Mother’s Day is 14th March this year and Fairwind has an unusual and stunning range of ethical gifts for Mum this year.

Pacifica solid perfumes £9.90

A modern take on the most ancient form of fragrance, these gorgeous solid perfumes are made with organic soy and coconut wax combined with essential and natural oils. These perfumes are irresistible, affordable, totally portable and great on men and women. No animal testing, animal ingredients or artificial colours have been used to make these lovely, vegan perfumes. Available in 4 heavenly fragrances; Tuscan blood orange, Mediterranean fig, Hawaiian ruby guava and Tahitian gardenia. Spray perfumes, soaps, bath gift sets and body butters are also available.

Cream wirework bowls £16, £24

These handmade wirework bowls have been painted in a simple cream colour that works with any colour scheme in any home. Available in 2 sizes, these bowls are lovely ethical home gifts or Mother’s Day gifts. Large: 30cm x 30cm x 12cm, small: 21cm x 21cm x 8cm.

Mangowood & ceramic 3 drawers £18

This beautiful small set of drawers is ideal for storing jewellery, trinkets and nick-nacks. The ceramic drawers have been hand-painted (colours and designs vary). This fairtrade storage item is popular with adults and older children and makes a lovely fair trade bedroom accessory. An 8 drawer version is also available.

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

In recent years there has been an exponential growth of green events – everything from festivals to film screenings have been proposed, funded and managed by a wealth of different people and organisations. These events are a wonderful means by which to increase awareness of green issues and engage with members of the population who are not predisposed to reading or learning about climate change.

Green festivals promote the awareness of ecological concerns whilst engaging with entertainment Festivals such as Chorlton’s Big Green Festival (27th March), the Real Food Festival (7th-10th May), The Green Festival (22nd May) and Fiddler’s Green International Festival (18th-25th July) promote positive change whilst providing fun, interesting and thought provoking days out for the whole family. The Big Tent (23rd-24th July) is Scotland’s biggest eco festival and has been a phenomenal success in the past providing a format that everyone can benefit from. The Croissant Neuf Party (13th-15th August) won the Greenest Festival of the Year award in 2009 and combines exceptionally great music with renowned street theatre, workshops, open mic sessions and sports activities. Perhaps one of the best known green events comes in the shape of the Big Green Gathering (dates tbc) which is a wonderful five day camping event in Somerset. Grown out of the Green Gatherings and Glastonbury Music Festival events it is definitely not one to be missed.

Another fantastic way of promoting the green agenda is by getting involved with an action day. Fairtrade Fortnight is currently underway and Walk to School Week will commence on the 17th of May – a great way to get the kids involved! World Environment Day takes place on the 5th June, recycle week begins on the 21st of June, World Water Week on the 5th of September and Buy Nothing Day takes place on the 27th of November. The most famous action day comes in the form of Earth Day which celebrates its 40th anniversary on the 22nd of April. These days provide an opportunity to show your support for a great cause and teach your family about the impact of their actions on the environment at large.

Or how about the EcoBuild exhibit (2nd-4th of March) where sustainable designers, innovators and constructors come together to provide more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions? Or One Life Live (18th-21st March) which provides inspiration and advice to those who feel they want to make more of their lives? These fantastic events combine volunteering opportunities, seminars, career advice and business acumen to help you make a difference. If you’re still not convinced then check out UK Aware (16th-17th April) which brings together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world guest speakers or Sustainabilitylive! (20th-22nd May) which is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land and is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

>>> For more details on all the green events listed above, check out our Green Events page.

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Sideways News is looking to further enhance its offering by appointing talented specialist subject editors for the following subject verticals: Science & Tech, Society & Business, Environment & Nature. This is an outstanding opportunity for experienced individuals with a flexible work schedule, as these contract roles are part-time and home-based. We are looking for people to commit at least 10 hours per week to their section.

Your profile:

• Demonstrable expertise in your subject area, and great connections. An in-depth knowledge of the subject and the ability to generate copy of the highest calibre are the key requirements for this role.
• Impeccable web, writing, sub-editing and communication skills.
• A passionate desire to present your subject in a unique and compelling way to an audience who are eager to take a ‘Sideways’ view of the world.
• Well-versed in all things 2.0, with a firm grasp of social media marketing, as well as SEO. You may well be a keen blogger on your subject.
• Comfortable working to deadlines.
• Have a keen eye on what makes a good debate online, and understand the importance of user interaction and online communities.
• A can-do attitude, willing to go the extra mile.
• Happy to work with a virtual team.

