Why should I believe you? Where’s the proof?

 Award winning volunteer recruitment organisation, people and places, wants all potential volunteers to ask these questions.

 The people and places team are an odd lot. They actively encourage their volunteers to comment, question and criticise – and then share that criticism with future volunteers!

 They keep as little of the volunteers’ money as possible, also telling volunteers upfront how much that will be!

 And now they’ve done something else that’s pretty radical – they’ve invited an independent auditor to come and check out their claims.

 “The main reason we started people and places was that we knew volunteering should be a win-win situation, for communities and volunteers alike – and we wanted to prove that it could be. We’ve been surprised, and were somewhat naive perhaps, to see how some organisations have adopted the current  buzz words of ‘responsible’ ‘sustainable’ and ‘community-driven’ to create a smoke and mirrors effect, confusing potential volunteers.

 “And the sleight of hand used by many organisations when explaining where funds are used often takes our breath away.

“So now we want potential volunteers to say ‘PROVE IT’,” says Sallie Grayson, programme director.

 people and places has undergone an independent audit of the claims they make in their responsible travel policy – here are just a few examples:

• 80% or more of volunteers’ monies reaching host countries – confirmed
• volunteers know where and how their money is spent  – confirmed
• all volunteers are screened  – confirmed
• matching skills to need  – confirmed
• comprehensive preparation -  confirmed
• local projects run by local people – confirmed

Undertaken by The Responsible Tourism Partnership – http://www.theresponsibletourismpartnership.org/ – this audit is a good workable alternative to a code of practise. The biggest problem with a code of practice is policing – who polices it and how? And where’s the encouragement for organisations to continue to improve?

 Only claims the organisation makes for itself are audited – so:

You say you conserve thousands of litres of water a month – prove it.

You say you only employ local people – prove it.

You say 30% of monies are used on project development – prove it.

 people and places , the first organisation to undergo this audit, hopes there will be many other organisations following this example.

“We will most assuredly be using the audit to strengthen our work in the next twelve months. We know that other organisations are already undergoing the same process. The audit isn’t about proving you’re perfect – it’s about proving that you’re doing what you say you’ll do. These are your promises – no-one else’s,” says Grayson.

 The campaigning work of people and places was recently recognised by The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009, when they won the award for Best Volunteering Organisation.

 “people and places has exercised leadership in a sector bedevilled by poor practice and established a replicable business model. Committed to reporting transparently on the money that volunteers pay, they ensure that the volunteers meet their full costs and are not a burden on the community; and carefully match the skills of volunteers to the needs of that community without replacing local labour. They have taken the ground breaking step of having their work externally audited and publishing it online.  These four principles set not only a practicable standard for operators to aspire to, but offer valuable guidelines for tourists seeking legitimate and socially beneficial volunteering experiences.”The Judges Citation

For a full copy of the audit go to http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/PressView.aspx?id=29

 To read the latest newsletter go to http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/userfiles/NEWSLETTER%20MASTER%20WINTER%2009%20(2).pdf

people and places is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT THE ECOVILLAGE!

ETHICAL JUNCTION MEMBERS SAVE MONEY AND RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW!
We know that VAT will be going back up to 17.5% in 2010, but if you book an exhibition space with us at any of our 2010 shows you can avoid the VAT increase of 2.5% and save 5% with our early booking discount.  Plus, pay your deposit now and the rest won’t be due until 1 March 2010! This will apply to all events booked with us by 18th December (booking form and deposit by then).  Email Amanda for more information and to book your space, or call us on 01227 271261.

We just wanted to say a big thank you to our exhibitors and supporters over the past year, and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a very successful 2010!  We’ll be taking a couple of weeks off over Christmas and hoping that our families remember who we are, but we’ll be back with new energy and enthusiasm for all things EcoVillage in the New Year!

