Warwickshire hosts its second Green Christmas Fair

Saturday 6 December
Leamington Spa Town Centre

Local green businesses and environmental groups will be gathering in Leamington Spa town centre to show that a green Christmas doesn’t have  to cost the earth.

Visitors to the event will be able to buy  environmentally friendly, organic and hand made gifts and will be able to learn more about environmental projects and campaigns in the local area.

The event is being organised by Kate Haines who is also the founder of the Warwickshire based ‘green pages’ style website GreenFinder. She says, ‘The event will offer a truly local and sustainable alternative to the high street this christmas and visitors will have the opportunity to support small local businesses and craftspeople alike.The response from stallholders in Warwickshire has been amazing and I think people will love the variety and diversity of products and services on display.

Visitors will also be able to meet Green Santa, enjoy an a charity afternoon tea in aid of the Macmillan nurses and 100 lucky people will receive a green goody bag. Children will be able to take part in seasonal art and craft activities and people cycling to the event will be able to have their bicycles serviced free of charge by Action 21’s team of Dr Bikes.

The Christmas Green Fair will take place on Saturday 6th December at the Dale Street Methodist church in Leamington Spa from 12.30-4.30. Entrance is free and more details about the event can be found on the GreenFinder website www.greenfinder.co.uk

Brighton
3 December 1008

I’m delighted to say that after much long and in-depth discussion we finally have our venue (or should that be venues?) for our Festive Ethical Networking on Wednesday 3 December.

We now have not one but two events for you to attend!

We’ll kick off the evening early doors from 5pm with the launch of Fair, the new fair trade shop at 21 Queens Road, Brighton (about 2 mins from the station). Those behind Fair include Our Ethical Network members Siobhan of Kolkata, Chrissy of Fairly Covered and Barb of Love that Stuff. The wonderful interior design is the creation of another Our Ethical Network member, Rachel, of La Luminata.

Fair is offering all Our Ethical Network members a 10% discount so it’s a great excuse to get some Christmas shopping done!

Next…

We will then cross over the road to the Earth & Stars pub for a spot of Festive Ethical Networking from 8pm-11pm.

We’re still thinking about ice-breaker party games (your suggestions are very welcome!) and are planning to hold a mini raffle with the proceeds going to charity. Please let us know if you have a product or service you would like to donate to the raffle.

A table will be provided for you to showcase a sample product (and potentially take orders), or display leaflets on your services.

Earth & Stars are providing a festive buffet for which we’re requesting a small fee of £5.50 per person. Any funds remaining will be donated to charity. Drinks will be at ‘happy hour’ prices!

In short…

WHAT: Launch of Fair, followed by Festive Ethical Networking

WHERE: Launch at 21 Queens Road, networking 2 mins walk away (you can see it from Fair’s window!) at Earth & Stars pub, 26 Windsor Street.

WHEN: Wednesday 3 December, launch from 5pm, networking from 8pm-11pm

HOW MUCH: Launch – free; £5.50 towards festive buffet at Earth & Stars, drinks at ‘happy hour’ prices!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

We hope to see you there!

Take care,

Katie, Jennifer & Karen

Our Ethical Network

Hull based co-operative, Arthur St Trading Company, have recently launched an on-line payment and ordering service for their popular organic vegetable box delivery scheme, along with an increased variety of individual organic fruit and vegetable lines.

The company, which has a strong ethical philosophy, has been operating in Hull for over nine years as a not-for-profit workers co-operative, delivering organic fresh produce and groceries to homes within a fifteen mile radius of the city, the majority of which are delivered by a converted milk float that is recharged by solar power.

The online service enables customers to browse, select and pay for their organic fruit and vegetables via their website -  www.arthursorganics.com

Director Graham Brooks told us: “We have seen an increased demand for our products recently, and feedback from our customers shows that in addition to paying online via debit and credit card, people also want an increased variety of organic produce to choose from. We have now introduced individual fruit and vegetable lines in addition to the mixed boxes, giving flexibility to customers. Our fruit and vegetable boxes vary week to week, although generally have the staple items such as potatoes, onions and carrots, or apples & bananas in the case of fruit. Quite often customers ask to buy individual items in addition to their boxes – especially if there is a vegetable/fruit that is particularly good at that time of year.”