To find out how to apply, email Catherine@sidewaysnews.com

Doesn’t time fly by – its February newsletter time already!We’ve realised that the Kent County Fair is on in just 10 weeks time, so do book in with us soon – we will have to stop taking bookings at the end of March!
We’ve spent a bit of time this month putting more information up on the website, so you can understand more about the events we run and whether they are right for you. We’ve also come across a few offers which we thought you might like.  We don’t want to turn this newsletter into a sales machine, but occasionally we will pass something on to you if we think you’ll like it.  We’ve also come up with some ideas for those of you who love what we do, but can’t make our events – have a look and see what you think.
Email vicky@theecovillage.co.uk if you would like more information on anything in this newsletter.

Anyway – here’s what is in this week….

• Can’t Exhibit? How you can have a presence at The EcoVillage
  Organic Babychange and Feed Area – your chance to get your product out there!
  Sponsorship Opportunities
  Offers from The EcoVillage: Book of Green, Kent Profile Magazine and Trolley-Dollys
  Our Latest Exhibitors
  Recommend a business and receive a £10 voucher
  Green News Updates
  Our events! A quick reminder on the Kent County Show, South of England Show and the Kent County Fair.

CAN’T EXHIBIT?
We have had a number of discussions with some you about The EcoVillage, and have found that while some of you are really keen to be involved with The EcoVillage, you can’t exhibit with us for a variety of reasons such as other commitments, lack of budget or lack of staff availability.

So we thought we’d come up with some alternatives for you:

Info Distribution
We like our EcoVillage Information Point to be truly informative for visitors to The EcoVillage.  So we will take on up to 10 companies whose leaflets or material we will give away during our three EcoVillage Shows this year. Remember it does not have to be paper based! There are many ways of getting your web address or information across, the more inventive, the more likely people will pick up and remember you!

The cost will be £50 for a minimum of 1000 giveaways over the three events in May, June and July.  If we run out then we will contact you in good time and request more. Deadline for delivery of your material is 30th March.

Competition Entries
We like to run a survey at our events which gives us some insight to how the visitors like The EcoVillage, and their attitudes to green issues.  We like to incentivise visitors to fill in our questionnaires by offering competition prizes.  We will also include the competition in our EcoVillage Guide for people to fill out and send back to us.

If you think you have a prize which we could use do let us know! In return we will acknowledge your company name and web address on our Show Guide competition page.  We will set up a page for the competition on the website for electronic answers, which we will have your logo on.

Advertise in one of our EcoVillage Show Guides
We have quarter, half and full page advertising opportunities within our EcoVillage Show Guides.  We will be giving about 8,000 Show Guides out at both Kent County Show and South of England Show.  Rates start from just £70 for a quarter page advert. Deadline for submission of artwork is 30th April.

Web Adverts
We are currently updating our website so that we can take banner adverts.  If this is of interest to you, then please let us know and we will send you the information once we’re ready to launch!

ORGANIC BABY CHANGE AND FEED AREA
We are running an Organic Baby Change and Feed Area in conjunction with Kidz Organic clothing again at the Kent County Show, following its success last year.  If you have products which you would like to get out to families with young children, we are looking for companies to provide samples for use in the Baby Area. Please email us for further details: info@theecovillage.co.uk

SPONSORSHIP
We have a number of sponsorship opportunities available, such as polo shirts and jackets for our EcoVillage Messengers, the EcoVillage Showguide, the Baby Zone or why not become our headline sponsor? We are looking for a key sponsor to work with over the next 3 years on the EcoVillage area at all of our Shows.  If you are interested in any of these ideas, call Vicky on 01227 271261

RECOMMEND US AND RECEIVE A £10 VOUCHER
If you know of a green, ethical or sustainable business and you think they might want to exhibit with us, please send us their details, and yours.  If they take a stand with us at one of our 2010 events then you will receive a £10 gift voucher or £10 off your own exhibition stand.  Email vicky@theecovillage.co.uk

OUR LATEST EXHIBITORS
Welcome to Herbal Haven, Rustic Summerhouse Company, Sun Save, Space Shuffle, Lean Machines, Charity Bank, Protect Kent, Energy Savings Trust, Natures Home, Hidsons SEAT EcoMotive, English Oak, Lambs Bricks, Greased Lightening Cycles, Maro Foods, Lean Machines, Mil-Tek, Solar Advanced Systems, Daisy Chain Baby, and of course our Picnic Area Sponsor for both Kent County and South of England Shows, Riverford Organics.  Eternal Energy, Wild Thing Wildlfe Consultants and Animal Days Out have now booked into all three EcoVillage events, earning a 20% discount on The EcoVillage at The Kent County Fair.