In this newsletter:

• Kent County Fair, Hop Farm 2010 confirmed
• Riverford Organics confirmed as sponsors
• Latest exhibitors
• What are we doing at The EcoVillage
• Green News Updates
  

LATEST EVENT CONFIRMED – KENT COUNTY FAIR
1st, 2nd & 3rd May 2010
For those of you who like an event early on in the year to get business going, we will now be at Kent County Fair, held at the Hop Farm, Paddock Wood. The Kent County Fair is a great family day out, with over 15,000 visitors attracted in 2009.  This years fair will feature a Garden Zone, Extreme Zone and tank and quad bike ride, as well as our own EcoVillage area, with space for over 50 exhibitors and demonstrators.  See www.thehopfarm.co.uk for more information on the venue – in itself a great day out for families, with the Hop Farm Museum, Adventure Playground, animals and Fun Fair just some of the attractions.
Contact us for a Trade Information Pack for this event.  

RIVERFORD ORGANIC CONFIRMED AS SPONSOR FOR THE KENT SHOW
We’re really pleased to be working with Riverford Organic as a sponsor for our picnic area at the Kent County Show.  Riverford have been an exhibitor with us from the first EcoVillage, and had great success last year signing customers up to their veg box scheme, exceeding their targets for the weekend.  This year they will be taking over our picnic area, with cookery demonstrations and the Riverford Veg team will be showing their products and services.  There will be a special show offer for customers who sign up for one of their veg boxes at the Show.  And, we are pleased to say that Riverford on the Move will be serving delicious organic food throughout the Show from breakfast onwards – great news for our exhibitors and visitors alike!

LATEST EXHIBITORS
Welcome to: Space Shuffle, Wild Thing Wildlife Consultants, Charity Bank, Eternal Energy, Energy Savings Trust, SEAT and Kidz Organic – all of whom have taken advantage of our early booking discounts and have secured their space for next year.

WHAT ARE WE DOING AT THE ECOVILLAGE?
Well, we’ve all survived the first recession year that many of our businesses have been through, and we’re looking to the future. Here at The EcoVillage we are confident that we have a strong, sustainable business here running events which support green business.  So we have increased the number of events we will be running in 2010, and are looking for new opportunities for 2011.  We intend to build this platform, increasing awareness of our brand, and your businesses and develop a strong online marketing presence to support the customer facing events that you attend with us.  We would like to see green businesses become so mainstream that no one needs The EcoVillage any more!

We are especially pleased to bring on board the South of England Show as the Showground itself is already exploring ways of lowering its resource requirements and environmental impact.

We are also conscious that as a company we should be looking to our own environmental impact.  The EcoVillage is run with no central office and unnecessary commuter journeys. We use an online office, skype and car sharing where possible. We minimise our resource use and recycle all office consumables wherever it is possible. We all balance our work lives with the needs of our families and we do believe that what we do now directly affects the legacy we leave for our children. In 2010 we will be tracking the CO2 emissions of our business so that we have absolute figures to work on reducing.  Although we are a small company we still believe that we should do what we can.

If you know of an event you think we should be looking at, please do let us know.  Or if you have any questions or comments, please email us and let us know. Thanks!

LATEST GREEN NEWS

Creating a better place, the latest from the Environment Agency

UK wind energy sector receives £1.4bn injection

Big profit from nature protection

Why Copenhagen Matters to Kent

If you would rather not hear from The EcoVillage, please send an email to info@theecovillage.co.uk with Unsubscribe in the title. Thanks!

The EcoVillage is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Why wait for the New Year to make a change? Go ‘green’ with our Eco-Friendly Business Cards.

Printed on 100% recycled quality white matt card using biodegradable inks you can do your bit towards making you and your business a little bit more planet friendly. What’s more if you put your order in before 1^st January you will get 15% extra business cards printed free!*

We can print any number from 50 to 2000 so please give us a call on 01722 340 350 or send me an email at james@ecoprintuk.com for more information and our excellent prices.

Please see our website to find out more about us www.ecoprintuk.com

*Terms and conditions apply.

In the words of a grumpy old gent: “I do not believe it”.

Before I hit the streets fervently spreading the Wikaniko word in the new year, I felt I should be using (and hopefully loving) a fair few of the products.

One of the easiest eco-friendly products to “test” was the Wikaniko Deodorant Stone.  Also, one of the hardest.  To be honest, it took a wild leap of faith to go without my trusted anti-perspirant spray.

