There are many of us who try hard to do the right thing.  We may buy Fairtrade food, worry about our carbon footprint and recycle our packaging.  Yet most of us have not the slightest idea what our money is doing when we aren’t spending it.

For the majority of us with accounts in high street banks, it’s not that we don’t care; it’s that we don’t know.  A survey commissioned by Charity Bank last autumn revealed that 78% of us are not sure what our banks are doing with our money.  They are not obliged by law to tell us, and we don’t like to ask.  Stories such as the Independent’s last summer, which revealed how UK high street banks are funding the arms industry, make us uncomfortable but unsure what to do.  Changing bank accounts is a hassle and it is much easier not to think about it.

The good news is that there are alternatives out there.  The Move Your Money UK campaign is supported by a whole range of organisations offering alternative ways in which to grow your money, from the Co-operative Bank to local credit unions.   Since the economic crisis, alternative providers have benefited from public distrust of major high-street banks and at Charity Bank this has seen our deposits book doubling in size since 2007, to over £65million today.

While mainstream banks are often focused solely on the principle of profit maximisation, alternative providers implement the triple principle of profit-people-planet.   For Charity Bank this means we adhere to three principles that are in short supply with high street banks:

1) Responsibility. We know our customers personally and expect our borrowers to use loans responsibly and only for the greater good.

2) Transparency. Unlike many mainstream banks, Charity Bank knows and shares where we lend our savers money.

3) Sustainability. While most mainstream banks are focused on creating short term profit, Charity Bank is focused on creating long term social change.  We reinvest our entire surplus for charitable purposes.

So if you are wondering whether to open a new savings account, give some thought to the good that your money could be doing while it’s invested.   It will help you to sleep more easily.

Charity Bank is an ethical bank that offer savings accounts and an ethical ISA where customers not only receive a competitive return, but can also be confident that their savings will help Charity Bank lend money  to charities and social enterprises.  Charity Bank is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (207701) and is a registered charity (1091648). Registered Office: 194 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent. TN9 1BE. Registered in England and Wales (4330018).

Charity Bank – Ethical Bank is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

How fair is fair trade?

With Fair Trade Fortnight fast approaching we thought we would try to answer some of the questions that often come up about fair trade. There are plenty of fair trade facts on the internet but what is a fair trade?

There is a lot of confusion about what fair trade is about and we often get asked “What does fair trade do?” Many people confuse it with the organic and environmental movements and while they may recognise the fair trade logo on a banana and realise that it’s a good thing, many people still do not understand who benefits from fair trade.

Fair trade in a nutshell

Fair trade is about people. It’s as simple as that. Fair trade arose from the unfair international trading practices that meant that small producers in the developing world were being paid far too little for their products. Producers such as coffee farmers were being paid less than the cost of production as the international prices were so low. This meant that they were working hard but losing money, unable to send their children to school or get medical care or even feed them adequately.

Fair trade guarantees sustainable prices and better working conditions. In return for receiving a minimum price for their goods, producers must meet certain social, economic and environmental requirements that ensure the sustainable and fair development of their organisations and workers. The minimum price is set in consultation with producers and can never be less than the market price.

A premium is often paid over and above the minimum price and this extra money is used to invest in social, environmental and economic developmental projects that the producers wish to pursue.

So while consideration is given to environmental issues, the over-riding purpose of fair trade is to improve lives.

Fair trade certification

There are 2 main certification organisations recognized in the world:

1              Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO). The Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member of the FLO and it works with businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to improve the position of producer organisations in the developing world and to help them achieve sustainable improvements for their members and their communities. Certification and product labelling (through the FAIRTRADE Mark) are their primary tools. The backing of organisations of producers and consumers as a citizen’s movement for change is fundamental and integral to their work. They mainly deal with commodity products such as coffee, sugar, bananas and cotton.

