Mornant is a 6.25 acre smallholding set on a mountain overlooking Dinas Head, the Preseli Mountains and Cardigan Bay. It is situated five minutes walk from the beach and the village of Goodwick where the ferry crosses to Ireland, and a hundred yards from a bus route. We have an organic egg business and also keep horses and sheep. The coastal path passes through our lane and offers miles of walks with fantastic views. The guest accommodation is a two bedroom annexe on the ground floor of our main house. It has a double bedroom and two single beds in the other room, a self contained kitchen, living room and wet room with shower. A travel cot is available and also a fold out bed or blow up bed if needed. Pets are welcome, but not left alone. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/3004.htm

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Huw Davies – The power of money

If you are one of the growing population of  ethical consumers in the UK, you will take time to make careful decisions about the sourcing and production of products you buy. You no doubt want to do your bit to make the world a better place – for now and the future?

And, along with most people, you probably find banks and financial services pretty dull, just one of life’s necessities – but hardly the most exciting topic?

But take another look… because your bank and savings provider should be top of your ethical shopping list.

Many ethical consumers have not considered how uneasily their choice of bank may sit  with their other choices and beliefs. Their money may be used to support unethical activity, and certainly not to fulfil its potential to enable positive change. The future doesn’t just happen, we’re collectively creating it every day, and your savings play a big role in that – here’s why:

How banks put your money to work

Money does not stay still, it is passed around the global system, being lent and invested. This activity seems a far cry from handing over hard-earned cash at a local bank branch for safe-keeping.  But the fact is that, once out of your hands, your money enters a system which is far from transparent. Banks’ lending and investment decisions could see your savings helping to fund businesses and organisations you do not approve of – for example, tobacco firms, arms manufacturers, undemocratic regimes, or businesses with appalling records on pollution.

Of course, these same banks also support ethical businesses, and individuals – the problem is that in today’s interconnected global financial marketplace you cannot be sure that your savings are not doing harm.

Consumer choice

Increasingly, we want to know how the products we buy are sourced and produced, from fishing to clothing to coffee. If as a consumer you take an interest in, for example, how the food you eat reaches your plate, and make purchase decisions based on this, why not also challenge and understand how the money system works – and act on it?

Recent research shows that 85% of all UK savers want more information on what banks actually do with their money, and just three per cent of savers feel banks are transparent about what happens to their savings once deposited. At Triodos Bank, we believe savers have a right to know if their hard earned cash is being used to fund industries such as weapons production or the tobacco industry, only then can they make an educated choice as to where they deposit their money.

At Triodos we show our savers all the places we lend to, and they are all businesses and organisations working for positive change in either social, cultural, or environmental sectors.

Simple really.

The role of banks?

The same research showed that three out of four savers (74%) think banks should take more responsibility and proactively do more to help society. At Triodos we believe we need to see the banking industry doing more to support and focus on the real economy and its future rather than operating with a primary mission of delivering short-term shareholder returns. The sector as a whole must acknowledge  customers’ interest in the use of money, and properly consider the role that its power and influence can play in acting for positive change.

Change banking – one account at a time

As an ethical consumer, we’d love you to join us and put your money to work for good – while earning you interest. It’s easy, and means that your other ethical consumer choices are supported automatically by what your money is doing when it’s not in your hands.

Ethical consumers have demonstrated that our purchasing decisions can have an huge impact, helping products like fair trade and organics go from niche to mainstream. If buying the right coffee and cotton can change the world for the better, just imagine how powerful it could be if we all chose the right bank.

Huw Davies is Head of Personal Banking at Triodos Bank
www.triodos.co.uk

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Support independent, ethical UK small businesses this Christmas!

At www.OVnaturals.co.uk we are a tiny UK business, passionate about what we offer you, striving to be as ethical as we can be & offering great products & services.

Invest in UK independent businesses this Christmas & find unique gifts that will wow the receiver!

