Notes: Fair Trade is recognised as an important means of helping to "make poverty history". Since March last year a Fair Trade shop has operated for limited time in the precincts of Church House, Belfast (The Spires).
The Fair Trade operation is now on the move to an enterprise park at Townsend Street, facilitating year-round access to indigenous items at Fair Trade Price. It is now almost guaranteed that FTP, in the interests of defeating poverty in the developing countries, will always be available in downtown Belfast.
Items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, nuts, batik, jewellery, gifts of many descriptions for all ages and even fashionable clothing will be available. The hope is that this venture will encourage the start of many other Fair Trade centres all over the country.
A first duty of the newly installed moderator, Right Rev Dr Harold Uprichard, was the commissioning of the summer teams going to service under the auspices of the board of Youth and Children's Ministry. Over 300 young people during the summer will do evangelical "outreach work". The commissioning service was held in Ballyhenry church (suburban Belfast).
Five of these youth teams will journey to exotic places such as Romania, Brazil, Mexico and the Ukraine with the object of involving with local congregations or supporting projects of the Presbyterian church.
Described as "home teams", 13 of these will mainly assist in local congregations with holiday Bible clubs, or where possible with beach fun fare, with North and South served. A team will serve Ballycastle; another will go to Carlow. These teams comprise an adult leader and younger people of 16 years and over.
Another early duty of the moderator was the opening and dedication of a hall extension in his own congregation of Trinity, Ahoghill. The existing halls were built in 1975 and opened during Dr Uprichard's early ministry there. The new extension has a new kitchen, a minor hall, a creche and other small meeting rooms together with the already existing facilities. The cost was £540,000.
As minister of the church, Dr Uprichard said the event was a double pleasure for him: as minister he was delighted that building work was completed; and that the new facilities will enable the congregation to expand their work in the surrounding community. As moderator of the Assembly he brought "the good wishes of the whole church which shared in the joy of Trinity, Ahoghill, on this landmark day in their history".
A significant, historic act of the recent General Assembly was the agreement to sell Church House. In a deal worth £6 million (inclusive of £5,187,800 cash and rent free for a further four years) it was sold to Thornton Trust, which is a Co Armagh registered charity.
It was established by a Thornton family for support of Christian work, medical research and architectural and heritage, education and the promotion of the work of contemporary Irish artists, modelled somewhat on the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
The ground floor will be given over for commercial usage and the use of the other floors will be in the terms of the trust. The Assembly Hall may be available for Assembly if required.