2              World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO). This fair trade certification system takes a slightly different approach to the FLO and so covers a wider variety of products, such as gifts and handicrafts. Provided a producer or manufacturer can meet the 10 fair trade principles (go to http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=14 to view them), a producer is certified as fair trade no matter what he makes. By committing to poverty reduction, fair trading and prices, no child labour and more, the producers get access to western markets which they would normally be unable to reach. The accredited member could be a UK importer, Indian manufacturer or social enterprise in any developing country. The UK representative of WFTO is the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).

Fair trade and the UK consumer

Fair trade is doing well in the UK and fair trade sales continue to grow in spite of the recession. Fair trade for the consumer is not about consuming more, but about taking the fair trade option. If you are going to buy some coffee, a gift or a cotton t-shirt choose the fair trade option where it is available.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 (27^th February to 11^th March) is about taking a step for fair trade. This means swapping your brands for Fairtrade brands at home, school or at work. Whether it’s tea, coffee, gifts, clothing or sweets, there are fair trade brands available. And by buying them you really can make a difference to someone’s life.

For more information go to www.wfto.com and www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Research has revealed that 78% of Britons don’t know how or where their savings are invested.  We investigate further, asking the public where they would and wouldn’t want their savings invested.

This video is part of our campaign, in the build up to National Ethical Investment Week, to raise awareness of the good you can do just by saving money with an ethical bank – and of how easy it is to do.

Where Your Savings Go (National Ethical Investment Week) from Charity Bank on Vimeo.

To learn more; join one of Charity Bank’s borrower visits, explore Charity Bank’s ‘Think Ethical, Save Ethical’ microsite, or visit www.charitybank.org

Charity Bank – Ethical Bank is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Banrock Station creates the world’s first living billboard made entirely of British flowers in support of Natural England

Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.

Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora; the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms.  An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.

The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.

The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.

Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said; “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves.  Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit.  In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”

Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added, “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature.  ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine.  We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”

The billboard shall remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed.  The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.

For more information about Banrock Station wines please visit:
www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk

Banrock Station Special Edition wines are available at Morrisons for RRP £6.49

Here Paul Hayman, managing director of MAAssist, tells his eventful story about his visit to Georgia in March this year, where he visited the school and started to make plans for the renovation.

The Georgian school renovation project – Part 2

In March this year I travelled to Ambrolauri, Georgia to start planning the school renovation project. This journey turned out to be quite an adventure and a truly humbling experience.

The journey started early on Wednesday the 23^rd, as I had an important business meeting in the City of London before heading off to the airport. Obviously the clothes that I needed for a trip to the Georgian mountains were not suitable for the pin-striped surroundings of the City. But I needed to travel light, and stuffing a suit and leather shoes into my backpack for a long journey to Tlugi, via Heathrow, Warsaw and Tblisi, did not seem a good idea. So here was my first dilemma, what to wear? I opted for a smart pair of jeans, shirt and tie and my faithful tan linen sports jacket and a scarf. I still stuck out in the City but the meeting went well and I felt suitably attired for my trip.

I arrived at Heathrow on time and landed in Tblisi, the capital of Georgia, just after 5am. Here I met my ‘fixer/translator/guide’ Davit Maisuradze – or should I say I approached a man holding a board with my name on and hoped all would be fine! As it turned out Davit proved to be very valuable in many ways and he seemed to know everyone.

We walked out of the airport into freezing temperatures and I quickly realised that my sports jacket and scarf were completely inadequate.  We got into a 4 x 4 Nissan Pathfinder and we started our drive out of Tblisi and northwest towards Tlugi in Ambrolauri.

The roads in the centre of Tblisi were pretty poor and were lined with police cars every 5 miles or so, blue lights flashing even at this early hour. As we dodged our way past the potholes, police and out of the city I was surprised to see petrol stations every 3 miles or so, but there were clearly very few cars on the road. By this time I was starting to feel the effects of sleep deprivation but there was little chance of sleep as the roads got worse and worse as we travelled further out of Tblisi. I had to hold onto my seat constantly as I was thrown around the car.

