The Future 100 awards recognise the achievements of entrepreneurs aged 18-35, who are running a business with a social and environmental impact.

The competition aims to raise the profile and support this new generation of leaders who are paving the way in sustainable business.

To find out more and apply visit http://www.future100.co.uk/

Deadline for entries is November 5th 2009.

There are now some great new additions to the Present Aid virtual gifts shop. From chickens, to flood kits. From juggling clubs to a doctor’s salary for a month. This year find a gift to suit everyone at www.presentaid.org.

Each Present Aid gift has its own unique value. For example 16 ducks can help families recovering from the effects or the devastation of floods to become self-sufficient. A tap, toilet and sink will provide clean piped water, transforming the lives of poor families in India.

This year get a little bit more!

With every order over £40 receive a FREE 2010 calendar.

wewow are pleased to announce they have been commissioned by the BBC to help them develop a new eco-friendly DVD pack for Worldwide distribution.

wewow won a three-way pitch after submitting its WowWallet product for consideration. wewow worked closely with the BBC to further develop the WowWallet to tailor it for their specific requirements. The resulting product is WowWallet (Half Moon); the half moon window displays the title of the DVD through the front of the pack.

Stuart Jones, Managing Director said, “It has been a real pleasure to work with the Beeb on such a high profile project. We know the WowWallet is a good product but it is always pleasing to have an organisation like the BBC appreciate its green credentials and overall design”.

WowWallet is a tray-less product so the disc doesn’t need a plastic tray to hold it in place within the pack. November 2009 sees wewow launch its DVD-size version of the WowWallet and they are already in talks with a world renowned band about using the product for their next video release.

For further information contact wewow on 0845 450 6262 or http://www.wewow.co.uk/

Find out what we’re up to and how we can help you stop wasting energy… What’s happening this energy saving week.

This year’s theme is waste and we’re helping people across the UK, stop wasting their time, money and energy. Short on time? Check out some quick and easy ways to stop wasting energy with our Energy Saving Clock. Some ideas only take one minute!  Try the energy saving clock.

Real families waste habits revealed.  Look out for our undercover reporter videos, where children from across the UK secretly film their family’s wasteful home habits and find out what simple actions they can take to stop wasting energy.  See what they discovered.

Dave’s tips of the month.  As the days get colder it’s important we know how to keep our homes cosy and warm without spending a fortune. Read Dave’s top tips for getting your home ready for winter and make it a green Halloween too!  Get your home ready for winter.  Make it a green halloween.

Smart meters for everyone.  Did you know all houses are on track to have Smart Meters by 2020? The new meters will mean an end to estimated bills and having to wait at home for readings and could save you money on your bills too.  Find out why smart meters are such a good idea.

Save energy as a community.  You don’t have to go your energy saving journey alone. Hundreds of communities across the country are coming together and running their own projects – from energy awareness days to renewable energy installations. If you’re a part of a community group and would like to set up your own project, the Green Communities program can help you.  Find out more by clicking here.

The new approach to style and shopping: natural and sustainable wardrobe management

REWARDROBE is London’s first slow wear consultancy

REWARDROBE helps clients organize their wardrobes and define their style using a sustainable approach and focusing on traditional methods. The use of sustainable products, the interest in ethical shopping, and creating a second life for unworn clothes are the focus of this new project.

REWARDROBE is the new slow wear consultancy that offers solutions for an aware wardrobe management. The mission is to give wardrobes new space and functionality, and to work with clients to define their personal image, according to their lifestyle and personality.

REWARDROBE do this whit a different approach, focused on traditional methods of clothes care and on style tips that aim to maximise the use of clients’ existing wardrobes, and change their shopping habits, bringing the attention on to quality and elegance rather than fad‐following multiple buys.

For practical wardrobe organisation, REWARDROBE have researched the best natural products now available on the market. This includes hangers, storage boxes, lavender sachets, shoe‐trees, moth repellents, and a myriad of other useful goods that help prolong a wardrobe’ life. As for garment care, the team are armed with a wealth of tips and advice on the best natural detergents and all sorts of sustainable and eco‐friendly laundry solutions.

REWARDROBE’s approach is towards responsible style. They have devised a rewarding Upcycle scheme to give a new life to clothes that aren’t being used to their full potential. Donate, Sell, Upcycle: through this process, many items can be passed on to charity organisations that collect clothes for a specific purpose (such as Dress for Success). Some good value pieces might re‐sell well, and help clients gain back on past wrong buys. And if some items aren’ good enough to re‐sell or donate, REWARDROBE will help find ways to transform them in something new yet again. They are in contact whit a number of young designers that work on reconstructed fashion, or will accept textiles to incorporate them into their creative process and turn them into quirky creations.

For the perfect wardrobe Update, REWARDROBE offers clients a personalised shopping option, part of which consists in an introduction to the emerging world of ethical brands, which can now offer a plethora of amazing choices for all occasion, and are absolutely spot‐on when it comes to style and seasonal trends.