OV naturals is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

GREAT NEW PRODUCT RANGE! After Susan Ma’s success on Apprentice where Sir Alan Sugar complimented her achievements in the Natural Cosmetic industry, we are happy to present the Tropic range on Green Bear UK. Created and produced by Susan, this range is the ultimate in luxurious cosmetics at a very affordable price. All the product production in the UK, sourcing the highest quality natural and sustainable ingredients. 100% purely plant derived skin care range. Free from artificial preservatives, colours and perfumes 10% off introductory price Just enter TROPIC09 at checkout valid until 30/11/2011 A selection of the newly available products: Tropic Body Smooth (80ml) - £11.95 It contains natural sea minerals that gently buff away dead skin cells and Vitamin E to rejuvenate & revitalise, leaving your skin feeling unbelievably smooth & soft. Expertly blended essential oils of top notes of Lemon Myrtle, mid notes of Bergamot & base notes of White Patchouli invigorates & refreshes your senses. more info Tropic Lip Love Multi-purpose Balm (10ml) – £4.95 For normal to dry & sensitive skin. With fine plant-derived oils, certified organic herbs and uplifting rosemary essential oil that gently cleanses skin; this natural facial cleanser effectively removes dirt and impurities to leave skin soft, smooth and fresh. more info Tropic Polishing Mask (80ml) – £9.95 Tropic’s Organic 2 in 1 Polishing Mask is a skin staple. It contains powerful Acai berries to brighten and gentle alpha hydroxy acids to stimulate skin renewal. It works to cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise all in one. more info Tropic Vitamin Boost (120ml) – £6.95 Tropic’s alcohol-free Vitamin Boost Balancing Tonic is enriched with skin loving vitamins & antioxidants that detoxifies, refines pores & clarifies complexion for instant skin radiance. Specially formulated to promote optimum skin pH & moisture for naturally refined & glowing ski. Suitable for ALL skin types. more info Tropic Skin Revive (50ml) – £15.95 Tropic’s Skin Revive Firming Nourishing cream is packed to bursting with vitamins, antioxidants & pure plant actives that visibly firms & intensely nourishes for instant skin radiance. improves skin elasticity & helps to smooth fine lines more info Tropic Smoothing Cleanser (170ml) – £14.95 100% Natural Smoothing Cleanser with a FREE Microfibre face cloth. This luxuriously indulgent smoothing cleanser gently cleans and coupled with our microfibre face cloth, buffs to reveal soft, hydrated & radiantly smooth skin. Tropic’s rich & creamy Smoothing Cleanser is enriched with pure plant actives that effortlessly melts away all makeup & impurities – even waterproof mascara! Suitable for ALL skin types. more info For more products, moisturisers, shampoo etc… go to our beauty section You will find more information in the product info page. Check back as we are currently updating pages on Susie’s Tropic Skincare Range. www.green-bear.co.uk

Green Bear UK Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Varzea da Goncala is situated in a secluded rural Algarvian valley, 6km from Aljezur. We are a community of three multicultural families who organically grow as much of our own produce as possible and strive to live evermore sustainably. Seasonal produce is available to guests. We host courses in Sustainable Living and Permaculture here at our smallholding as well as receiving visitors, and have wonderful surroundings for all the family to enjoy. The children’s play area includes wooden climbing frames, swings, a slide, a river stone paddling pool, a sandpit and free ranging hens. A friendly welcome is assured. Our traditional bread oven is used to bake our own pizzas each Friday night, along with a bar and jamming session. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/3000.htm

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First published on the YouGen blog

Just as all buyers should receive an EPC (energy performance certificate), all sellers have to show one to people thinking of buying their home, and this usually means having to pay for it yourself.  If your home already has an EPC, there is no legal requirement to replace it, so long as it is less than 10 years old.

There are lots of reasons why you might want to pay for a new one – if you think it’s too old, or if you know you’ve improved your home since you bought it, or if you don’t think it is accurate. This isn’t compulsory, but if you feel that you should not misrepresent your home when selling it, then bearing in mind how inexpensive they are you may want to consider having the EPC updated.