We were about 50km outside of Tblisi when the sun started to rise. We started to pass the refugee camps that grew up after the South Ossetia War, an armed conflict in 2008 with Georgia and Russia on one side and the separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other. I was now starting to see the stark realities of the country and the serious challenges that it faces.

Our journey seemed never ending as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains, lurching through pot holes and listening to Davit’s collection of 80’s new romantic songs. Davit, suggested we stopped for food and chose their equivalent of a roadside service station, which was really just a small room that was heated by a small wood burning stove. Our breakfast consisted of a huge selection of food including stews, salads, breads and a fizzy lemonade type drink, not my usual tea and toast!

Our journey continued and the weather really started to close in. The snowfall became very heavy and the snow quickly covered the road. The road soon changed into a mountain pass and at one point we stopped to help a stranded car, towing it very slowly up to the summit while a snow blizzard raged around us. At the summit the temperature gauge read -8 degrees outside, so I decided to stay put in the car and leave Davit to uncouple the cars. By the time he got back into the car he was frozen and the weather had closed in; we were now in a total ‘white out’ and were going nowhere for a while.

I took the opportunity to try and get some sleep, only to be woken by a Georgian Army truck screeching its horn as it nearly crashed right into us on the mountain pass, a very near miss indeed!

As the weather slowly lifted we continued our journey on towards Tlugi. By now the roads were just single lane tracks and, about 1pm, I was very relieved to hear Davit say we had arrived at the school. By this time I had been travelling non-stop for about 17 hours and hadn’t slept for over 26 hours.

We were met by a small lady who was one of the school teachers. The school was a large, single storey, concrete building on a sloped site, much bigger than I was expecting. It was in a very poor condition with several of its windows broken. Also the chimneys for the school’s small wood burning stoves pierced through the glazed sections of the windows. The school entrance was constructed of half a dozen crumbling steps which had clearly felt the ravages of the harsh weather over the years. There were no handrails or guards to stop falls and the steps were clearly dangerous.

I walked around the school to survey the conditions. In every room there was heavy smoke damage caused by the wood burning stoves, there was no electricity, no running water and the floor coverings were often missing, causing me to trip on more than one occasion. The toilets were situated outside. They had no doors and again there was no running water; they were essentially holes in the ground. The only running water for the school came from a broken water main in the grounds. This was an SOS project which needed some careful consideration.

I met the children and teachers of the school, but they all appeared to be somewhat shy and didn’t know how to greet me. They often kept their heads bowed and clearly didn’t know what to make of this visiting stranger. I had brought bags full of pens and pencils and left them with the teachers who seemed to be very thankful for such a small gesture.

So after taking many measurements I waved goodbye to the children and we left to visit the town of Ambrolauri.

Ambrolauri, was about 10 miles away and there we met Dato Janelidze. Dato has been involved in harvesting the fir tree cones for many years. He processes the cones by drying and bagging them ready for distribution to the nurseries and forests in Denmark.

Dato wanted to show me what happened to the cones once they had been picked from the trees, so we drove into his yard to find out more. As we got out of the car we were met by Dato’s dog, a large and rather effective guard dog tied to a chain that was so long that the dog basically had the run of the yard. That was another near miss that I will never forget!

After we had completed the tour Dato invited us to eat. We drove a short distance to a small house where we were taken through the main dining area, where a few people were eating and drinking, into a private room. It all sounds very glamorous, but it wasn’t; the private dining room was separated from the main dining room by an old curtain, it had a simple wooden bench and a window that didn’t close so the temperature was below freezing.

Food started to arrive; chicken livers, offal, stews, breads, enough to feed at least 10 people. Dato disappeared for about 15 minutes and returned with a jeroboam of his home made red wine. He made many toasts which were duly translated by Davit, with lots of references to family, god and giving thanks. Dato’s generosity and real enthusiasm for the project was very touching.