Here goes, human guinea pig, hubby scoffing quietly that it must be some kind of witchcraft (again).

Slightly surreal, rubbing a scentless stone in your arm pits.  (Yes, unlike the gentle ladies responsible for most of the anti-perspirant advertising on TV, I am happy to say “arm pits” rather than the relatively-newly-invented and somewhat feeble-sounding “under arms”).

The pure natural rock crystal eliminates odour-causing bacteria allowing perspiration without body odour.  It does not block pores. Its ‘active’ ingredients are simply natural mineral salts. There is no Aluminium Chlorohydrate which has been causally linked to breast cancer, it contains no parabens and has not been tested on animals.

And all that to one side, it works.  It. Works. A. Treat.

I’d be lying to say I wasn’t a little nervous leaving the house to do a mornings-worth of chores and a strenuous and energetic dog walk.  I resisted the urge to put the anti-perspirant in my bag in case I started to whiff.

But it didn’t actually cross my mind again until the following morning post-bath when I remembered that I was using it!

For those of enquiring mind (and occassional sloppy hygiene) like myself, it works (for me) for about 48 hours… OK, so I’m the only one prepared to admit to skipping my morning ablutions and spending a day doing housework in my PJs?  Never mind.

After 48 hours of no washing and no reapplication of said super environmentally friendly, skin friendly wonder stone, (and that’s 48 hours of running about and chasing a toddler and dog and doing endless tidying up etc) I still didn’t stink, I was just mildly aware of being slightly-less-than-fresh: my long-suffering Dad confirmed he couldn’t “smell me” when I wafted around under his nose (sorry Dad).  So no worse than skipping washing and conventional anti-persirant for a day or so.

And again, flying in the face of those doubters who say it costs the earth to save the earth, the Wikaniko Deodorant Stone costs rather a lot less than my previously-loved aerosol can of anti-perspirant and apparently lasts for months… kicking myself that my scepticism held me back for so long!

Thin people, stop reading now, the final paragraph will only distress you.

Post script for fat people: for those of us who have various crevices and creases around other parts of our bodies that could possibly also get a little hot and sticky, this product is an absolute must.  A quick whizz over with the natural deodorant stone and you’ll be confident that you are super-fresh wherever and whenever… you know what I mean, I shan’t spell it out.  All the skinny people will have read on, regardless of the warning, and are now feeling shocked and faint.

EcoLike.Me is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

At this time of excess and over-consumption, 1 Less Car are reminding everyone wanting to buy a bike for Xmas that there are plenty of good quality recycled bikes repaired by qualified mechanics, and sold at a reasonable price by not-for –profit social enterprises-Bike recycling projects are growing nationally, and 1 Less Car say that not enough people know about  them.

To find your nearest Bike Recycling Project you can go to 1 Less Car’s unique Bike Recycling Projects Web Page which has a map, and up to date details of all known bike recycling projects in the UK. It can be found at:   www.1lesscar.org.uk\Bikerecycling.htm

Easy to use, the page includes a map showing projects nationwide and up to date links and information to every project. It is hoped that this will make it much quicker to find a bike recycling project near you.  It will be updated regularly, as many such projects come and go quickly.

John McArthur, from 1 Less Car, comments:

“With hundreds of thousands of bikes going to waste every year, we really need to coordinate so that people can get a good quality reconditioned, recycled bike from a project near them. Most of the Projects are not-for–profit and/or social enterprise schemes providing training –often with uncertain funding- so it’s important they are supported. Also, many new bikes you buy are ridiculously cheap, but the price we all pay is that many of them are put together by workers with very few rights. At least if you buy one form a Bike Recycling project, you’re supporting something where workers at least get relatively decent wages and conditions.”

 What they’re saying about the Web Page.

Just two quotes from the many positive messages about the Page…

London Cycling Campaign:

“This is a great resource- London Cycling Campaign receive lots of calls from people wanting to donate old or disused bikes to a worthy cause so now we can point them to an up-to-date directory.  And we can let people know where to access quality, affordable refurbished bikes, which means even more people will be cycling. Fantastic!”

