ESSENTIAL TRADING SHOWS HOW TO

MAKE LOCAL FOOD WORK

Bristol-based wholefood wholesaler Essential Trading is hosting two briefings for co-operatives to show how to make local food work.  The briefings will be held on Thursday September 29, at Essential Trading’s Fishponds HQ.

Essential will be joined by Alison Belshaw from Sustain (the alliance for better food and farming) and Bonnie Hewson from The Soil Association who will share their valuable insight and advice.

Two sessions are being held:

• 10.00am – 1.00pm      Whole Food Co-op Briefing
• 1.00pm – 2.00pm        Networking lunch for both groups
• 2.00pm – 5.00pm        Fresh Food Co-op Briefing

The Programme includes:

• Introduction to Essential Trading: its heritage, ethics and work with co-ops
• Wholefood co-op buyers’ guide to buying fresh food
• Fresh food buyers’ guide to buying wholefood
• Tour of Essential Trading HQ and warehouse
• Demonstration of the online ordering system
• Guidance on promoting a co-op, increasing and retaining customers
• Case study talk by a successful fresh food or whole food co-op

“Entering our 40^th Anniversary Year on September 16, 2011 means we have four decades of experience and knowledge to share with co-ops,” explains Eli Sarre, marketing manager for Essential Trading. “Over those 40 years, the whole food and co-op markets have grown remarkably.  We still think there’s a lot more to come and our briefings will help equip co-ops with plenty of tools to make local food work.”

How to register

A maximum of 30 delegates per session will be set to ensure each person can receive personal advice and discussions.  To register for the morning or afternoon session, email eli@essential-trading.coop or call 0117 9430 809.

For more information or to speak to Eli, contact:

Katherine Selby, Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk 020 8657 4422

Essential Trading, Unit 3 Lodge Causeway Trading Estate, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JB

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

What are the credible alternative to the existing financial system?

Financial markets, we are told, are the lifeblood of our society, which is why governments across the globe have gone to such enormous lengths to prop up failing financial institutions. However is the economic crisis really over? Is the ‘business as usual’ mentality destined to produce more of the same instability? What plausible alternatives to the current system are there that would promote employment, social and environmental equality, whilst ensuring the economic stability we require?

Bringing together some of the leading voices in alternative economics including Ann Pettifor, Hazel Henderson, Tessa Tennant, Julie Richardson and Nathalie Buschor. This course will cover macroeconomics as well as the experiences of those working with money and investments on a daily basis. The course will uncover the myths and flaws that surround the current banking system, before drawing on the wide range of ideas and experience to explore how a new economic dawn could really lead to a fairer robust system that supports and serves the interests of communities and ecosystems.

Ann Pettifor recently featured in The Observer magazine as one of six pioneers in green thinking. Her work and writing has concentrated on the international financial architecture, the sovereign debts of the poorest countries, and the rise in sovereign, corporate and private debt in OECD economies. She is well known for her leadership of Jubilee 2000, an organisation that placed the debts of the poorest countries on the global political agenda, and brought about both substantial debt cancellation, and radical policy changes at national and international levels.

Hazel Henderson is a world renowned futurist, evolutionary economist, a worldwide syndicated columnist, consultant on sustainable development, and author of Beyond Globalization, and seven other books. She sits on several editorial boards, including Futures Research Quarterly, The State of the Future Report, and E/The Environmental Magazine (USA), Resurgence and Futures (UK).

Tessa Tennant is Executive Chair of The Ice Organisation myice.com, an environmental rewards programme. Tessa co-founded the UK’s first equity investment fund for sustainable development in 1988, the Merlin (now Jupiter) Ecology Fund. She was Chair and co-founder of the UK Social Investment Forum uksif.org and of the Carbon Disclosure Project cdproject.net where she is now a Trustee.

For more details click here: http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/rethinking-finance-good-servant-bad-master

Email:admin@schumachercollege.org.uk

Tel:+44 (0)1803 865934

Schumacher College, Dartington is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

“Leading the
Sustainability Journey” workshop, which is taking
place on the afternoon of the 15th October is
the first in a series of events on “Leadership & Sustainability” being
organised by Future Conversations and the Association of Sustainability
Practitioners. 

