.

A cake and bun sale was held for staff, with all produce on sale made from Fairtrade ingredients. The event was a great success and £74 was raised.

This money will go towards funding South African student Simphiwe Ndlovu through university, where he is studying to become a teacher. The school met Simphiwe via its link with Mnyakanya High School in South Africa, the Bambisanani Partnership.

Fairtrade Fortnight was supported by Kamran Khan and Mark Hill from Menston Co-op, who provided the school with a number of items to help promote the event.

They supplied boxes of bananas for students and staff, giving them a healthy start to the day. PE students were also given bananas to encourage the importance of healthy eating.

The Co-op also donated Easter eggs, which will be awarded to students who have made a special commitment to Fairtrade this term.

And the supermarket gave prizes for the first ever Bambisanani Quiz Night, which was held on March 11. More than £500 was raised, which will also go towards the project.

Further Fairtrade events are planned within the school during the coming months, and it is hoped the link with Menston Co-op, along with other local businesses, will be strengthened.