I was quickly realising that our initial plan to send a team of UK tradesmen and materials to Tlugi was much more of a logistical and costly challenge than we had thought. So we decided to explore whether sourcing local labour and materials would be feasible. We had planned to stay in Ambrolauri that night but felt we couldn’t achieve anything further on the project in Ambrolauri and decided to return to Tblisi to check out the available local labour and materials.

By now I was seriously tired and a little drunk and I was desperate to have a rest, but no chance. Our return journey began much as it started, with me holding onto my seat as we lurched through pot holes with Davits 80’s new romantic selections blaring away. Luckily the snow storm had stopped and we negotiated the hairpin corners a little more quickly on the way back, even though snow was still quite deep on the road.

I started to doze, thanks to sheer exhaustion, when I was rudely awoken by Davit’s shouts as we started to slide across the road towards a car that had already slid into a bank of snow. Crash! We bounced off the car and ended up on the opposite side of the road, or should I say giant toboggan run. Davit immediately got out and started to make phone calls as he went to talk to the passengers of the other car. I got out of the passenger side of the car and went to help, but of course I couldn’t understand a word. Nobody was hurt or injured and the 4 x 4 was hardly scratched as most of the contact had been taken by the 4 x 4 footplate. The mood was tense and Davit was obviously concerned – car insurance is not mandatory in Georgia and such incidents can turn nasty. I took Davit to one side and offered him the €200 in cash I had. There were more hurried and tense conversations then we quickly returned to the car and left the scene.

Davit did not speak for quite some time except for a few expletives in English. I reassured him that it was a minor crash and he could not have avoided it. The remaining journey was completed slowly, quietly and without incident back to Tblisi.

A hotel room, a shower, a change of clothes and sleep was beckoning, but as we drove back into the city Davit decided to take me for dinner to a German styled bar with wholesome food and cloudy strong beer. Finally we reached a hotel only to find it was fully booked! It was now well past midnight and I had not slept for over 40 hours. Luckily we finally found a room at the Marriott and, after what felt like an eternity, I finally got some sleep.

The next day Davit took me to the material markets and we looked at how we could source the materials we needed for the project from within Tblisi. The market was fascinating – it went on for miles with car parts, plumbing equipment, tyres and building materials all set out in a market environment. Bartering and haggling was the norm. We also visited an uPVC window manufacturer who priced the replacement windows from my drawings and sizes. Prices were quoted in Lari, Dollars and Sterling! My initial view that we could do more with the funds by sourcing locally was quickly being confirmed.

But now the real dilemma… what to do? How do we do this renovation, how extensive should it be and what is the best use of the funds we hope to raise? The important aim of this project is to make life a little easier for the children at the school, to give them a chance in life. We need to plan this project carefully and will work with Fair Trees®, the school authorities and the staff of the school to ensure that the project is a success.

Paul Hayman

If you would like to know more about Fair Trees® and the project please see the attached and/or enclosed information or go to:

www.fairtrees.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114553318582105

or contact Teresa Owen at Teresa.Owen@maassist.com,

And if you would like to contribute to the fund-raising please contact:

Paul Hayman             Paul.Hayman@maassist.com

Teresa Owen              Teresa.Owen@maassist.com

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This is your invite to join the Word of Mouth Adventure. Join Us in the battle to uncover the local gems you never normally hear about, and support the muchbetter local businesses.

In a world where most travel choices seem to be formulaic, mass produced, and greenwashed…a world of muchbetter adventures is out there.

Independent, individual and personal. Run by friendly people who share your passion for adventure, live locally, and know the best spots.

Hard to find aren’t they? If you have been lucky enough to find one, then support them and help others find them too. It is give and take – share your suggestion, and benefit from one next time you are planning a trip! Together we can revive the soul of adventure.

You can add your suggestion to the site here: www.muchbetteradventures.com/joinus

What happens to my suggestion?

We will add all suggestions to the site so others can get straight in touch.

