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Students from Catcote Academy, Catcote Futures, and Throston Primary School entered a story writing contest by Hartlepool Fairtrade Steering Group.

It was part of the movement’s national Fairtrade Fortnight awareness raising event which this year focused on the struggle of cocoa growers, particularly women, to be paid fairly in developing countries.

Some of the best stories were read by Chris Eddowes of the Hartlepool group at the Community Hub Central in York Road.

Catcote Academy students receive the Fairtrade banana trophy and certificates for winning this year's Fairtrade Fortnight schools competition.

Certificates were also awarded and the coveted Fairtrade banana trophy presented Catcote Academy for the best story.

In previous years, the Hartlepool steering group has marked Fairtrade Fortnight by holding baking competitions using Fairtrade products.

Chris said: “This year we thought we would do something different. This year the theme was ‘she deserves a better story’ and we asked schools to write the better story for the women chocolate producers.

“The competition involved literacy, research, geography, numeracy, and that showed in the stories.

Pupils from Catcote Academy and Throston Primary School who entered this year's Fairtrade Fortnight Schools Competition which focused on the plight of cocoa growers.

“One of the principles of Fairtrade is that everyone is treated equally and that women are empowered.”

The winning story was done in the form of a comic strip and told about a cocoa grower called Lucia who dreamed of having better clothes and food and how Fairtrade helps producers.

Chris said: “It’s got all that we need to know about why we should choose Fairtrade.”

Another commended story was told from the point of view of two cocoa beans.

Fairtrade is campaigning for a living income to become a reality for cocoa farmers in West Africa, where a typical cocoa farmer lives on around 74p a day.

It said: “If we can work together with governments, chocolate companies and retailers to make the commitments and policies necessary, then we can make it happen.”

All the Hartlepool schools’ competition entries will go on display in the Community Hub Central’s gallery for a week.

As well as certificates, pupils were given small books called book bombs which they are encouraged to read, then leave in a place where someone else will find them.

Catcote Academy lifts the trophy after winning Fairtrade Fortnight schools competition