At Myakka, we believe in doing our best. We pride ourselves on being a family-run business offering high-quality, well-designed furniture and furnishings at great value prices. We have a strong ethical and environmental awareness and are always striving to improve our performance in these areas. We like to think we’re honest, friendly and easy to deal with. Our business is firmly based on the principles of Fair Trade and to this end, we’re proud to be a recognised importer and retail member of BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops). Naturally, some of our suppliers are more fair trade than others, but we’re confident that more than 90% of the products on offer are sourced in a fair trade manner.
The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is an internationally recognised association promoting fair trade retailing in the UK and seeking to raise the profile of fair trade on the High Street. BAFTS certifies all members using strict criteria based on the definitions and guidelines for fair trade as set by the four leading international Fair Trade networks and works to provide a point of contact and communication for the exchange of ideas amongst its members. For more information on BAFTS and the assessment criteria, visit their website http://www.bafts.org.uk
Myakka Fair Trade Mark
For your peace of mind, look out for the Myakka Fair Trade mark against products on this website. This signifies that we are confident that the sourcing of this product meets our Fair Trade standards.
Exclusive to Myakka
We adhere to the principles of Fair Trade – paying a fair price which reflects the true cost of production and supporting the development of our suppliers. We’ve been working with our furniture supplier for over six years and have committed to a long term relationship which enables mutual growth and development. As such, many of our designs are exclusive to Myakka having been created through our direct collaboration with our supplier. We visit Jodhpur frequently to work on new designs and check the ethical standards we believe in are being met by both our manufacturer and their subcontractors. As a philanthropic family, our supplier is the main benefactor of Vidhyashram School, an independent school in Jodphur, northern India offering education to children from 4 to 16 years with a proportion of the profit from their business being passed directly to the school.
Myakka & SKSN School
Independently, Myakka is working alongside SKSN, a school for physically challenged children from rural areas of Rajasthan. In conjunction with our supplier and SKSN School, we are working to set up apprenticeships for older children to work alongside the skilled furniture-makers in the factory once they have finished their education. We also plan to develop a range of soft furnishings which will be produced by pupils who have completed their studies at the school and hope to have these ready for sale in our next catalogue. Both these projects aim to provide a number of SKSN pupils with essential skills to help ensure their future independence once they have finished their studies. Visit SKSN School website to read about the great work they do and donate directly should you wish.
Fair Trade Fortnight
‘You buy – We donate’ promotion during Fair Trade Fortnight 2008 raised £1,270 to help towards the maintenance costs of the SKSN school dairy, which provides the students with milk & yoghurt, essential for improving their health and providing a balanced diet. During the similar promotion in 2007, we raised over £1,100 for the purchase of sporting equipment at Vidhyashram School and we will be trying to exceed these targets during Fair Trade Fortnight in 2009!
UK Operations
With regards to our textile products, we work closely with a select few UK-based importers for the supply of the majority of our soft furnishing lines. Our main supplier has been adhering to a strict Fair Trade policy since they began trading over ten years ago and works directly with many primary producers having built up long-lasting business relationships over this period. This importer is also accredited by the British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) and is listed in the BAFTS Importers Directory.
To summarise, we’re running an expanding business and while we’re not perfect, we are committed to continuously improving our environmental and ethical practices. We feel strongly that the sale of our products through Myakka should directly benefit the producers and the surrounding communities and this is a goal to which we are fully dedicated. Should you wish to discuss our Fair Trade policy further – do just give us a call on 0845 460 3122 and ask to speak to Simon.
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