OFFERS FROM THE ECOVILLAGE

Book of Green are offering 5% discount to EcoVillage newsletter readers.
The Book of Green is the most comprehensive, multimedia marketing tool for green businesses, available in paperback (60,000 copies), online and now as an iPhone app!

Book of Green is being given out at the South of England and Kent County Show this year free to visitor, and is also available in WHSmiths, Borders, The Eden Project, Bricks & Bread and many independent Eco Stores and Retailers.  To take advantage of this offer, you must click on the links below:

Basic Listing (£33.25) – click here

Advert (from £99.75 for 1/8th page) – click here

ZPM is offering 15% off Trolley-Dolly and 3 or 5Bagz.  We love these bags so much we asked them if we could promote them.  Trolley Dolley is a great idea – one stylish bag holds enough shopping bags for a major family shop – great for everyone who is fed up with a car boot full of reuseable bags!

3 or 5Bagz are a neat and compact solution for a small shop, tucking perfectly into briefcase, handbag or glove compartment.

Order online at www.zpm.com and enter promotional code ecvill15 to get 15% off the retail price!

Kent Profile Magazine is offering discounts on all advertising for their April/May or June/July issue.
The EcoVillage has worked with Kent Profile for the last couple of years, seeking to promote green business in Kent.  The EcoVillage will be being featured in Kent Profile in the run up to the Kent shows.  Kent Profile have been strong supporter of The EcoVillage since our first show three years ago. It is distributed free all over Kent. For more information go to www.kentprofile.com

15% on a 1/8th page
20% off for 1/4 page
30% off for 1/2 page
40% off for full page

To claim your discount, call Rex Cooper on 01444 831512 and quote EcoVillage

LATEST GREEN NEWS

Kent County Show going back to its farming roots

Battery recycling points now in shops

Boots, KFC, McDonalds ignore rainforest destruction survey

Farmers’ markets, coops and repair shops will seed the new economy

OUR EVENTS:KENT COUNTY FAIR 2010
A relatively new event on the circuit, this years event promises to be bigger and better than ever.  Held on 1 – 3 May it is nice and early in the season and promises to give a great start to the summer season for businesses exhibiting there. The EcoVillage will be there with its usual mix of business, demonstrations and information – all delivered within our highly visible EcoVillage area and managed for you by the team who will look after you right the way through. The Kent County Fair is held at The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood.

As ever, your presence at this event will also give you links from our website as well as your 25 word description being put up on site.  We will also include any of your news on our website, and advertise your presence on facebook and twitter

SOUTH OF ENGLAND & KENT COUNTY SHOWS – A QUICK REMINDER
South of England Show is held at Ardingly on 10 – 12th June and attracts almost 85,000 visitors.  The EcoVillage will have 2500 sq m of space and over 80 exhibitors, all dedicated green and ethical business, including cookery demos from Riverford Organic.

The Kent County Show is held at the Detling Show Ground on 16 – 18th July and attracts over 80,000 visitors.  The EcoVillage will be sited on 7500 sq m of space with over 100 exhibitors, and a large picnic area sponsored by Riverford Organic Veg, who will be providing cookery demonstrations as well as great organic food from Riverford on the Move.

As an eco interior designer, I am thrilled by the in-roads being made by the building industry with stronger and stronger building codes, moving all of us closer to a zero carbon housing stock. The benefits of optimum insulation and low energy heating options are clear and if adopted globally could help to save us from ourselves. The innovations are exciting and just keep coming – I can’t wait for next week’s Ecobuild to check out what has happened in the last 12 months.

As an eco interior designer, I am worried about the in-roads being made in the building industry towards air-tight housing that provides this optimum insulation and minimal heat loss. Has anybody considered the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in this new building style? By now, we are more or less aware of the chemical cocktail building up within our homes. Many of us are aware of the term ‘off-gassing’, the process by which chemical compounds and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) evaporate from items in our houses such as paint, wood stain, varnishes, plywood, carpets treated with pesticide and stain repellent, upholstery treated with FR treatments such as bromide and MDF containing formaldehyde. The list goes on and the cocktail remains untested.