While reorganising their wardrobe, REWARDROBE help clients re‐define their style. Once the wardrobe has been edited, the Re‐Styling session takes place. It offers a fresh look at the client’ garments, shoes and accessories, to create the best colour and shape combinations, and a list of outfits for everyday activities, work, evening or special occasions.

During the session, the Stylist will take pictures of every outfit, and then collate them into a personal lookbook. This is an extremely useful tool to make a client’ life easy all the times that they need to pick an outfit in a hurry, or are feeling uncertain about a new colour combination.

Rewardrobe is the brainchild of Veronica Crespi, a fashion insider with impeccable Italian taste and an all‐round knowledge of the British fashion market. After graduating in Communication Studies with Fashion and in Fashion Styling in Bologna and Milan, Veronica began her career as a Fashion Trends Researcher, working between Italy and London.

Veronica has an almost decennial experience in the fashion industry, having previously worked as a Design Assistant and Trends Researcher. She is also a methodical, meticulous and well‐travelled individual with a bagful of tips about all things practical and a deep trust in all things natural. Her professional and real‐life experiences make her the ideal person to manage any wardrobe.

For more information: http://www.rewardrobe.eu

For press requests, contact press@rewardrobe.eu or call Veronica Crespi on 0772 678 1198

Co-operative and Community Finance is pleased to announce it has approved a loan to the award-winning Chipping Norton Lido, which will cover the costs of making the pool more energy efficient. The outdoor pool which has become famous for immersing upmarket cars is currently undergoing large scale work to replace its gas boiler with a ground source heating system and associated photo-voltaic solar panels.

Claire Jarvis, one of the trustees of Chipping Norton Lido, said: “The whole team at the Lido are delighted with the loan from Co-operative and Community Finance.  We have been awarded a grant to cover the cost of the work, which we will use to pay off the loan once the project is completed.  Co-operative and Community Finance has given us the opportunity to begin the project immediately, and we are looking forward to getting it underway.  The new system will save the Lido a considerable amount of money per annum as it will be more cost effective and environmentally friendly, and we are hoping that the new constant temperature of 27 degrees will encourage more visitors on colder days.”

The Lido was first opened in 1970 after the local community raised funds for a community outdoor swimming pool and since then, the community has campaigned hard to keep the Lido open for business. Today, it relies on a team of dedicated volunteers who contribute to the running of the outdoor pool and plan fundraising events to ensure the Lido can afford to remain open. 

Clare Jarvis, who also works for the Phone Co-op, the multi-awarding winning co-operative based in Chipping Norton, continued: “The local community holds a series of events during the year including a sponsored swim, quiz night and fun run, which raise money to ensure the day to day running of the pool and also any projects we are working on.  We have been lucky to have regular support from celebrities such as Sharon Davies, Patrick Stewart, Sir Ben Kingsley, David Cameron and local celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, who hosts our Auction of Promises and made headlines in 2005 by driving a Rolls Royce into the lido for BBC’s Top Gear.”

The Lido provides the people of Chipping Norton with a small haven, where they can go for an outdoor swim, relax in the café or picnic on the large lawn.  It offers free events including a ‘Dip n Chill’ evening for 11-18 year olds and keep fit classes for Over-60s.  The Lido can also be hired for corporate events or parties. Over the last couple of years Chipping Norton Lido has won a Community Award from the Amateur Swimming Association and was also the winner of the charities & community award (Oxfordshire Business Awards) and West Oxfordshire District Council’s Chairman’s Award for Achievement.

Ian Rothwell at Co-operative and Community Finance said: “The Lido at Chipping Norton is very special and we immediately saw the value it offers to its local community and surrounding area.  It is a place where families and friends can spend quality time together while keeping fit and having fun, and of course it attracts tourists to the area which ultimately supports the local businesses.  The money we have loaned will be put towards a worthwhile project that, once finished, will save the Lido around £7,000 each year.  We hope that this saving will allow the Lido to continue to offer its leisure services for many years to come.”

It is widely predicted that droughts will become a more frequent event, so it is not surprising that householders and many UK organisations, water companies and the commercial sector have identified the toilet cistern as a significant target for the reduction of water consumption. In the home the toilet cistern accounts for over 30 per cent of water consumption.

Although research continues on the use of smaller volume cisterns (the current standard is 6 litres), for those wishing to conserve water and reduce their bills now, the high cost of cistern replacement could be prohibitive within an expedient timescale.

However, help is at hand in the form of Hippo the Water Saver, which is the simple, proven and low cost water saving device to help conserve water in toilet cisterns. Every time a toilet is flushed the Hippo saves approximately 3 litres of water. Many toilets will flush just as effectively with less water. By putting Hippo’s into your cisterns you can reduce the amount flushed away and for those on a metered supply this means a significant and sustained saving on water and your water bills.

