Some time ago, when I shopped at the supermarket regularly, I left feeling as though I had been taken for a sucker.

I had got some good deals, and boosted my rewards points, but the meat was not good and did I really want all those things that were not on my shopping list. Especially the DVD. And how did they make such a massive profit when they spent so much advertising how cheap they are? Is it because the farmer on average only got 9p for every £1 I spent?

I then discovered that local food is cheaper, fresher, more convenient, tastier, higher quality, accountable, better for the environment, better for the local economy, better for animal welfare and reduces food miles and imports.

I also read that 80% of people know about many of these things but only 20% of us actually buy local. So I set up BigBarn to help more people find and buy local food.

That was 10 YEARS ago. And still 80% of people want to buy local food but only 20% are buying it.

Is it because they have become addicted to the supermarket? Are so easily led by advertising? Really need those rewards points? Or sincerely believe that supermarkets are cheaper and that they need everything every week?

Please tell them to STOP. Before everything is owned by the supermarkets!

Tell them local food is cheaper and more convenient. All they have to do is change the way they shop. Buy essentials, like meat, dairy, fruit and veg from a local farm shop or butcher and grocer every week and leave the supermarket, to once a month.

So the 3 easy steps for a better food industry are easy simply:

• Register for the BigBarn newsletter so we can remind you to save money by telling you about your local food outlets and special offers. www.bigbarn.co.uk/register
• Shop locally to encourage local food production, or even make money by cropping for your local shop.
• Comment, we and others reading this article would love to hear what you think. www.bigbarn.co.uk/blog/2010/01

BigBarn Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This is the third occasional newsletter for Habitat Aid’s friends and partners to let you know how we’re getting on.  If you’d like to get this mailing by automatic subscription, which this month would also have included glorious technicolour pictures of endearing livestock, please fill in the form on our website or visit http://habitataidnews.wordpress.com

I’ve found myself blogging about food recently, which I suppose just shows how closely connected a lot of gardening / conservation / foody issues are. I’ve been particularly pleased that we’ve done relatively well with fruit trees over the last few months, and I’m delighted that one of our suppliers, RV Roger, will be offering Perry Pear trees for us from this autumn. Thanks chaps.
 
I can’t wait until the Spring to see how our meadow areas are doing. The sheep are now grazing less precious bits of pasture at home and I keep telling myself it’s too early to look for the first signs of Yellow Rattle. I’m really excited by our meadow projects this year – not only our own here, but also the demo areas on Archie’s farm on the A303 – to say nothing about the courses we’re running. And talking of farming folk, every time I turn the TV on I see Monty Don telling wannabe smallholders to buy Large Black Pigs – hurrah!
 
We’re beginning to be asked to source plants for some larger scale projects, including meadows, which is hugely encouraging. These are species not necessarily advertised on the website, but the service is one we’re delighted to provide. It’s helpful for the client to have just one point of contact, and to be confident in the quality of the plants provided.   
 
I’ve got to say again how indebted I’ve been over the last couple of months to all sorts of folk, from bloggers and journalists to customers to suppliers – thank you all very much for your help. Do please carry on giving me suggestions for improvement!

Habitat Aid Ltd. is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

A
pioneering company, which has helped changed the lives of thousands
of smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia, owes much of its success
to its local roots in Herne Hill. Kate
Sebag, Marketing Director of Tropical Wholefoods, is marking World
Fairtrade Day (May 9 2009) by paying tribute to the support she has
received from local companies and businesses in the Herne Hill and
Dulwich areas.