Many of the chemicals in everyday building materials and furniture have been tested alone but every home has a different mixture and the cumulative effects of those have never been tested.  However, the symptoms of the off-gassing have been recorded by experts as “puffy red eyes, watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, coughing, full blown asthma, skin irritation, rashes, itching and hives” (Dr Clifford Basset, Vice Chairman of Public Education Committee of American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology). Brominated FR treatments and some carpet pesitcides and stain repellents have been proven to be persistent and cumulative; many are hormone disrupters and some even carcinogenic.

A recent experiment and now best-selling book ‘Slow Death by Rubber Duck’ written by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, looks at the effect living in a normal home with everyday products can have on toxic levels in our bloodstream. The results are more than a little worrying.

In our enthusiasm and drive to move closer to energy efficient and air tight housing, let us not forget that we also need to remove the chemical threat from our living environment. It is time to move over or rather move back to natural building materials and to look at how we decorate our homes. It is a personal challenge that any private individual can undertake. The solutions are out there but until regulations are in place will large developers really change the products they put into their housing estates or flats?

Gecco Interiors Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Don’t be left stranded if your car breaks down. The Green Insurance Company offers quality breakdown cover from only £19.40 – plus, Ethical Junction readers can save an extra 10%!

We have three levels of breakdown cover available, so choosing the right policy has never been easier, and with more than 5,000 mechanics nationwide you’ll never be left stranded.  We also make it easy for you to go ‘green’ as we offset 100% of the carbon emissions of any recovery vehicles that are used when providing assistance – all at no extra cost.

Benefits included as standard:

• Over 5,000 qualified mechanics nationwide, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• An average callout time of only 40 minutes anywhere in the UK, with a guaranteed £10 cashback if a mechanic doesn’t reach you within the hour
• Priority service for female drivers or those with children
• 5% of our annual profits are donated to good causes

How to order:

Click here for a quick quote. To redeem your 10% discount simply enter the promotional code ‘ETHICAL2’ when you purchase your policy online or call 0844 842 5438 where one of our friendly team will be happy to help. Simply give them your discount code.

More info.

Terms and Conditions

The Green Insurance Company is an insurance intermediary, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered address: 1 Masterton Way, Tannochside Business Park, Glasgow, G71 5PU. Qualifying criteria, terms and conditions apply.  These will be explained before you buy.  For your protection and ours, calls may be recorded or monitored. This offer is valid until 31/01/2011, and is open to new customers only, buying directly from The Green Insurance Company.

The Green Insurance Company is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Green Insurance Company is for drivers who want more than just low cost car insurance. We make it easy for you to go ‘green’ by offsetting 100% of your car’s harmful carbon emissions every year that you insure with us.

 So you can be kinder to the environment without compromising on quality or value.

Some of the benefits included in our policies as standard are:

• 100% offset of your car’s emissions
• Guaranteed courtesy car with comprehensive policies*
• 90 days European cover included as standard
• 24 hour accident and windscreen claims line
• 5% of our profits are donated to charity – helping others
• Special customer offers and discounts throughout the year

 Special offer for Ethical Junction members: Get £35 off any car insurance policy from The Green Insurance Company

How to order:

Click here for a quick quote. To redeem your £35 discount simply enter the promotional code ‘ETHICAL’ when you purchase your policy online or call 0844 842 5438 where one of our friendly team will be happy to help. Simply give them your discount code.

Terms and Conditions

The Green Insurance Company is an insurance intermediary, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered address: 1 Masterton Way, Tannochside Business Park, Glasgow, G71 5PU. Qualifying criteria, terms and conditions apply.  These will be explained before you buy.  For your protection and ours, calls may be recorded or monitored. This offer is valid until 31/01/2011, and is open to new customers only, buying directly from The Green Insurance Company.

* Provided an approved repairer is used.

The Green Insurance Company is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Although women-owned businesses are on the increase there still aren’t enough female role models, is the claim of the leading women’s organisation, Women on Their Way.

Most people still think that the majority of businesses are run by men due to the stereotypical images that we see all around us. That’s why Tabitha Potts is delighted to be short-listed for the prestigious National Women on Their Way Awards 2010 in the Online Business Award category.

Women are equally qualified to run businesses as men but also need more opportunities to connect and do business together.

