Join us

The FIG Tree is a cooperative

The FIG Tree is a not for profit Community Interest Company that opened in Garstang – the world’s first Fair Trade Town – in November 2011 and moved to Lancaster in 2015, but after flooding in the same year is now located in Lower Dolphinholme. Thanks to all our stakeholders, customers, volunteers, staff, Friends, donors, Directors, fair trading partners and our fair trade and local producers we have (as of January 2022):

Delivered 65 Fair Trade Chocolate workshops and hosted 15 school visits.
Sold over £161,000 worth of products and gifts.
Produced over 434kg of bean to bar chocolate using cocoa beans sourced from the Fairtrade Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana; the vast majority grown by cocoa farmers in New Koforidua – Africa’s first Fair Trade Town. This has provided a sales income of over £18,500 .
Attracted over £140,000 in grants and donations including £86,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver two projects on the local heritage themes: Fair Trade Towns, the British Atlantic Slave Trade and Quakers.
Promoted the Fair Trade Way long distance fair trade heritage trail from Garstang to Keswick

In 2017 The FIG Tree amended its CIC rules to allow us o operate as a cooperative and widen our membership.

To become a member of The FIG Tree, please complete our online application form.

Benefits of membership:

10% discount on all our workshops and bean to bar chocolate when you buy direct from us
Be the first to hear about what we’re up to and get involved
Support our work with other social enterprises to raise awareness of fair trade, and increase incomes for the farmers we work with in Ghana and their families.
Help us deliver our schools workshops at cost or free in under-served communities

Membership lasts a calendar year and our annual fees are as follows:

Individuals and Fair Trade campaign groups: £10 per year + optional £10 donation
Non-profit organisations and social enterprises: £50 per year
Corporate: £75 per year
New Gift Membership: £50 one off payment

Join The FIG Tree

Download the FIG Tree rules here (PDF)