This
particular event is a bringing together the worlds of sustainability and
business transformation to open up new ways of communicating, creating teams and
producing results with less effort. 
We will address communication, effectiveness and
influence issues – taking our ability to make a difference to a new level. 
It is relevant to anyone working in a setting where they are involved with
sustainability issues and where they can impact the thinking and action of
others. 

You can find out more and
register for the event at www.future-conversations.co.uk/leadingthesustainabilityjourney.htm.

Click here to download the flyer for the event

TAPE Launch – 24th September 2009 7pm till close, free entry

International designer Ryan Frank and Indie label TAPE hit the charts at this year’s London Design Festival
New UK Indie record label TAPE will be exhibiting their launch range of merchandise designed by Ryan Frank,
and will also be showcasing some of their musical talent at Music/bar
venue 93 Feet East 150 Brick Lane, London. Expect big sounds and live
performance from YoMundo, Animals on Wheels, Theo Bard and the Super
Luckies.
The merchandise range to be launched currently consists of a computer
cover, a universal phone/mp3/handheld sleeve and a vinyl record sleeve.
All products are handmade from fabric-backed 100% cork, with a custom
stitched edging in a selection of bold colours.
This range of sustainably sourced cork-based products will grow over
the next few months, so expect some new edgy, eco-chic products to
emerge from the depths of London’s Borough of Hackney. TAPE’s founder
Daniel Cross decided to keep production in E9, thereby supporting local
business and keeping transport to a minimum.
Daniel says: “Music is going digital, maybe we are old school, but we
love the physical element. So teaming up with Ryan to develop a
complimentary, tactile and cool music-oriented product range makes big
sense, and so far the response has been super positive.”

You can purchase the product range here: http://taperec.com/shop/products/

Dimensions of Vinyl sleeve:                 265/265 mm            
Dimensions of cpuPouch:                    425/290 mm
Dimensions of iPouch:                         130/88 mm

Shoreditch Shelf – 23rd and 25th September 2009

Ryan Frank free-range furniture designer prepares for battle with international art group – Secret Wars.
Ryan’s latest project the ‘Shoreditch-Shelf’ becomes a battle field for premier art group ‘SecretWars’
The SecretWars graffiti artists group, take their trademark ‘marker-pen’ illustration contest to the London Design Festival using Ryan Frank’s iconic shelf as canvas.
The first live art battle will take place directly on to a
Shoreditch-Shelf in the Bricklane Gallery on Wednesday the 23rd at 3pm.
Two respected artists will do an illustration directly onto the
Shoreditch Shelf, from both sides at the same time.
On Friday the 25th from 2-5pm the Secret Wars posse will then take
their markers and might to the courtyard of 93 Feet East, where they
will step onto a purpose built stage and commence another ‘art jam’.

The completed
boards will be put on display in the Bricklane Gallery, where they can
be selected to be transformed into a unique Shoreditch-Shelf. www.thebricklanegallery.com

Origins of The Shoreditch Shelf
The Shoreditch Shelf is inspired by the now iconic Hackney Shelf, which
originated when large white boards were installed at graffiti
‘hot-spots’ around East London, allowing for graffiti and sporadic
stenciling. Once covered boards were removed and transformed into
mobile shelving units, bringing London street art indoors.

About SecretWars
Secret Wars is the World’s premier live art battle – working in
similar ways to Fight Club, where two contenders have a set amount of
time to make an illustration using black marker pens in front of an
audience. For more information, go to Www.secretwars.co.uk

1st ‘artjam’ 3pm on Wednesday  23rd of September – 196 BRICK LANE, E1 6SA, 3pm
2nd ‘artjam’  2-5pm 25rd of September- Yard @ 93 Feet East. 150 Brick Lane, East London E1 6QL

Dimensions of Hackney Shelf:                   1800/1200/450 mm

Enzo- stacking stool – 24rd and 26th September 2009
Ryan Frank international free-range furniture designer launches ‘Enzo’ stool with live performance workshop

‘Enzo’ a felt-free version of the celebrated ‘Isabella’ stool, spices up this now in-demand range.
Constructed
from a solid section of spruce wood the stool represents a more budget
rugged option, while keeping the same iconic shape.
Spruce is a certified European softwood sourced from managed forests,
ideal for heavy-duty usage. The fun and functional stools can be
stacked on top of each other when not in use creating the trademark
totem pole structure.
‘Enzo’ comes in a selection of natural wood stains, boasting a range of bold and earthy colours.

