This month, Fairtrade is celebrating its 25th birthday with events up and down the country.

Sidmouth, which was awarded Fairtrade Town status in 2016, also played its part with a celebratory tea party at Primley Church Hall last Saturday.

Alongside stalls selling Fairtrade crafts, clothes and food items - a 'Bake-Off' competition was held for the best cake made with Fairtrade ingredients.

A special birthday cake was cut by Councillor Deidre Hounsom and shared among the party guests.

Fairtrade products were first launched in the UK in 1992, when a collapse in world coffee prices was having a devastating impact on smallholder coffee farmers around the globe.

A group of concerned organisations including Oxfam, The Women's Institute, CAFOD, Christian Aid, and Traidcraft banded together and formed the Fairtrade Foundation to tackle the crisis.

Today, there are around 5,000 Fairtrade-certified products on sale in the UK.

Sidmouth Fair Trade Group Coordinator Wendy Spratling said:

"We congratulate the Fairtrade Foundation on leading the way in fighting for the rights of vulnerable people who are exploited by trade.

"So much has been achieved, but there is still much work to do, particularly given the challenges to small farmers posed by climate change.

"We hope the public will continue to support the movement by buying and asking for Fairtrade products. As consumers, we can all make a big difference."

For more information on the local campaign or to get involved, please contact Wendy on 01395 512739 or see the group's Facebook page, via the red button below.