Tropical
Wholefoods, which is based in Herne Hill, is an importer and
distributor of fair trade dried fruits, dried mushrooms, nuts and
fruit bars. It supplies health food, delicatessens, farm shops,
Oxfam, Morrisons and  Boots with its produce. The company
pioneered sun dried fruit which it first brought to the UK over 15
years ago. Then the company had a
turnover of £15,000 but this has now reached £2.5million and Kate
is hopeful of a flourishing year despite these difficult economic
times. She says: “The support and
help we have received from local businesses and people has been
wonderful. This has really helped us in lots of ways not least in
getting our products well known in our community.” One
example is when she called on local businesses to help when she
wanted to set up a photoshoot to show off new recipes using her
products. She says: “I decided to
make up several recipes to show the range and versatility of the
products I sell. I am quite a good cook but I asked my local baker
for help with a batch of hot cross buns with a twist – using our
Fairtrade dried apricot and mango instead of currants. The baker made
them for me free of charge – and they were delicious!” As
well as the buns, Kate needed to source plates and dishes to display
the freshly cooked dishes, plus she needed extra ingredients and
‘props’ such as flowers. Again,
local businesses triumphed. The list
of helpful businesses includes: - Hot
Cross Buns were cooked by Kindred Bakery, 23 Half Moon Lane, London
SE24 9JU- Lamb for a tagine recipe was supplied by local butcher,
Walters on 321 Railton Road London SE24 OJN- Fruit and Vegetables
were bought from The Fruit Garden, 315 Railton Road.- Spices, flour,
sugar  and other products came from Londis at 14 Half Moon Lane,
London SE24 9HU- Moroccan Crockery lent by Mimosa, 16 Half Moon Lane,
London SE24 9HU- Ribbons were supplied by The Art Stationers, 31
Dulwich Village, London SE21 7BN- Flowers came from The Flower Lady,
297 Railton Road, next to Herne Hill Station- Even the light bulb for
the lighting came from RJ Electrical Supplies, 165 Herne Hill, London
SE24 9LR Kate adds: “It all goes to
show what a fantastic area Herne Hill and Dulwich is – everything is
within walking distance and everything was provided with local
friendliness and helpfulness.   “My
husband, Adam, and I have lived and worked in Southwark for more than
10 years and have lived and worked in neighbouring Lambeth for more
than 15 years. We brought up our children here. We always knew it was
a great area and this just goes to show how brilliant local community
can be.” Tropical Wholefoods
products are also popular in the local area. The
local Oxfam store 20 Half Moon Lane stocks
Tropical Wholefoods products, local school Rosendale Primary has run
healthy eating days and days on Fairtrade when all the kids have
scoffed dried mango from the company and invited Kate in to talk
about her visits to Burkina Faso. The
fresh fruit and veg shop, the Fruit Garden on Railton Road, stocks
Tropical Wholefoods bars, as does the local chemist Fourways Pharmacy
on 12 Half Moon Lane. Londis on Half Moon Lane also stock Tropical
Wholefoods fruits and bars. And every
summer the company takes a stall at Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell
Park.   Kate adds: “We’re
always reading about the lack of neighbourly spirit in the UK today
and how unfriendly Londoners are but down here we are proof that the
opposite is true.” 

Produced daily by the Social Enterprise Coalition

Ethical brands -How
Green & Black’s struck chocolate gold

Cumbrian farmers to
generate own energy through biogas plan

Continue reading for lots more…

National

Acevo taskforce to
monitor £1bn Future Jobs Fund

John Plummer, Third
Sector Online

Chief executives body
Acevo has set up a taskforce to ensure the voluntary sector has a say
in the Department for Work and Pensions’ new £1bn Future Jobs Fund.
The DWP announced last week that not-for-profit organisations could
submit bids to the fund, set up to create 150,000 jobs for long-term
unemployed people aged from 18 to 24.
….Taskforce members
include the Social Enterprise Coalition, the Community Alliance and
Futurebuilders England. It is chaired by Bubb and Jonathan Bland,
chief executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition, is vice-chair.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/channels/Finance/Article/902903/Acevo-taskforce-monitor-1bn-Future-Jobs-Fund/

The big issues in
nursing

Steve Ford, Nursing
Times

In the wake of cases
such as that of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, there is now
an onus on every nurse to be a role model for other nurses if the
profession is to avoid criticism. The fact that not all nurses want
to be leaders but all are role models was one of the key messages to
come out of a special round-table discussion between leading nurse
stakeholders, held in April by Nursing Times.

….Ms Cook also
questioned another part of the commission’s remit, which deals with
the development of nurse-led services – and in particular the
increased use of the social enterprise model, which was also
highlighted in the NHS Next Stage Review.

http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/management/the-big-issues-in-nursing/5001025.article

Community nurse
teams face takeover by hospital trusts

Healthcare Republic

Hospital trusts are
hoovering up community services because of the speed at which the DoH
expects PCTs to outsource their provider arms, primary care experts
have warned.
….The report says community health services have
several options as PCTs focus on commissioning. They can become
social enterprises, or link more closely with general practice as
‘integrated care organisations’. But the report adds that ‘foundation
trusts are waiting in the wings’ ready to seize the chance to expand
into community care.

http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/Nurse/LatestNews/902839/Community-nurse-teams-face-takeover-hospital-trusts/

Ethical brands -How
Green & Black’s struck chocolate gold

Ethical Corporation

Asking whether “social
entrepreneurs” created ethical consumerism or vice versa is a bit
like asking which came first, the organic chicken or the free-range
egg.
…Sams believes social enterprises are defined as much by
the interdependent relationships between their stakeholders, and
their financial constraints, as by ethical ideals. The lower capital
base, “encourages co-dependency with all the stakeholders in your
business”, and the result is a more “collaborative and
cooperative approach”.