Recent research shows that the general public are becoming more conscious of ‘food miles’ and the demand for organic produce has surged. According to Mintel, the UK market for organic food will grow from £1.5bn in 2007 to £2.2bn in 2012. Fruit and vegetables are expected to remain the most popular category, worth around £500m in 2007 – a third of the total sales. Graham told us: We’ve had tremendous support from customers who want to support small scale local production, and some worry about the threats posed by industrial agriculture. Additionally as more and more people become health conscious they want to enjoy pure tasty food and want to eat it when it is fresh and natural. Also some of our customers don’t drive or don’t want to, so the home-delivery service appeals as there are no charges for it and we also offer a large range of general groceries which we will also be adding on to the on-line ordering service very soon. “

In addition to delivering organic fruit, vegetables and groceries, Arthur St Trading Company also manufactures a market leading, hand-made organic hummus that is available nationwide from independent wholefood outlets. The hummus is made in Hull and each week the staff freshly craft the product by hand in three flavours – Original, Sun Dried Tomato, and Kalamata Olive.

For more information & ordering please visit www.arthursorganics.com or call 07949 805695

Autumn Networking Events

Get Plugged In! is an opportunity to network with like-minded entrepreneurs with 3P’s on their mind – people, profit and planet. We attract over 80 entrepreneurs from a whole range of sectors from design, events, fashion technology and media to our networking events and we want to create opportunities for collaboration, trade and idea generation, in an ethical way.

The Manchester get-together is on Wednesday 15th October 6.30pm -8.30pm at The Lounge, Revolution Bar, Arch 7 Deansgate Lock Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 5LH.

And the London networking event is on Wednesday 29th October 6.30pm – 8.30pm at The venue being The Hub at Kings Cross, 34b York Way, Islington, N1 9AB.

The events above are being held in partnership with www.3pbusinessclub.com and Ethical Junction

Click here for more details of the Autumn Striding Out events.

The Greenshop launched its new range of paint colours at the end of September at 100% Detail, Earls Court, London

The Greenshop was showcasing new colours in the Green Paints range. These are interior and exterior paints, with bespoke colour-matching available. They are minimal VOC, non-toxic, water soluble and manufactured exclusively for the Greenshop in Doncaster, UK. Green Paints are based on natural soya bean oil, a sustainable and renewable resource extracted from ethically-grown crops.

The Greenshop has provided sustainable and low-impact products for over 20 years and has been the largest stockist of natural paints in the UK for over 10 years. The range of natural paints and finishes from the Greensho includes: Auro, Green Paints, Stuart Furby’s Lime Earth Paints, Holkham Linseed Paints, Osmo UK, earthBorn, La Tienda and Clearwell Caves.

Also at the show, the Greenshop launched Thermil Coat, a paint that includes ThermilateC, which can reduce energy consumption in a room by up to 25 per cent. This is significant in rooms where no other insulation can be added, ie stone cottages or Victorian buildings that don’t have cavity walls. It is an insulating product which contains no VOCs and was originally developed as part of the NASA technology exchange programme. The paints were featured in the Daily Express this month.

Bryan Roe, Paint Manager, says: “The show was a great success for us. We met the public on the Sunday and trade for the three other days, a mix of interior decorators, architects and specifiers. There was great interest in all the natural paint ranges as it is still a new product for many people.”

For more details email paint@greenshop.co.uk

The Greenshop, Cheltenham Road, Bisley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 7BX

Open from 9am-7pm Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday and 9.30am-1pm on Sunday

Tel: 01452 770629
Fax: 01452 772024
Email: enquiries@greenshop.co.uk
Web: www.greenshopgroup.co.uk

A personal account of Walk Your Talk 2007
By Sue Jueno from All Things Eco

Last year I attended the fifth Walk Your Talk (WYT) event at Buckland Hall, near Brecon – an amazing mansion in equally amazing grounds, ‘organically organised’ around the theme: ‘How can we create sustainable communities around us?’