To promote the new colour range, Ryan will be hosting an ‘organic’ staining workshop on Thursday and Saturday the 24th & 26th of Sept in the yard area of 93 Feet East.
Live on stage the designer will be showcasing the purpose build
‘Scuff-o-nator’ – a contraption allowing the designer to blotch,
blemish, scuff and stain a limited number of ‘Enzo’ stools with a range of vegetables, spices & herbs.

Origins of Enzo
Enzo is the little brother of the celebrated Isabella stool. Isabella is a totem pole style stacking stool made from straw and wool felt.
Isabella recently won ‘Most sustainable product’ 2008/09 at the Hidden
Arts annual award, received an Honorable Mention at the annual Green
Dot Award 2008, and has been selected by the National Design Museum of
New York for inclusion in the next Design Triennial exhibition.
Enzo and Isabella are in production in the UK and distributed in the
EU. In an effort to reduce transport and support local manufacturing a
second producer in the USA is used for distribution in the Americas

1ST workshop Thursday 24th September 1-4pm – 93 Feet East, Yard, 150 Brick Lane, East London E1
2nd workshop Saturday 26th September 1-4pm – 93 Feet East, Yard, 150 Brick Lane, East London E1

Dimensions of Enzo:                   400/400/200 mm

About Ryan Frank
Ryan Frank is a South African born furniture designer living and working in East London. His collection of edgy free-range furniture makes frequent use of sustainable materials and draws inspiration from the urban landscape and his African roots.
His work has also won Ryan several awards including a Green Dot Award
2008, Most Sustainable Product 2006/07 and Most Environmentally
Conscious Company 2008/09 at the Hidden Arts Annual Awards ceremony.
For more information visit www.ryanfrank.net

About the venue 93 Feet East – Live music venue and bar.
150 Brick Lane London, E1 6QL www.93feeteast.co.uk

The Eco
Home Centre in Canton, Cardiff is holding a Community Open Day on the
25th of July. The day will consist of a range of activities for
people to come along and enjoy and learn from. There will be an
afternoon Natural Painting workshop where people can learn how to
make their own paint and also a morning workshop about
Eco-refurbishment. Information can be found at
www.ecohomecentre.co.uk.

The
Paint Making workshop is suitable for adults and kids alike as it
will involve getting down and dirty with paint making. Many paints
can be made everyday items like eggs and milk, so if you want to make
your own organic paint, just use organic ingredients bought from the
shops. All this and may more tricks of the trade will be revealed on
the day.

The
Eco-refurbishment workshop will focus on how to improve your home
using local sustainable materials and also retro-fit products to
reduce energy and water consumption. All the inform ation will be
practically based and also focused on affordability and ease of use.

An
everyday visit can be very beneficial since The Eco Home Centre is a
rich source of free information and resources for people to gain the
knowledge and confidence they need to create sustainable homes. As
well as eco-friendly building and DIY products, the centre has a wide
range of literature from the Energy Saving Trust and a library of
books and publications that can be perused over a cup of fairtrade
tea or coffee.

The
focus of the centre is on sustainable refurbishment, since most of
the work that needs to be done in Cardiff is to the existing housing
stock. To RDE this means finding solutions to building problems that
are environmentally friendly, affordable and appropriate for the
building. The Eco Home Centre is therefore designed to be accessible
to all rather than just the well-healed green self-build pioneers.
RDE is keen to show that creating ‘green’ homes is not just for the
affluent in society, it is something that can be accessible to
everyone.

The Eco
Home Centre is in 16 Wyndham Crescent (just off of Cowbridge Road and
opposite the car park) and so is very accessible by public transport
(no. 61 stops outside the door, alternatively any bus going up
Cowbridge Road is just a minute away). Bikes can be brought inside,
but we will be a little short of space.