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=6456&ContTypeID=43

Cumbrian farmers to
generate own energy through biogas plan

New Energy Focus

Farmers in Cumbria are
teaming up to develop anaerobic digestion facilities to generate
their own renewable energy from agricultural waste. Community
Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW), a group based in Workington,
plans to set up a number of co-operatives to develop the plants,
which will produce electricity and heat from farmers’ manure and
silage.

…..Social enterprise
NRG NorthEast Renewables Group is to supply and install the digester,
subject to planning permission, with technology expected to be
supplied by German biogas company Biogas Hochreiter.

http://newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2580&section=Bioenergy%20%26%20Waste

Voluntary sector
cannot shy away from redundancies

Stephen Naysmith,
The Glasgow Herald, 04/04/09

Charities and social
businesses will have to bite the bullet and make redundancies if they
are to avoid falling victim to the recession, a leading entrepreneur
will warn this week.Liam Black, former CEO of Jamie Oliver’s 15
restaurant, has been invited to Scotland by the Big Lottery Fund for
a seminar titled Leadership in Tough times, which is being held on
Friday.

….Black, who is the
co-founder of Wavelength social enterprise consultancy believes the
event will help charities and social businesses clarify what is most
essential about what they do.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/otherfeatures/display.var.2506039.0.voluntary_sector_cannot_shy_away_from_redundancies.php

Local

Friends to walk
Thames Path in only nine days

Henley Standard

THREE friends from
Goring plan to walk the length of the Thames to help children in
Africa. Steve Smith, Veronica Reynolds and Vicky Hamilton will
attempt the 184-mile trek in nine days for Changing Futures, a
charity set up by Mr Smith to provide feeding stations and school
equipment.  The trio, who all live in the Goring Gap, will stay
in riverside pubs en route and will be joined by friends and families
at various points. Ms Reynolds, of Eastfield Lane, is operations
director of Walk England, a social enterprise set up to encourage
people to walk more often, and founded Goring Gap Health Walks 10
years ago.
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=594850

Eccles art shop ‘is
blueprint to revive high street’, says Blears

Salford Online

The decline of high
streets with “eyesores” like empty shops can be stopped by
converting them into social enterprises, Salford MP Hazel Blears said
at a seminar in Stockport yesterday. “Innovative communities”
in the North West would take advantage of empty shops by holding
their own local art galleries, like the one on Boothway in Eccles,
run by Karen Illingworth. Ms Blears chaired a seminar in Stockport
with Culture Secretary Andy Burnham on tackling ‘recession in the
high street’ with councils, business leaders, landlords and town
centre managers.

http://www.salfordonline.com/localnews_page/12525-eccles_art_shop_%27is_blueprint_to_revive_high_street%27,_says_blears.html

Youngster wins
award for his cafe plan

The Plymouth Herald

A 16-YEAR-OLD East
Devon boy has won an award for setting up a youth cafe in Sidmouth.
Dan Gigg won a CHANGEit award in the innovation category for the
Giovani Youth Café, which he set up after attending National
Enterprise Week at his college in 2007. The week is supported by
Rise, which is the voice for the South West social enterprise. During
the week, Dan attended Social Enterprise Day, which is aimed at
encouraging young entrepreneurs to develop ideas to do with social or
environmental change.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Youngster-wins-award-cafe-plan/article-959641-detail/article.html

Women travels from
Australia for exhibition

Evening Times,
04/04/09

AN 82-year-old woman
is travelling from the other side of the world to attend the opening
of an exhibition on the history of Paisley’s Kibble. Judith Parsons,
from Melbourne, Australia, will be flying in with her son, Graeme and
grandson, Kieran after she discovered her late father George McPhail
had been a pupil at Kibble in 1910 when he was just 15.

….As well as
educating young people, Kibble now provides community outreach,
residential care, fostering, secure care and employment training for
care leavers through a portfolio of social enterprises.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2505913.0.woman_travels_from_australia_for_exhibition.php

Gray’s School of
Art students bring tartan with a Japanese twist to life

Robert Gordon
University News Review, 04/04/09
More
than 100 years since the ‘Scottish Samurai’, Thomas Blake Glover,
became the first non-Japanese to be accorded the honour of receiving
the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan’s appetite for all things Scottish
remains stronger than ever.
….Sakura Scotland, a social
enterprise based in Edinburgh which was set up in conjunction with
International Tartans, is based on a belief that tartan should be
made available to anyone who wishes it, regardless of nationality and
that a share of the profits should go to those in need.