You would expect there to be a list of lectures to attend, but the whole event was run on Open Space facilitation, where there are no formal workshops, talks or presentations. The attendees however had the opportunity to set the agenda, by presenting or leading a discussion or workshop on any issue, related to the theme, about which they felt a passion. You could chose one of the beautiful rooms in the mansion in which to hold your talk, or Walk you Talk in the grounds.

I found myself deliberating over such issues as ‘Hypocrisy of Sustainability/Personal Carbon Shadows’, ‘Talk About Overcoming Fear of Change’ and ‘How can media be used to connect and empower sustainability?’ plus ‘What have we done, what have we not done, and what should we have done.’ And these were but a few of the thought provoking topics – around 40 of us spent the three days in earnest discussions about how to put talk into practice.

The whole event – from organisation to fruition had been arranged with every detail in mind and it was lovely to find that no matter what background you were warmly welcomed and encouraged to express yourself freely. It was a very special atmosphere, which lead to a great amount of unity and mutual respect.

And the food was lovely too – vegetarian, wholesome, locally sourced and the staff made a great effort to cook for all dietary requirements.

At the end of the three days I left feeling refreshed, invigorated and empowered with a new serge of confidence to continue playing my part in the sustainability movement. I would highly recommend it to everyone working in the sector.

Walk Your Talk is a gathering organised by Ethical Junction member, The Association of Sustainability Practitioners, for people to inspire and be inspired, and for finding ways of moving great ideas into great actions. This year’s theme is ‘Leave your Heart at the Door! – Can we afford to work without heart?’

10% Off bookings before 20 October

Walk Your Talk is at Buckland Hall in the Brecon Beacons from 16-19 November 2008. Full details are on www.walkyourtalk.net and to claim the EJ price, simply mention your membership in the ‘special requirements’ box of the on-line booking form and make your payment for the total shown, less 10%. 

Earlier this week, Penney Poyzer, “queen of green” broadcaster and author, welcomed more than 60 guests to the Eco Eco shop warming event in the picturesque Derbyshire Peak District Village of Hope. She asked them to help her celebrate by putting green and purple back on to the local moors.

Guests made plant pots from newspaper and planted heather and other seeds native to the area. Chris Millner from the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate took the seedlings back to the estate to be used in restoration work on the moors.

This was just one of the many activities on offer to customers and friends as Eco Eco celebrated the opening of their ‘Home’ shop. Local craftspeople were there to demonstrate their skills at wood carving, felt-making, spinning and basket-making, showing how some of the products on offer at Eco-Eco were made. Hand massages were snapped up to help raise money for Helen’s Trust and other charities.

Penney commented;
“I am delighted to open the second Eco Eco shop in Hope. When I opened the clothes shop around the corner two years ago I said that this type of business helps everyone to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Planting the seeds is a wonderful way to celebrate what this business is all about; creating something from a sustainable source and naturally developing it for the good of the local and wider environment. I hope that Eco Eco and the heather flourish for many years to come.”

Alison Jackson-Bass, owner of Eco Eco is committed to protecting the environment and living a sustainable lifestyle. She tries to lead an ethical and eco-friendly lifestyle and runs her business in the same way. The opening event demonstrated how she supports local businesses as well as how she respects and protects the local environment. Her new shop in Bank House next to Loxley Hall, in Market Place is perfect for shoppers with a conscience looking for sustainable essentials and treats. It offers a range of products from natural paints to non-toxic cosmetics; eco friendly cleaning products to garden goodies.

In the last two years, Alison’s business has grown thanks to the support of residents and visitors of the Hope Valley. She now employs 4 people from the local area and is looking forward to growing the new venture with their help.

An Invitation to the inaugural green business forum with guest speaker Zac Goldsmith

Environmentalist and director of The Ecologist magazine

Tuesday 21st October, 6:30pm at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

ecoConnect – what are we?
ecoConnect is a facilitator and promoter of innovative green technology, providing a forum for discussion and commercialisation opportunities. We are creating the UK’s most progressive support community to enable faster adoption of green technology by mainstream business.