The
online, certified organic lifestyle store, So Organic, is running some
fantastic offers on Essential Care products this summer.
For every full size Essential Care facial skin care
product you receive a 30ml Essential Care toner worth £7 FREE.

The OFFERS

Receive
a FREE 30ml
Rose Petal Tonic when you buy a: 

• 150ml Coconut Cleanser
• 50ml Avocado
  Replenishing Cream
• 30ml Superfruit Concentrate
• 100ml Rose Petal
  Tonic

Receive
a FREE 30ml Citric Fruit Tonic
when you buy a:

• 150ml
  Lemon &
  Tea Tree Face Wash
• 75ml First Aid Lotion
• 100ml Citrus Fruit
  Tonic

 Receive
a FREE 30ml Rose Petal Tonic or Citric Fruit Tonic
when you buy a 50ml Rose Moisturiser.

Why
would you like to take So Organic up on this fabulous offer? Essential Care
was the
first skin care range to be awarded the Soil Association’s organic beauty tick
of approval so they know their stuff. Despite their growing popularity Essential Care still produce their
products by hand using formulations that are particularly good for the most super
sensitive skin types. Organic herbs, plant oils and other natural active
ingredients are used to create these very effective products. None of the Essential Care products are tested
on animals and most are suitable for Vegans.

These
offers are only available at So Organic while stocks so hurry
if you’d like one of these gorgeous organic products! 

About So Organic

With
over 2000 products, and of the 50 best organic brands available, So Organic
provide a comprehensive range of quality organic products and award winning
service. The leading organic lifestyle store’s own brand range was recently a
finalist in ‘Top Organic Retailers’
in the 2009 UK Natural and Organic Industry Awards and was Highly Commended in
the 2009 Natural Health Beauty Awards. You can buy online at SoOrganic.com, in the So Organic
Greenwich store or via a freephone telephone number (0800 169 2579). So
Organic’s courier delivery service is carbon neutral, everything comes in
either recycled or compostable packaging and all the gift boxes are fairtrade.

We are offering  a series of sewing workshops in Bath beginning in September 2009.   ‘Make Me’ Basic Sewing

“Make
do and Mend” is the trend sweeping the nation as people turn to more
traditional practices to save money, simplify their lives and gain
satisfaction through creativity. Come
and learn basic sewing skills in an intimate group of just 6 people
taught by Jenny Ambrose the founder of eco-fashion label Enamore.

September – Tuesday Evenings 6.30pm – 8.30pm
October – Tuesday Evenings 6.30pm – 8.30pm
November – Tuesday Evenings 6.30pm – 8.30pm   

£60 per 4 week session [including some materials] 

‘Fancy Pants’ Sew Your Own Knickers   Have
you ever fancied learning how to sew your own knickers? You can now!
Join us in an intimate group of just 6 people where you will learn how
to utilize your new skills to carry on making knickers from the comfort
of your own home. You will be provided with basic knicker patterns as
well trimmings such as fabrics, knicker elastics, laces, ribbons and
buttons.

Saturday September 12th 10am – 4pm Saturday October 17th 10am – 4pm   ‘Christmas Fancy Pants’
Saturday November 15th 10am – 4pm  Saturday November 22nd 10am – 4pm 
  £55.00 per session [including materials]    What you need to bring… You
will need to bring a domestic sewing machine along to the class. We do
have an overlocker in the studio, which can be used by participants and
there is one sewing machine, which can be used on a first come first
serve  basis.

We welcome participants to browse and borrow from our library of fashion, sewing and craft books and patterns. 

Location: Walcot Woolies 104 Walcot St. Bath, BA1 5BG

If you would like more information or would like to register please contact jenny@enamore.co.uk or call 01225 851 004.

Walcot Woolies also offer knitting and crochet courses  on Wednesday and Thursdays. For more information  
please contact Mary mary@walcotwoollies.co.uk

The seminars will
address topical ethical investment issues
including:

John Fleetwood, Ethical Funds Development Manager