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/news/disp_NewsPreview.cfm?PGE_ID=64388&vmenu=2

Bottom’s up!
Enfield is home to the capital’s first vineyard since medieval times

Hannah Crown,
Enfield Independent

A VINEYARD is being
planted in London tomorrow for the first time since the middle ages.
Volunteers will gather at Forty Hall Organic Farm to begin work on a
new 15-acre commercial vineyard, with the aim of selling bottles of
the wine in local shops in a few years.

…. London has not
had a commercial vineyard since medieval times and will be a social
enterprise project run by Capel Manor Horticultural College, which
has donated the land in Forty Hall Country park.

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/4337133.Bottom_s_up__Enfield_is_home_to_the_capital_s_first_vineyard_since_medieval_times/

Of
general interest

Politics:

‘No political fix’
on Royal Mail

BBC News Online

A compromise deal
suggested as a way to avoid a damaging Labour revolt on Royal Mail is
not being considered, Post Office minister Pat McFadden said. He said
proposals to turn it into a not-for-profit company like Network Rail
were just a “political fix”. The government’s plan to sell
off a 30% stake in Royal Mail remained the “most convincing”
option, he said. But Labour backbencher John Grogan said ministers
would have to compromise to win over more than 100 Labour rebels.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8033032.stm

Business:

CBI tested in spat
over Heathrow runway

Jim Pickard,
Financial Times

The CBI is facing a
stern test of its authority as the main voice of business after its
supportive stance on Heathrow’s expansion was undermined by a band
of prominent executives. Ministers have claimed for months that the
scheme has the solid support of business groups such as the British
Chambers of Commerce, CBI and London First. But cracks in that
unified front have appeared after a letter calling for a halt to the
third runway – in favour of more high-speed rail – was signed by
13 business leaders.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/15b06a70-38dd-11de-8cfe-00144feabdc0.html

Society:      

Convicted teenager
Kane Beales wins legal fight over ’shame’ jackets

Frances Gibb, The
Guardian

A convicted teenager
who refused to wear a high visibility jacket labelled “Community
Payback” was today told by a court that he had a “reasonable
excuse”. Kane Beales, 19, had been accused of breaching his
sentence by saying he would not wear the clothing. He had been given
a suspended sentence with an unpaid work requirement for possessing a
knuckleduster, a flick knife and an offence of drinking excess
alcohol in September. But the court heard Beales, of Caister,
Norfolk, had refused to wear the garment after arguing it would lead
to “humiliation and embarrassment”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6226345.ece

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The media monitor is
produced daily by the Social Enterprise Coalition
www.socialenterprise.org.uk

Produced daily by the Social Enterprise Coalition

Force banks to
invest, says Blears

Coalition urges
public support for Government’s eco-towns programme

Renewable energy
co-operative will help Cumbrian farmers

Continue reading for lots more…

National

Force banks to
invest, says Blears

Henry Palmer,
Social Enterprise Magazine

Government is
considering powerful legislation which could compel banks and
building societies to finance investment vehicles set up to invest in
social enterprises and marginalised communities, a senior cabinet
minister has confirmed. In a lecture at the House of Commons last
night, communities secretary Hazel Blears said she was interested in
legislation based on the US Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which
was introduced in the late 1970s to outlaw discriminatory practices
by banks.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/news/detail/index.asp?id=956

Third Sector
Partnership Board open for applications

Emily Twinch, Third
Sector Online

The Communities and
Local Government department is advertising for voluntary sector
experts to join its Third Sector Partnership Board. Ten places are
available on the board, which has been set up to give voluntary
sector organisations a say on CLG policy. The department wants people
who have experience in areas such as housing, regeneration, social
enterprise and race equality. The board will be chaired by CLG
minister Baroness Andrews and will be a forum “through which the
third sector can contribute to the aims and objectives of the
department”, according to the advert.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/902133/Third-Sector-Partnership-Board-open-applications/

The rich tapestry
of LIVE

Albert Harvey,
Times Online

Livity’s Brixton
offices in a converted piano warehouse are not what you would expect
from any ordinary social enterprise. Teenagers who come to join the
award-winning youth run publication LIVE don’t expect such a
bright, colourful, professional office and clients coming to meet
socially responsible youth marketing agency Livity don’t expect a
hub of teenagers buzzing about the place.  It’s this blend of
youth and experience that has gained the organisation recognition
from Gordon Brown, who wrote a chapter about Livity in his book
Everyday Heroes,and Channel 4 who commissioned them to make
interactive TV show Dubplate Drama.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/related_reports/social_entrepreneurs/article6198251.ece