The competition this year has been particularly tough so it’s a huge honour for Tabitha Potts to be short-listed. Tabitha is a mother of two very interested in the environment and good design. When she started looking online for products for her children and realised that there were not many websites aimed at families which combined a strong design ethos and environmental awareness, she came up with the idea of creating an online shop to do just that. She started her company Mimimyne, showcasing the best in UK and European eco design for kids, in September 2008, and it has been expanding its range and developing a loyal customer base ever since. Tabitha has run the business single-handed while caring full-time for her two sons (aged 7 and 5) and doing a part time job alongside it.

Since her company started trading, Tabitha has been a Runner-up for the Mum-Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 and a Finalist in the Archant Environmental Awards and the Thames Business Gateway Awards. She has been featured in the Daily Express and the Sunday Times Business section as well as in various well-regarded design blogs. She has presented a session on selling online at the Everywoman conference (www.everywoman.com) and also runs a regular ‘Mumpreneurs Meetup’ for fellow entrepreneurs in East London which is sponsored by BT Tradespace. One of the products she helps to promote, the Splat Chair by Spinifex, has been exhibited in the V&A Museum of Childhood!

There are four short-listed candidates for each award and the winner will be announced on Friday 19th March at the Women on Their Way Annual Awards Lunch taking place at Aston Villa Football Club, Birmingham from 11.00 to 15.00.

The awards event is in its second year and aims to connect women through the UK, to inspire and to increase their self belief.

The Women on Their Way Awards is the brainchild of former Apprentice Candidate Jo Cameron and her Co-Director Lisa Ibbotson.

Jo Cameron added “we are delighted that Tabitha Potts has been shortlisted. There are so many amazing women in the UK who don’t always recognise the impact they have made and it is my absolute privilege to be inspired by so many incredible women. We are very much looking forward to announcing the winners in a few weeks time”

This year the judges include Gill Fielding and Caroline Marsh of TV’s Secret Millionaire and other esteemed women from both the public and private sectors. They will be judging the shortlisted candidates over the coming weeks.

There are twelve awards this year including Start Up and High Growth Businesses, Online Business, Woman in Finance, Law, Transportation, Construction/Engineering, Woman in The Community, Public office, The outstanding contribution to Women’s Learning and Development, Young Woman in Business, Outstanding New Product and Woman’s Advocate. This year the coveted prize for the overall Woman on her Way is a weekend away for two included flights and accommodation to Milan.

Tickets are priced £65+VAT each or £600 +VAT for a table of ten places. With up to 500 guests it provides opportunities for networking and to meet other leading and aspiring women.

Last year’s winner of the Legal Award, Laura Kearesley added ““I was thrilled to win the Women in Law award last year; it was a real honour. It was a fabulous day, where I made some really good contacts. Since winning the award and the subsequent publicity I have also been approached by other potential business partners, so it has been really positive for me personally and for business!”

Tabitha Potts, Director (Me Me Mine Ltd trading as Mimimyne)
Phone 0208 133 0962
Mobile 07984 291 409
Twitter @mimimyne
Skype tabithapotts
Email tabitha@mimimyne.com
Web www.mimimyne.com

For more information on the Women on Their Way Awards please contact Women on Their Way press office + 44 (0) 870 2626 555 or email talkto@womenontheirway.co.uk or call Lisa Ibbotson on Tel: 07968 368630 email lisa@womenontheirway.co.uk

Photo of Tabitha Potts courtesy of Ian Billinghurst

Mimimyne (Me Me Mine Ltd) is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

As many of us start to turn our thoughts to the end of winter and that inevitable spring clean we thought it was time to give you a blooming great offer to help put a spring into your spring clean so we teamed up with Ecover to offer you a 3 for 2 on their great value 5L sizes – a cleaner clean has never been such great value.

Choose any three of the below products and you can get the cheapest absolutely free.

• Ecover 5L Shower Gel
• Ecover Non-Bio Laundry Liquid 5L
• Ecover Original Washing Powder 10kg
• Ecover Toilet Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Washing Up Liquid 5L
• Ecover All Purpose Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Delicate Laundry Liquid 5L
• Ecover Fabric Softener 5L
• Ecover Floor Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Hand Soap 5L

Click here to see details of the Ecover 3 for 2 offer

You can also until stocks last get 10% off Ecover Laundry Tablets

Offer ends on the 26^th March 2010.

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight and receive 20% off all items with free UK delivery for orders over £50.

Simply enter FF2010 in the Discount Voucher Code box in the shopping cart for 20% discount!!

Offer starts 22 February and ends 7 March 2010.

Buy online at www.ambanature.co.uk

amba nature is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more