Hippo is made from durable heavy gauge Polyethylene, which opens up, origami style, into an open ended box shape when installed. The Hippo happily sits in the water underneath the large cistern float. When the toilet is flushed, the water confined within the Hippo is the volume saved.

The Hippo also has a small hole which acts as a relief valve allowing slow circulation to prevent stagnation and evaporation.

Install a Hippo Water Saver in your cistern and help mitigate the effects of climate change which are now predicted to occur. For further information www.hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk or T:01989 766667.

Angel tree decoration £9.50
This gorgeous Christmas tree decoration makes a great, ethical gift. It
is a fair trade product that has been handmade using glass and acrylic
beads. £1 from the sale of every angel goes to the Midlands Trauma and
Crisis Centre in South Africa. 6cm x 6cm. Available in gold, red and
silver.

Silk rocking horse £6
This is a gorgeous red silk tree decoration that is a bit different
from the usual tree decorations. It is handmade by polio and landmine
survivors in Cambodia and made using 100% Cambodian silk. Hand sewn
sequins and detailing make this a gorgeous decoration for your tree.
11cm x 3cm x 11cm

Star tree decoration gift box £12
Traditional Christmas stars for the tree but handmade using Cambodian
silk by polio and landmine survivors in Cambodia. They come as a set of
six (three of each colour) in a stylish gift box and have hand-sewn
sequins and decorative stitching. Available in cream & gold and
cream & red. Each star 7cm x 2cm x 7cm.

Released November 18th 2009

An indispensable and sure-footed guide to a sweat-free future.  Andrew Ross, author of Low Pay, High Profile and Nice Work If You Can Get It.

A masterful account…There is much insight to be gleaned from this book. Duncan Campbell, Co-Director, ILO.

The Clean Clothes Campaign is a worldwide movement that aims to improve the wages and conditions of sweatshop workers. This is the story of their struggle.

Large retailers such as Tesco, Walmart and Carrefour lure shoppers in with prices that seem too good to be true. This book shows that they’re too good to be fair. All along the industry’s supply chain, workers, often children, are exploited through poverty wages, unpaid overtime and harsh anti-union measures. The campaign urges those in charge of the gar­ment industry’s supply lines to protect their workers and treat them fairly.

This dynamic account of direct engagement by concerned consumers is a must read for those that see globalisation dif­ferently and want their shopping choices to support the most vulnerable people involved in the clothing industry.

Liesbeth Sluiter is a Dutch freelance photographer and journalist, who has worked for over 25 years with a passionate focus on environment, gender and global development issues. She is the author of The Mekong Currency (1993), published in the UK, the Netherlands, and Japan, and has written numerous articles on development and environmental issues. For the past three years she has focused on the issue of working conditions in the global garment industry and on the work of the Clean Clothes Campaign, a worldwide network that pushes for improvement of these conditions.

For further information, to request a review copy or to speak to the author please contact Jon Wheatley at jonw@plutobooks.com or on 0208 374 6424

incognito anti-mosquito spray is priced 25% lower in the run up to Christmas both online and at Holland & Barrett. This is the first time this premium, sought-after product has been discounted.

incognito’s natural formula works differently from repellents as it masks human odours from all manner of predatory stinging and biting insects, rather than coating the wearer in toxic pesticides such as DEET – which was recently cited as a “toxic worry” by one of the worlds top scientists.* incognito’s entire range of sprays, soaps, moisturisers and shampoos are completely safe for you, your children and the planet – yet highly effective.

Holland & Barrett are offering the 100 ml sprays on a buy one get one half-price basis between October 15^th to November 13^th.  RRP £8.99.  The online offer mirrors this discount offering a free spray for every three bottles purchased. With the bottles’ distinctive green and black packaging, they are an ideal stocking-filler for anybody going travelling in the next year or for those in search of winter sun.

The “Flashpack” is  an ethically-sourced, cotton, roll up travel bag that contains a spray, shampoo and Luxury Loofah Soap which makes a very unusual Christmas present; reduced to just £24.

The entire range contains the same, deliciously fragrant organic Citronella found only on the island of Java; which provides increased protection against insect bites over ordinary citronella as insects have yet to build up any tolerance to it.  It is suitable for use on all the family including babies and has a light, fresh fragrance well suited for both men and women.

incognito has been a huge success this Summer with their Luxury Loofah Soap and Citronella incense sticks completely selling out to customers, distributors and retailers including Harrods.

Howard Carter, incognito’s Founder and CEO says, “It has not been easy growing the company in a recession, but thanks to an amazing commitment from Team incognito, we have managed to increase direct orders threefold this year, demonstrating that a Green company can grow even in a recession.”

The whole range is available in the UK at Harrods (including Heathrow), John Bell & Croydon, Planet Organic, Whole Foods and in Ireland at all branches of Sam McCauley’s. Or direct through the website http://www.lessmosquito.com/