New Social
Enterprise Scheme On The Cards

j4b Community

Big Issue Invest, the
investment arm of Big Issue, is set to offer risk capital ranging
from £50,000 to £500,000 to organisations that demonstrate growth
potential and the ability to have a “significant social
impact”. Cash injections from their Social Enterprise
Investment Fund will be used as working capital, for capital
purchases, and for acquisitions of other businesses which will see
them turned into a social enterprise model. The fund is aiming
to act as “a vehicle to grow social enterprises that create greater
social opportunity and environmental sustainability in the UK while
demonstrating the viability of social investing to the wider
investment community”. 

http://www.j4bcommunity.co.uk/News.aspx?WCI=htmResults&WCU=CBC=View,SEARCH=DL00%3D20090401~pDH00%3D20090430,DSCODE=J4BGRV,NEWSITEMID=39-N6837

Paul Murphy
welcomes Future Jobs Funding for young jobseekers in Wales

Wired Gov

Around 7,500 jobs
could be created for under-25s in Wales as part of a new £1 billion
UK-wide initiative, Secretary of State for Wales Paul Murphy said
yesterday.

….Organisations will
be invited to bid for funding from the Future Jobs Fund through
the DWP. Bids will need to be in line with existing locally agreed
work and skills strategies and show that they do not replicate or
replace existing jobs. Other large organisations such as social
enterprises and voluntary sector bodies will be able to bid as long
as their proposals meet the criteria set out during the bidding
process.

http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/0/892F128ED161E566802575A80037C6F3?OpenDocument

Coalition urges
public support for Government’s eco-towns programme

Jon Land, 24dash

On the closing day of
consultation on the draft policy for eco-towns the cross-sector
coalition in support of the initiative outlined why the controversial
programme is so important to the future of housebuilding and the
environment.
….“But if the towns are to be truly eco-friendly,
the jobs they provide must be too and should include high levels of
social enterprise, community entrepreneurship and high quality
home-working.”

http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2009-04-30-Coalition-urges-public-support-for-Governments-eco-towns-programme

Long-term job
creation call

Jim Dunton, Local
Government Chronicle

The government’s
worklessness tsar has called on ministers to ensure their £1.1bn job
creation fund takes a longterm approach to tackling unemployment.
Councils, voluntary groups and social enterprises will be invited to
ask for cash to provide temporary jobs, mainly targeting under-25s
who have been out of work for a year or more, under the programme
which was unveiled in Alistair Darling’s Budget. Up to 150,000 jobs
lasting at least six months are due to be created. Some will begin in
October, but the bulk of the chosen projects are expected to start in
January 2010.

http://www.lgcplus.com/creditcrunch/2009/04/longterm_job_creation_call.html

More diversity in
journalism, demands Channel 4 anchor

Student Times

There is a growing
realisation within the media that diversity is important, Channel 4
and More 4 presenter Keme Nzerem said at the launch of social
enterprise People with Voices in Shoreditch, London last month.
 Zerem, who reported on President Obama’s campaign last year,
told an eager audience of aspiring journalists that a diverse pool of
talent can have an influence in the production process resulting in
improved
output.
http://www.studenttimes.org/st_news/news_article.php?article_id=492

Renewable energy
co-operative will help Cumbrian farmers

Farming UK

A renewable energy
co-operative has announced plans to make energy from farm muck and
help boost Cumbria’s farming economy

….CoRE NW will also
work with interested communities to set up and own any renewable
energy systems, including wood heating, solar panels and water
turbines. The initial work on Middle Farm has been funded by The Hub,
a social enterprise support project operating across West Cumbria
that is managed by the worker co-operative and co-operative
development specialists, Co-operative and Mutual Solutions.

http://www.farminguk.com/news/Renewable-energy-co-operative-will-help-Cumbrian-farmers15850.asp

Viglen awarded
contract to supply 70,000 computer systems to local and central UK
government organisations

M2

Viglen, a British
manufacturer and provider of IT solutions, announced on 30 April that
it has been awarded a contract by the Office of Government Commerce
(OGC) to supply a range of computer equipment to the public sector.
 