If you are buying an EPC, take care that you get what you pay for, and also get good value. The EPC provided by your estate agent may appear quite expensive, and there are offers online that at first sight are much cheaper (with prices quoted as low as £30). Unfortunately, in all walks of life there are some rogue traders, and EPC provision is no different.

Some online providers take the client’s money and don’t provide the promised EPC; or if they do provide it, it’s at the expense of the Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), who doesn’t receive payment for the work done. Better not to take the risk, and to deal direct with a local provider. There is some guidance on avoiding the rogue traders on my website.

Next, how about the EPC’s accuracy? If you were present during the inspection you will know how long the DEA spent doing the assessment: did s/he look carefully at the building construction and insulation, lift the loft hatch and check the state of the loft insulation, and properly inspect the heating and hot water system?  A full inspection takes time, at least 30 to 45 minutes, and much longer for a large or complex home.

All DEAs are monitored (a sample of each DEA’s work is checked every year) but this doesn’t mean that all faulty EPCs will be picked up, and some DEAs are tempted to cut corners to save time, which can mean an inaccurate EPC.

The more clients who challenge them, the less work there will be for the few DEAs that don’t do a thorough job.

About the author: @linniR is an Energy Expert on YouGen. @linniR is also a consultant, a freelance writer and a Domestic Energy Assessor accredited with the NHERscheme, and she enjoys all three.  She tweets regularly on issues relating to energy efficiency and renewables and provides consultancy, especially in relation to training needs.

First published on the YouGen blog

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First published on the YouGen blog

The REAL Assurance Scheme* has received a surge of complaints about solar PV installers, leading it to assert that rogue traders are taking advantage of the expanding solar panel market to make a killing before the Government adjusts the Feed-In Tariff in the spring.

While they haven’t yet specified what actual numbers constitutes a ’surge’, it is enough to cause them considerable concern. The complaints indicate that some companies are using aggressive, high-pressure and sometimes illegal selling techniques to persuade consumers to sign contracts. These are tactics that blighted the double-glazing industry in its early days, and many of the traders have their origins there.

As a result REAL Assurance has developed some straightforward steps you can take to avoid being taken for a ride. I’ll come to those in a minute – they are mainly about the sales process and contract, and are valid and useful things to bear in mind. However, my advice would be to not let any of these companies step over your hearth.

My clues for how to identify companies you won’t want to let into your house:

- they cold call you, or knock on your door, out of the blue

- a leaflet drops through your letter box

- they offer a discount if you put a sign outside your house / sign the contract on the day

- they ask if your husband/wife/partner will be present at the initial meeting

- they want you to sign up at the first meeting

- it is difficult to get them to leave your house

If you’ve got any more clues to add let me know.

REAL’s top tips to avoid being ripped off

- Only approach companies that are members of the REAL Assurance Scheme.

- Only sign a contract with a company that is certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for the technology you are looking to install. If a company is registered for Solar Thermal but not Solar PV, their PV installation won’t qualify.

- Check the Energy Saving Trust website for objective information and target prices. Their online Cashback Calculator will tell you how much solar panels could earn on your roof [and YouGen of course - ed].

- Read REAL’s guidance carefully before you sign a contract or pay a deposit.

- Get at least three quotes before you decide which company to contract with.

- Make sure any testimonials you rely on are genuine and were not paid for; contact the people yourself and ask them any questions you might have.

- Before you sign a contract or pay a deposit make sure the company gives you a quote in writing, including a standard performance estimate specific to your property and a full breakdown of what will be supplied; make sure it’s all-inclusive.

- Before you sign a contract or pay a deposit make sure the company gives you their standard terms and conditions in writing.

- Before you sign a contract or pay a deposit make sure you read all the information carefully and you understand it.

- Never pay more than 25% of the contract price upfront and check it will be protected with insurance.

- Remember you have the right to cancel the contract within seven days with no penalty; make sure you don’t waive this right by signing a waiver.

- If you make any changes to the contract make sure these are agreed in writing and added to the contract.

- If the company makes any changes to the contract make sure you agree them in writing; remember if you are not happy with them you have the right to cancel the contract within 7 days with no penalty.