Rosie Tharp

Community Cycling Officer, London Cycling Campaign 

Oxford Cycle workshop: 

“It’s been really exciting to see 1lesscar grow to become the focal point of information for people looking for projects working to recycle bikes. This database couldn’t be more timely, with the growing demand for ethically sourced products that promote sustainable living whilst being friendly on your pocket.

Here in Oxford we recycle over one thousand bicycles destined for landfill every year and I hope the interest this database creates will not only generate interest in the bicycles these projects sell but also more support from the communities they are often at the heart of. Recycling bicycles is a very labour intensive task and the projects that are out there work hard to make a difference within their communities, often working with disengaged groups  that lack alternative curriculum activities to act as a vehicle for teaching life  skills and offering individuals genuine vocational prospects. I warmly welcome every initiative that will bring the work these organisations do to a broader audience.”

Dan Harris

Founding Co-op Member of Oxford Cycle Workshop

Appeal for more information.

Having had many enquiries about bike recycling, 1 Less Car became aware of the need for an up-to-date accessible site.  They are certain, from the feedback they have had, that there are many more that are not publicised nationally. 

So as well as using the Site, they are asking that if you know of any other projects that are not included, to let them know at info@1lesscar.org.uk. 1 Less Car are certain, from the feedback they have had, that there are many more that are not publicised nationally. 

If anyone can come up with a Project, they will receive a complementary 1Less car High Visibility jacket. 

1 Less Car is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Organic Gift Hamper Company have teamed up with Ethical Junction to provide an extensive range of Christmas hampers available for purchase on line from www.getethical.com and www.ooffoo.com The Organic Gift Hamper Company are offering a 10% discount for all online orders for Ethical Junction members. Please use code EJM9 at checkout.

Christmas hampers are an age old tradition, but more recently we are becoming more discernible when it comes to our food and drink, thinking more about where the food has been sourced and how it has been produced, as well as the effects on the environment and on our health. The Organic Gift Hamper Company has taken this philosophy to create a stunning range of gift hampers suitable for all occasions. At Christmas, it is always a pleasure to receive a gift hamper which has carefully sourced organic ingredients, and we at The Organic Gift Hamper Company have a large selection of Christmas hampers from which to choose.

If you are looking for something a little less traditional please see our website for more gifts including food hampers, Italian hampers and New Baby Hampers.

Giving an organic gift hamper enables you to present a gift that is luxuriously decadent whilst enabling the recipient to maintain an organic lifestyle.

The Organic Gift Hamper Company is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Urban Africa is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Warren Evans has triumphed at The Growing Business Awards 2009. The award winning bed retailer was named Green Business of the Year 2009.

The London-based bespoke bed maker business beat stiff competition from E-Stack, Good Energy, pall-Ex and Wiles Greenworld to win the Green Business of the Year category.

The Growing Business Awards, organised by Caspian Publishing, celebrates the best entrepreneurial and business talent in the UK. The awards are judged by leading business figures including Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, John Caudwell, founder of Phones4U and Sir Andrew Cahn, chief executive of UKTI.

Warren Evans, founder and designer, is delighted at the win. He says: “It’s an honour to be named the greenest business in the UK. We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to make the business as sustainable as possible. Over the past three years, we have invested in innovative low energy appliances for our workshop and our stores, working in conjunction with Envirowise, The Carbon Trust and Business Link. We’re thrilled to win this award.”

This is the third award this year for Warren Evans – earlier this year, they also picked up a Sunday Times Best Green Companies Award and an Observer Ethical Award.

Sustainability has been at the heart of Warren’s philosophy since he established the company over 30 years ago. And over the past three years, Warren has worked hard to ensure that measurable changes are made in store and to his team’s day-to-day working practices to minimise the impact that his business has on the environment. These include:

• Moving to a new and unique sustainable workshop, With help from an interest-free loan by the Carbon Trust, Warren was able to make this super green by purchasing environmentally friendly equipment including a bio-mass boiler and intelligent wood cutting machinery to minimise waste
• Consulting Government green body ‘Envirowise’ and government funded service Business Link for practical advice on efficiencies such as workflow, machinery and gaining staff support
• Avoiding packaging; Warren only wraps his beds and furniture in reusable blankets rather than cardboards or plastics, minimising unnecessary waste
• Signing up to pioneering carbon management schemes, including London Green500 and the 10:10 Initiative
• He is still the only bed maker in the UK to be officially certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means that all beds and furniture are made using wood from renewable sources 
• All staff uniforms are also fair-trade; Warren ensures that all t-shirts are made from organic cotton, while the fleeces are made from recycled material
• Only using recycled stationery, including envelopes made from elephant poo!