We’ll check them out ourselves, reward the most ethical (or ‘muchbetter’, if you will) with featured profiles, and offer sustainability consultancy to help others start on the road to muchbetter-hood.

Know an area well?

You can become a muchbetter ambassdor.
As well as your suggestions, the travel guides are being put together by a collection of voluntary ‘ambassadors’ – skiers, surfers, climbers, cyclists, trekkers, divers and locals in adventure hot spots around the world. Help create the full muchbetter guide, get featured and earn money.

Much Better Adventures is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The National Measurement Office (NMO), took over the role of enforcing the EU’s energy efficiency standards and labels, from Trading Standards, after Defra research showed the rate of non-compliance with the energy efficiency regulations was at least 15% – and for some products was 25% or higher. In one case, John Gillman and Sons (Electrical) Limited of Gloucester, pleaded guilty to advertising and selling chest freezers with incorrect energy ratings. The Ice King DM-35 chest freezer, made in China, was advertised online as having a B energy rating, but arrived with labels showing an A+ energy rating and an energy consumption of 215 kilowatt hours per year. Subsequent tests carried out on the appliances found the energy rating to be E or F and that on average the energy consumption was 382 kilowatt hours per year – some 77% higher than shown on the label provided with the appliance. This could cost consumers £22.03 extra per year, which over the products lifecycle could end up costing more to run than it did to buy! The company had to pay a £5,400 fine and £9,400 in costs. More recently, tests carried out by Which? found Beko’s claim that its WMB81445L washing machine used 50% less energy than a standard A-rated machine, making it, they said, an ‘A+++++’ was not all it was cracked up to be. The energy used per kg of washing on a small load was the second highest of all the Beko washing machines Which? tested last year, and only got an average rating of three stars for energy efficiency.

Energy Labelling and eco-design standards have been crucial in getting manufacturers and retailers to recognise the value of energy efficiency and in raising consumer awareness, but if the predicted environmental benefits are to be achieved, it is vital that it is properly enforced, especially as brands feature their eco credentials so heavily in marketing.

At last year’s International Energy Agency Conference, Defra Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Lord Henley said “Consumers who are choosing more efficient products – to either save money or to reduce their emissions or both – deserve to be 100% sure that the product they are buying delivers the standard it promises.”

And, as energy labelling on TV’s comes into force later this year, (it’s currently a voluntary scheme), stiff penalties for non-compliance and rigorous market surveillance are vital. The NMO will soon have an additional range of civil sanctions at its disposal, without needing to go to court, including imposing fines which will reflect the harm caused to consumers and the environment.

Sust-it is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

What is the New Forest Food Challenge?

The New Forest Food Challenge is a community based project run by New Forest Transition that is getting people thinking about the food they eat and where it comes from. We want everyone to be more aware of the impact of what they eat, environmentally, economically and health-wise.

Mainly through our interactive web site we have helped develop a number of initiatives from local food markets to community garden schemes. We have organised and attended many events throughout the New Forest including Seed Swaps, a Local Food Summit, School projects, Food Demonstrations and Green Fairs.

We believe it is especially important to involve young people and to teach them about the creative solutions that exist to help us all out of the difficulties we are facing. By being positive we can change direction. The project has been successful in helping to develop networks and bringing communities across the Forest closer together but there is much to be done.

What are we trying to do?

We want to reach out to a wider audience through the medium of drama and challenge more people to think about, and act on, the vital issue of sustainable food production and consumption.

Dear All,

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! As part of the Big Design Challenge Cornwall, the Market House Challenge is through to the last stage. We have to submit our written report by 18th March but before then, there is a public vote on the last five proposals. Please use this link to register your vote for us. More details about the project are on this page.
 
Click on the “Support this” button to vote – Thank you. If you can forward this to friends and colleagues, please do.

http://www.bigdesignchallenge.co.uk/challenge/131-how-can-we-make-the-market-house-in-st-austell-into-a-vibrant-community-space-which-is-viable-for-the-long-term

Thank you, Charlie x

Leap-design for change is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more