….The contract is a 24-month supply agreement with a
12-month extension period, and has the potential to grow further to
include educational establishments, charitable organisations, social
enterprises and the voluntary sector.

http://www.m2.com/m2/web/story.php/2009070C8E3CB6B651FC802575A800477F66

Scottish Series
promises bank holiday extravaganza

Yachts and Yachting

The Brewin Dolphin
Scottish Series, which takes place from 22-25 May, promises a weekend
jam-packed with activities for participants and spectators alike.

….To entertain the younger visitors during the weekend there
will be face painting, magic shows and games. In addition they can
have a go at sailing a dinghy courtesy of Stramash. The social
enterprise company is allowing budding sailors the chance to take to
the water throughout the weekend.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=146282

Local

Enterprising kids
do the business

Liverpool City
Council

Children as young as
five are to be taught business skills in Liverpool. Sixty primary
schoolchildren, from 12 schools throughout the city, will be joining
Cllr Gary Millar, Executive Member for Enterprise and Tourism at
Liverpool City Council, on Wednesday 6 May to launch of the
“Enterprising kids? Let’s do business” Toolkit.

….”Andrew and I
passionately believe that if we can inspire and encourage this age
group to think business in a social enterprise way we can instil an
instinctive understanding of putting something back, having fun,
working together and making some money.”

http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/News/newsdetail_2998.asp

Questions over
finance mean bulky-waste collector is set to lose charity status

Michael Peel,
Halifax and Calderdale Evening Courier

THE firm appointed to
collect bulky household waste in Calderdale looks likely to be
stripped of its charitable status.
Orchard
Recycling Services began collecting furniture, electrical and other
household goods last week.
….Orchard’s founder, David
Greenhouse, said charitable status could be allowed to lapse because
of the restrictions it imposed. “We will never be anything but a
not-for-profit company because we are all about social enterprise,
but there are certain limitations which come with being a charity –
particularly when it comes to having access to
money.”
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Questions-over-finance-mean-bulkywaste.5219598.jp

Norwich politicians
’shop local’

Lorna Marsh, EDP 24

Politicians put their
money where their mouths are when they took up the gauntlet of only
shopping locally and recorded how they fared for all to see in an
internet diary. Former home secretary Charles Clarke, MP for Norwich
South, joined Labour party colleague Ian Gibson, MP for the north of
the city, and a host of councillors, for the challenge in the hope of
encouraging everyone in Norfolk to follow their lead. It was laid
down by social enterprise Buy Local Norfolk, which wanted public
figures and their partners to commit to shop locally for a minimum of
one week this month , buying both goods and services from their
area’s independent shops and suppliers.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED29%20Apr%202009%2020%3A20%3A45%3A713

Two firms relocate
to £6.4m Hednesford office scheme

Alun Thorne,
Birmingham Post

A new £6.4 million
office scheme in Hednesford has secured two lettings in a show of
faith for the regional out-of-town market.

….The location has
also been selected by PSS as the regional headquarters for an
innovative shared living scheme, as part of a strategy to double the
75 adult carers currently participating in the initiative throughout
Staffordshire by 2012. PSS is a social enterprise providing
community-based, social and health care services at neighbourhood
level, across England, central Scotland and north Wales.
http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/commercial-property-birmingham/2009/04/30/two-firms-relocate-to-6-4m-hednesford-office-scheme-65233-23507649/Of
general interest

Of general interest

Politics:

Ministers in
expenses climbdown hours before vote

Philip Webster, The
Times

Gordon Brown was
forced into a second climbdown in 48 hours today after he made
concessions on MPs expenses in the face of another Commons defeat.
 Harriet Harman, Leader of the Commons, accepted that the future
of the whole issue should be referred to the Committee on Standards
in Public Life headed by Sir Christopher Kelly, who had been at
loggerheads with the Prime Minister over the timing of his inquiry.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6199971.ece

Education:

School starting age
moved to help summer-born children

Polly Curtis, The
Guardian

All children will have
the option of starting school in the September after their fourth
birthday to counter the educational penalty faced by those born in
the summer, the schools secretary Ed Balls said yesterday as he
announced the biggest shake-up of primary education in England in 20
years. At present children born in the summer often enter primary
school in the January or April before they turn five, meaning they
get up to two fewer terms at school compared with classmates born in
the autumn who start in September.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/30/school-starting-age-primary-review

Business:

EU unemployment
hits 20 million

BBC News Online

Unemployment across
the 27 EU member states reached 20 million in March. And unemployment
in the countries using the euro is at its highest level since 2005,
according to the region’s official statistics agency. In March an
estimated 419,000 people lost their jobs across the 16 countries in
the eurozone. The Eurostat data agency says levels of unemployment
now stand at 8.9% of the population who are eligible for work, up
from 8.7% in February.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8026546.stm

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The media monitor is
produced daily by the Social Enterprise Coalition
www.socialenterprise.org.uk

While in London on Wednesday the Team at MoreEco decided to make a quick visit to Grand Designs Live at Excell in London. Are main aim was to have a look at the Eco buildings which were being showcased at the event.

