Fairtrade Fortnight!

A big thank you to all who came along to our Fairtrade Coffee Morning with Bexhill Fairtrade on Saturday 10th March.

Fair Trade Coffee Morning

In partnership with Bexhill Fairtrade, the East Sussex Branch will be hosting a Fairtrade Coffee Morning to mark Fairtrade Fortnight 2018.

This will be at St Mary Magadalene Church Hall, Sea Road, Bexhill (opposite Bexhill Rail Station- see map link here) on Saturday 10^th March, 10.00am-12 noon.

As well as coffee, tea and cake, there will be a number of stalls, and opportunities to find out more about the work of the Fairtrade movement and the Co-operative Party.

FREE Film Showing to celebrate our Centenary

To celebrate 100 years of the Co-operative Party, the East Sussex Branch will be presenting a FREE showing of the film "The Rochdale Pioneers" on Saturday 11th November, at the Curzon Cinema at 11.30am.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR TICKET!

The Rochdale Pioneers is an inspiring true story that tells how ordinary Lancashire folk struggled to create the foundation of the modern co-operative movement…

William Cooper, his new wife Betty and best friend Samuel Ashworth are three young people fighting for their future. At a meeting in The Weavers' Arms, Cooper and Ashworth join the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers.

The Rochdale Pioneers propose opening a shop that is run by co-operation; an endeavour that has the interests of the community at its heart. They forge a set of principles by which the business must be run.

Butterworth, a private shop owner, vehemently deters local wholesalers from trading with The Pioneers, threatening to sever business if they strike a deal. One such wholesaler, Leach, forms an allegiance with Butterworth in a bid to bring down the co-operative movement…

'The Rochdale Pioneers' was commissioned by The Co-operative Group and produced by The Co-operative British Youth Film Academy (BYFA). It was released in 2012.

AGM Success

Gill Roles- top, our new chair, and

outgoing chair Jean Couture.

The East Sussex Co-operative Party branch held it's AGM today in Eastbourne.  Long standing chair, Jean Couture stood down after many years service, and Gill Roles, a former Parliamentary and European Candidate  for Eastbourne/East Sussex  was elected in her place. A vote of thanks for her service was passed, and Jean will continue as vice chair.

The branch is very healthy in terms of both membership and finances, and a number of campaigns and events were discussed for the year including:

• Party street stalls and stalls at Labour and Fairtrade events to promote our agenda
• A barbecue in Heathfield over the summer break
• A repeat of our Fairtrade Coffee Morning
• Exploring options for Co-operative speakers to come to joint Co-op/Labour Party meetings
• Making sure we field Labour and Co-op Candidates in next year's County Council election

The meeting ended with a moment of silence to remember Jo Cox, and an agreement to add our voice to those tributes to her service to our movement.

Fairtrade Coffee Morning: 27th February

The Co-operative Party East Sussex Branch and the Fairtrade Movement


invite you to a Coffee Morning on Saturday 27 February 2016 10.30-12.30 at St Luke's Church Parish Centre, Rattle Road ,Westham, Pevensey East Sussex BN24 5SL (By crossroads... map here)

Come and find out more about the Fairtrade movement and the Co-op Party on the eve of Fairtrade Fortnight. One of the Co-op Party's main commitments is to the Fairtrade movement but also campaigns on other people centred local issues. Find out how the two movements campaign and how you could get involved.

Entrance Free: Tea or Coffee and homemade cake £1

Come and try and buy a variety of Fairtrade products: Clothing, coffee, rice, bananas, chocolate and more !

Co-operators enjoy day out at Labour BBQ

East Sussex Co-operative Party members enjoyed a great afternoon out at Eastbourne Labour Party-  of sunshine, good food, and an inspiring speech from one of Labour's best front-bench speakers, on Saturday 29th June.

Paul and Sarah Richards welcomed us to their garden (complete with rabbits, guinea pigs and ducks) for a splendid barbecue, with a super turnout from Labour members old and new, plus guests from Brighton and Hastings.

Stella Creasy, a Labour and Co-operative  MP (pictured with our host, Paul) was the guest speaker- she talked about her work in Parliament, including spearheading campaigns against payday lenders and legal loan-sharks, and inspired us about the need to campaign and fight to make a difference for ordinary people, even when constrained by being in opposition.   Stella also revealed that she had been invited, by Billy Bragg, to speak about her anti loan-shark campaigns at the Glastonbury Festival on the same day- but had turned him down as she'd accepted Eastbourne first. How's that for dedication ?

East Sussex Co-operative Party continue to support Stella and her colleagues' campaigns against payday lenders and the legal loan sharks (while Eastbourne's Lib Dem MP, Stephen Lloyd, defends their "business model")

Eastbourne Labour BBQ with Co-op MP Stella Creasy

Co-operative MP Stella Creasy- a leading campaigner against payday loans companies, will be the special guest at Eastbourne Labour Party's Summer Barbecue, on 29th June, hosted by East Sussex Co-op Party member Paul Richards.

All East Sussex co-operators are warmly invited. Tickets are £5 (£2.50 unwaged) to cover food; bring your own drink. Donations of prizes for the raffle are also invited.

Click here to visit the Eastbourne Labour website for details on how to book.