 This has resulted in:

• Office recycling increasing by 50%
• Water usage reduced by 38%
• Disposals reduced by 5%

 The awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, with Warren Evans receiving the prize from award sponsors Stephen Pegge of high street bank Lloyds TSB and Julie Meyer of Ariadne Capital.

For interviews with Warren Evans or images please contact Sophia at PR4 on 020 7637 1237 or Sophia@pr4.com.

Warren Evans is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Copenhagen summit will gather the world leaders to resolve a common approach to global warming. Timed to coincide with the summit Keen2learn have launched a range of green renewable energy teaching resources for schools and the home. They believe whichever school of thought you subscribe to; natural event or man made, the effects of global warming will be left to our children to resolve.

Accepting the man made inference, this terrible legacy created by current generations will take decades to control.  It will fall to the children in school to learn, understand and take charge of any ongoing solution to minimise the effect.  Educational games specialists Keen2learn’s range of renewable energy games and teaching resources are for use in school and at home to help children learn about green renewable energy.

“The resolution of this vital subject area will fall to future generations” said Alistair Owens managing director of keen2learn. “It is imperative children understand the cause, effect and solution of global warming. Our new range of renewable energy games cover wind, water turbines and hydrogen fuel cells in fun working models  demonstrating the technology now available in renewable energy”.

Keen2learn are using the opportunity of the Copenhagen summit to focus attention on the subject in schools. The products were recently shown at the Design and Technology exhibition in Birmingham where they generated significant attention from teachers.  The fuel cell model car on show is a didactic learning resource that lets children see the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen and oxygen molecules through electrolysis of water and a two way PE membrane. The recombination of the gases through the fuel cell releases electricity used to power a model car. The kit includes a solar panel and a variable load panel with ammeter and voltmeter to show the performance of the cell under different loads.

The Hydrogen fuel cell car was recently reviewed by the National Science Learning centre and the STEM learning centre and is being incorporated into their teaching resources for science teachers  attending  training courses.

The fuel cell is a great cross curricular resource covering chemistry, physics, engineering and maths. Many design teachers were considering how they could mount the fuel cell in different projects. The pack of 6 cars comes with a comprehensive teacher’s guide, worksheets and 30 experiments. A front of class teachers demonstration panel is also available which scales the equipment up to let all the class see the fuel cell in action and measure its performance. “Fuel cells are a future power source and this is a fantastic way to introduce children into their operation and benefits” said Alistair Owens

Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Comedy, live music, retro beats and dance…..

……a spicy mix for a Christmas celebration with an Indian twist!

On Thursday 10^th  Vibe Bar is hosting a night of comedy from Miles Jupp (BBC 2’s “The Thick of It” and Radio 4’s “The News Quiz”)  and Gareth Richards; a live performance blending hip hop beats with classical Indian and jazz melodies from Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee; Bollywood dancing from Shreya Dance Arts and an eclectic mix of swing and retro beats from DJ Spencer Mac.

There will also be amazing prizes including Christmas hampers from Divine Chocolate, Suma Wholefoods, Australian Bodycare and Cafe Direct.

The proceeds of the event will go to Find Your Feet, a UK based charity that works in rural India and Malawi, supporting people to improve their day-to-day lives by improving their harvests, setting up small businesses and accessing vital services such as clean water, healthcare and education. Visit http://www.fyf.org.uk/ for more information.

Tickets are £12 from Chilli Tickets http://www.chillitickets.com/AsianEvents/Events/Product/6804/FYF101209/FindYourFeet-ComedyMusicandRetroBeats-CharityEvent.aspx, £15 on the door.

Find Your Feet (FYF) is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more