Why you should attend
If you have a serious interest or involvement in green technology, sustainability or CSR, be it as an investor, business executive, inventor, scientist or member of the press, the ecoConnect forum is for you. We provide unique opportunities to expand your network and further your knowledge and interest in green technology solutions. A wide cross-section of attendees includes senior members of private and public sectors, fund managers and business angels. There will be many examples of innovative green technology on display.

RSVP to events@eco-connect.com

A great opportunity to take time out to develop more confidence, energy and effectiveness in your business development

10% off for EJ Members until 20 October

We all know the amazing value of taking time out to think or plan away from the pressures of work – but we always put it off. How about a conference which offers the opportunity to learn and recharge in beautiful countryside?

Last year, Ethical Junction got involved in an extraordinary gathering for people to inspire and be inspired about moving from great ideas to great actions. Our experience made us see the idea of Strategic Awaydays in a new light. As a result, we’ve organized a special EJ discount for this year’s gathering because it so clearly advances ethical enterprise and lifestyle.

Walk Your Talk is a chance to take your business/organisation on an exceptional strategic retreat which is guaranteed to enrich and refresh both you and your work. Not only do you get the space to relax, think and plan, but you do so with around 60 other enthusiastic, energetic and inspiring people who are doing the same thing – entrepreneurs, execs, designers, artists, activists, inventors, investors and consultants.

The result is that the whole gathering acts like an expanded team which puts its energy into helping each other with advice, new ideas, partnership deals and more. It’s like having 60 talented colleagues show up in your organisation for three days. You set the agenda, you talk about what you need to talk about, and you get to meet people who share your interests and concerns.

We love figures, so we did some maths and reckon that by adding up the equivalent person hours and brain power brought to bear on a business, each day of retreat is worth about a month in the office.

So how does it work? Walk Your Talk is held in ‘Open Space’, a facilitated process in which there are no designated leaders. Instead, you steer your own course as the conference evolves, discussions deepen, and connections and realisations emerge. The dramatic Brecon Beacons provide the backdrop for three days of reflection and interaction in a warm and friendly environment, whether on strolls along the banks of the River Usk, or beside the fire with a drink. People learn by walking and talking, sharing passions, curiosities, hopes, expertise and questions. Drawing on each other’s wisdom and experience, everyone supports each other towards the creation of really good personal action plans to take back into their lives and work.

The Walk Your Talk team use a question designed to make it easier to find a common threads amongst a wide range of interests. This year it’s ‘Can we afford to work without heart?’ This question brings up lots of practical issues, like how to balance head and heart stuff, how to set a truly heart based culture and how to communicate it well.

As an Ethical Junction member, you’re entitled to 10% off the fee if you book by 20 October. Fees at individual and small business rates include accommodation, food, facilitation and all that brain power of your fellow guests. The only extras are your bar bill, and a supplement if you can’t bear the thought of sharing a twin room.

Walk Your Talk is at Buckland Hall in the Brecon Beacons from 16-19 November 2008. Full details are on www.walkyourtalk.net and to claim the EJ price, simply mention your membership in the ‘special requirements’ box of the on-line booking form and make your payment for the total shown, less 10%.

What people said about Walk Your Talk in 2007

“A wonderful clearing house of inspiration, wisdom, debate and motivation.”
Jason Elliott, Ethical Jobs

“An absolute must in a crowded diary. Although the thought of taking time out from the office caused some anxiety, the reality was worth every moment.”
Thea Allison, Brighton & Hove Business Community Partnership

“The most extraordinary experience where I felt alive, alert, and came home hopeful and zinging from head to toe. Nothing will ever be quite the same again and the only disadvantage has been that conferences with pre-arranged agendas now seem rather staid and stale.”
Anna Jenkins, Ethical Change

“It has value as a practitioners’ personal development space, allowing those engaged day to day in trying to make the world a better place to recharge, reconnect and refocus.”
Andy Middleton, TYF Group

Building an Offline Presence

Following on from our online business network, we are plugging into Ethical Junction members Networking Meetings to promote and enhance a virtual EJ presence.  Through these you can not only meet with like-minded individuals, but chat about your companies, help your local communities and possibly support one another commercially.

The Networking Members can be found in the Directory and within this section you’ll find out all the info on past, present & future networking events.