We visited the future-build theatre by ECO2H2OUSE.  This eco house
demonstrated the techologies being used in the building of a low/zero
carbon home. In the UK today, an average new house which uses the technology
involved will consume 77% less energy for space heating when compared with one
built to standard building regulations.

The Eco House uses
innovative low-energy technology that has been designed to meet the
passive house energy standards and levels of air tightness. The Passive
house standard is as follow;

• Compact form & good insulation
• Southern orientation & shade considerations
• Energy-efficient window glazing & frames
• Highly efficient heat recovery form exhaust air using and air to air heat exchanger
• Energy-saving household appliances
• Total energy demand for space heating and cooling of less than 15kWh/m2/yr

The second eco house we toured was the ‘EcoHub’. This cute mini dome-shaped eco pod offers teh last word in super energy efficiency. Clad in sustainable wooden or recycled tyre tiles, this tw-bedroom, double pod home uses mirco-renewable technology to achives a zero carbon rating. The people at EcoHub are committed to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint. We got on well with them as this is the same aim at we have at MoreEco.

The third eco house we were inspired by, was the landARK. If you have a scrap of land, maybe a back garden, a hillside, a coppice clearing, or maybe eveen a corner of somebody’s car park (plus a few weeks holiday) then this i agreat fun eco house to have. All you need is a rubber mallet, a tape measure, screwdrives, a powerdrive drill and enough peace to read the manual. Checlkout the pictures we have taken.

Finally the last house we visited was the Cloud 9 stand. These timber eco homes are again made with sustainable timber and come with solar panels, heat recovery ventilation, large windows and open space plan. energy bills for these house are less than £400 per year.

We have uploaded pictures of the Grand Designs Live event taken from the trustworthy MoreEco iPhone to Moreeco Flickr account. The slide show is below.

Show you care this Mothering Sunday with a beautifully wrapped gift from Ochre & Ocre.

We are offering FREE gift wrapping of your present, and FREE delivery! (Gift wrap service normally £4.50).

Send your Mum a beautifully wrapped parcel, in our signature Ochre & Ocre FSC gift wrap. To order, select your gift, tick the gift wrap option, and enter your message. Then type in the following Promo code: TREAT FOR MUM The cost of the gift wrap service will be deducted from your order.

Make sure you order by Thursday 19th March, to ensure your gift arrives on time. Orders will be despatched first class post on Friday 20th March, to arrive on Saturday 21st March. To find the perfect gift for your mum visit Ochre & Ocre >>>

As part of our United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) commitments to respect human rights and labour rights, Article 13 supports Fairtrade Fortnight.

Fairtrade advocates fairer conditions for workers, suppliers and producers in less developed areas, has a critical role in alleviating poverty and working towards a more sustainable and fairer world. Article 13 have made it a priority to regularly purchase Fairtrade products and raise awareness of the difference fairtrade can make.

Why Fairtrade?
It has been reported that a third of humanity still survive on less
than $2 a day (http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/). Unfair trade is said to
undercut producers in developing countries, which leads to farmers
being driven further into poverty. Unfair trade also plays a large role
in increased poverty within developing countries, with farmers and
producers having their human rights infringed and not receiving nearly
enough compensation for their long work hours.

Fairtrade refers to the promotion of sustainability and social
empowerment of producers, primarily within developing countries.
Fairtrade Fortnight is a social movement which aims… “to tip the
balance of trade in favour of poor producers.” Through choosing to purchase fairtrade
products individuals can have a beneficial impact on the fairer
treatment of the farmers and producers who operate mostly at the bottom
of the supply chain.  

Fairtrade Fortnight
Fairtrade Fortnight (2009) is an important campaign to encourage people
to purchase Fairtrade. The campaign is titled “Make it happen. Choose
Fairtrade”. This campaign aims to encourage individuals, retailers,
businesses, producers and campaigners to organise fairtrade events,
promote awareness and incorporate fairtrade in their purchasing
decisions. Through a collective response to this campaign from a huge
range of stakeholders, we have the power to potentially change the
livelihoods of farmers, sustainably benefit areas of the developing
world and on a larger scale help reduce world poverty. This Fairtrade
Fortnight (2009) will hopefully culminate in a sales world record for
the purchase of fairtrade products, despite the recession.

