Phil Broadhurst, one of the founder members of the Ammanford Fair Trade Town Group, will be walking twenty Fair Trade Way walks over the next year to help mark the 20th anniversary of Ammanford becoming the first Fair Trade Town in Wales.

Phil will join up with local, national and international Fairtrade supporters on a series of walks that will highlight the depth and range of support for Fairtrade, which is a global trading system that guarantees that the people who produce goods with the Fairtrade logo are treated and rewarded fairly for the work they do.

Ammanford became the first Fair Trade Town in Wales, and just the fourth in the world, back in 2002.

The first walk will leave Ebenezer chapel at 10.30 on Saturday 21st May before moving along the riverside path towards Glanaman and back, with fairtrade refreshments at the end. All are welcome to join.

“The walks will form a big part of our awareness campaign over the next year,” commented Phil, “along with other community events, including, hopefully, the return of the Giant Fairtrade Banana Split, which had to be cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to Covid. And naturally there are going to be lots of other walks in and around Ammanford.

At the end of May he’ll be joining up with campaigners from Garstang, the first Fair Trade Town in the world, to walk a Fair Trade Way route in the Lake District.

“But the first walk is naturally going to be in Ammanford where I’m going to be joined by the local Christian Aid Group and several local churches and chapels who will be remembering Christian Aid Week.

"Our local Fairtrade history began with small stalls set up in churches and chapels, selling Fairtrade tea and coffee but now these products, along with hundreds more, are available in all the major supermarkets.

"But it's good to remember where it began and to see how little acorns can grow into mighty oaks thanks to the efforts of Fairtrade campaigners, producers, businesses, and shoppers."