It was a chance meeting of two Manxies 4,000 miles from home.

Margaret and Malcolm Newton first clapped eyes on each other in Tanzania in the 1970’s.

Both had been working as teachers on opposite ends of the country when they came into contact.

They quickly fell in love and returned to Isle of Man, eventually marrying in 1981, a union which later bore four children.

But despite swapping their African adventure for the more familiar climes of the island, the couple never forgot what they witnessed.

During their time in Tanzania, they saw first-hand the deprivation and hardship faced by the people there.

According to Margaret, they lacked even the most basic amenities and struggled to get access to education, denying them the tools to provide for their families and improve their circumstances.

What was perhaps more shocking however was how little local farmers, food and craft producers were paid for their crops and products - a financial disparity which sent ripples through the local economy.

Back home, both Margaret and Malcolm were determined to do their bit to try and change things.

Armed with tenacity and a bit of time on their hands, they became early adopters of the Fairtrade movement.

The scheme is a global initiative designed to promote fair trading practices to ensuring that producers in developing countries receive a fair amount of money for their goods.

Furthermore, it seeks to address the imbalances of traditional trade, where small-scale farmers, artisans, and workers are often underpaid and exploited.

In Margaret and Malcolm’s case they started small, buying quantities of Fairtrade tea and coffee which they sold out of the front room of their family home in Douglas.

Each product carried the Fairtrade movement’s assurance that all the workers involved in creating those products had been paid a fair wage for their efforts.

Margaret said: ‘When I came back, I heard about a group called trade craft, they'd been formed in 1978 to import goods from third world countries to us.

‘A fair price was paid for the goods.

‘So the person who had a plantation, they were paying their workers the right money.

‘I had been drinking this coffee in Tanzania, and here it was being imported into England by Trade Craft. That's how it really started.’

Thanks largely to word of mouth, the Newton’s fair trade efforts quickly outgrew their front room.

The couple had to transform their little shop into a dedicated event at the Cooill Methodist Church Hall on the outskirts of Douglas.

Incredibly, that event has taken place every October half term for the last four decades.

Over the decades, supporters have crammed into the hall to enjoy hot lunches and some good company.

And the Newton family still sell a huge range of products from their Fairtrade stall at each event.

All of the products are sourced from a variety of different Fairtrade suppliers, ensuring the goods they sell are ethical and humane.

The produce now ranges from tea and coffee to ornaments and Christmas gifts.

Since the passing of Malcolm Newton five years ago, the couple’s daughters Kathryn and Rebekah have become more involved with the event.

Kathryn said: ‘Still run as a non-profit event, my sister and I have been more and more involved, especially since we lost dad.

‘I now carry out a lot of the ordering.

‘I’m very excited about some lovely things this year that we haven’t had before.

‘It is a huge amount of work but the concept of fair trade is as important now as it ever was and it’s lovely to be the start of Christmas shopping for some people!’

Over the years, the events have also directly raised money for a variety good causes.

This year. all funds raised will be shared between The Corals and Pearls Hostels Trust, Transforming Lives For Good, Transforming Trade - three organisations which help individuals and communities in the developing world.

Despite establishing the movement, Margaret said the event’s success wouldn’t be possible without help from a number of volunteers, supporters, friends and family for which she expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

* This year’s event will be held from Thursday, October 31 through to Saturday, November 2. The stall opens every day between the hours of 10am to 6.30pm at the Cooill Methodist Church Hall. Hot lunches will be available each day between 12pm and 2pm.