What we can do?
Below is a list of examples how we can make a difference:

• Make fairtrade a part of your purchasing decisions.
• Start a fairtrade event, e.g. run a fairtrade breakfast club or set up a fairtrade stall. 
• Businesses can promote greater awareness of their full range of
  fairtrade products and make their products more visible in store.
• Increase media coverage of fairtrade and wider trade justice issues, e.g. magazine and newspaper articles.

For more ideas and information visit http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/.

Contact information
Please contact Fiona Banyard on fionab@article13.com or call 020 8840 4450
Please also see Article 13’s website www.article13.com

As part of Article 13’s values and principles  we feel it our duty to do everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint. Therefore on a monthly basis a dedicated member of the Article 13 team monitors; the levels of fuel use; electricity and paper consumption; air travel; and public transport. Furthermore, Article 13 has inserted a standard rate Carbon Clause into client contracts which contributes £20 to offsetting carbon emissions.

We have recently published our annual Environmental report  which details;

1. Our monthly usage of fuel, electricity, paper, air travel emissions, public transport;
2. The 2008 percentage change on our 2007 levels;
3. Our targets and actions for 2009 to further improve our
   environmental practices and impacts of our business activities and
   operations.

Due to the day-to-day individual efforts of our team, as well as a
Company concerted effort up to and including 2008, Article 13 has
monitored and the following changes in our; in our fuel consumption
(14% increase on our 2007 levels due to increasing attendance and
therefore use of car travel to and from the office); electricity
consumption (a 27% decrease); paper consumption (a 10% decrease); and
business related air travel emissions (a 144% decrease) on 2007 levels.

To continue to push our targets and thus efforts, for 2009 we have
committed to further improvements to our environmental practices and
actions, mainly by; changing behaviour (e.g. reducing business related
car travel), promoting responsibility (e.g. advocate and raise
awareness through our vast network and website), and actioning measures
(e.g. annual offset of our carbon footprint)

These actions, alongside our existing and longstanding Environmental
policy , exemplify Article 13’s continual striving to improve its
environmental performance and advocates responsible business in the
area of environmental and social sustainability.  

For more information regarding Article 13’s environmental practices and policy, please see our UNGC pages.

For information on how Article 13 can assist you in auditing your
companies practices, developing action plans, and reducing your
business related effects on the environment, contact Fiona Banyard on
0208 840 4450 or mail fionab@article13.com

Agro-Ecological sustainable farmland investment company offers a secure, ethical alternative to commodity markets

Despite the current economic climate, one company focusing on the future not only of their investors but that of the planet as a whole, is new ecological investment management company Agro-Ecological.  It is the only organisation currently wholly committed to providing ecological asset management and investment solutions in the farmland sector.  This previously inaccessible asset class is now available thanks to the vision and insight of this team of highly experienced organic farmland asset management professionals.

Agro-Ecological offers a professional investment capability in the
sustainable, responsible and ecological management of farmland, for
institutions, investment/wealth managers and HNWI’s in particular for
those with an SRI (sustainable and responsible investment) focus.

The company exclusively acquires and manages farming properties in an
ecological and organic way. This is a timely and cogent investment
opportunity designed to generate a sustainable and profitable future
for both investor and the global environment as a whole.  Says Geoff
Burke, Managing Director, “Investment in farmland and its
organic/ecological management provides an incredibly powerful and
synergistic combination of both positive investment factors, such as
security, stability and performance, with essential sustainability
factors, such as food and health, ecology and climate change.”

The global food supply chain is currently in a state of flux due to
increased demand, climate change and resource constraints; causing
droughts, supply disruptions and increased conventional farming input
costs.  The agriculture sector will inevitably need to adapt to these
changes by redirecting its approach towards a more ecological and
environmentally sound way of farming. In this adaptation lie
significant investment opportunities.

Geoff Burke continues, “Agro-Ecological recognises the investment
opportunities in farmland, understands its increasing and long term
attractions such as stability, inflation hedging and uncorrelated
investment performance and is able to open up this entire outperforming
and secure asset class, hitherto unavailable to the rapidly expanding
demand for genuinely sustainable and responsible investment.”

Agro-Ecological is a member of The Ethical Junction and newly
relaunched UKSIF (Sustainable Investment and Finance). The company has
been in business since September 2008 and between them the team members
have over 50 years’ experience in the organic farmland sector.

www.agro-ecological.com