- Remember to send REAL your feedback once the job has been completed – it can act on tip-offs too.

*All MCS accredited installers must sign up to the REAL Assurance Consumer Code

About the author: Cathy Debenham, Founder of YouGen – Renewable energy made easy.

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We launched our brand new Junior Collection in August 2011. Green Nippers Junior Collection consists of colourful organic clothes for boys and girls aged 0 to 5 years. The range includes smart and practical dresses, smock tops, t-shirts and leggings for girls. For the boys there are a wonderful range of t-shirts, stylish trousers and dungarees.

Green Nippers have proven that been organic does not mean that you have to limit the colours to cream and brown. We have carried on our ethos of been bright and colourful for our Junior collection, using a great range of warm and rich colours such as rustic red, chocolate brown, navy, marmalade and forest green.

Since launching our Junior range, it has proven to be very popular. Especially our boys dungarees! Our customers have been drawn the fabric initially as they are not made from the usual denim. One of the unique selling points of Green Nippers dungarees is that they are actually made from a high quality organic cotton sweater fabric (similar to jogging bottoms) which is much softer and more comfortable than denim. However they do have the smart ‘denim look’ with the colour and contrasting top stitching. Our dungaree/pinafore dress and boys trousers are also made from the same fabric.

Green Nippers boys dungarees have been that popular that our cotton dungarees have been bought for girls too – so they are in fact unisex J They are so practical and durable, allowing little children to play comfortable all day long.
Here are some of the key features:
- The legs turn up and the straps have 2 fastening options allowing your little one room to grow
- They are made from soft 100% organic cotton sweater fabric and organic cotton jersey (pockets)
- They contain no nasty chemicals or pesticides, so are therefore eczema friendly
- The buttons are made from coconut shell
- There are nickel free popper fastenings around the inside leg (for easy nappy changing)
- Ethically made in Turkey
- High quality and hard wearing
- Easy to wear, smart, practical and comfortable
- Ideal for babies suffering from reflux as they are not tight fitting around the stomach

Green Nippers blue dungarees are available to purchase from our website (www.greennippers.co.uk). They are very reasonably priced at £19.99, and are available from ages 0 to 3 years.

Green Nippers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

A recent report by Ipsos MORI for UNICEF UK has highlighted that children in the UK are being drawn into a materialistic culture because they don’t spend enough time with their families.

According to a recent research, although parents in the UK are committed to their children, they don’t have enough time to spend with them due to long working hours. To make up for this, they end up treating them to new clothes and toys, which the charity claims affects their relationship with material items.

For online retailer Boys&Girls, treating your children to new clothes could be turned into a more meaningful experience. Instead of buying into labels, try buying fair trade clothing. This will give you the opportunity to teach your kids about where their clothes come from and how they are produced, giving them a greater understanding of the world they live in. This will help them be kinder to their peers, and could also positively affect their buying choices in the future.

Buying organic children clothes will also give you the chance to make your children aware of serious issues whilst treating them. You could explain the impact of chemicals on the environment but also on the workers who make their clothes, or teach them about ecosystems and global warming too.

And to make more free time for your little ones, why not try online shopping rather than dragging them round the shops? You can fit it in after they’ve gone to bed, and to make it even easier, most retailers can deliver to the address of your choice, like an office, so you don’t have to be at home to receive them.

If you would like to treat your children to organic and fairly traded cool children clothes, visit Boys&Girls online today.

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The two gites are situated in the heart of an organic olive grove in the wild and natural scenery of the Bruyere de Salce estate, which nestles below the Larzac plateau in the South of France. Built with organic materials, they have solar heating for water. A natural swimming pool is located nearby the accommodation. The health spa offers cures of oleotherapy using our range of organic cosmetics created from the juice of young olives pressed in the traditional way. In addition to the treatments, visitors can explore the collection of wild and rare Mediterranean fruit trees on our twenty hectare estate, and sample the fresh fruits, vegetables, pollen and spirulina. There’s also a wealth of local heritage to discover in the area. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2999.htm

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