MONMOUTH saw a Fairtrade cafe pop-up last week, selling tea, coffee and cake to the public.

Naturally offering Fairtrade produce, the warming drinks were sold alongside homemade cakes biscuits and buns, raising money for the county's Fairtrade Foundation.

Helped by pupils form Overmonnow Primary School for the morning, the pop-up cafe saw members of the public stop at the front of Cornwall House, Monnow Street, for refreshment and a chat, despite the wet and windy weather.

The money raised from the event will be put back into other Fairtrade projects, including helping the Attik Youth Centre set up a Fairtrade Cafe.

Taking place as part of Fairtrade Fortnight, last Thursday's (26th February) pop-up cafe helped promote Monmouthshire's recently reconfirmed status as a Fairtrade county.

The following day, an evening was held with Martha Musonza Holman at Monmouth Priory. With refreshments provided, Martha spoke about her recent trip to the Fairtrade workers' co-operative Love Zimbabwe that she helped establish.

Going from strength to strength, the scheme doesn't just help from a financial perspective.

Members of the group have been trained in agricultural techniques to help improve harvests, even when rainfall is unpredictable, and with funds from the Welsh Government, they have donated trees to local schools to help counter the increasing problem of soil erosion.