When you see Solidwool material it draws you in. You can’t help but want to touch it. Your eyes see the texture, yet your hands feel the smoothness.’

Solidwool was born from the idea to create something beautiful – making sustainable furniture with an unbreakable link to nature. A unique composite material, Solidwool is made in the UK using British wool and bio-resin. Think fibreglass, but with wool.

The journey of Solidwool began with Herdwick, an iconic Lake District breed. Their wool is a by-product of sheep farming, wiry and coarse, it is of little or no value. Solidwool set out to turn this unwanted fibre into sustainable design with purpose. Rewriting the story of undervalued breeds, to help this incredible, natural fibre find its value again.

When used in Solidwool the natural fibres of the wool shine through, creating a unique composite that is strong and smooth to the touch, yet at its heart is wool. The fleece from two heritage breeds are currently used in Solidwool. Herdwick produces a captivating dark grey composite, with visible lighter guard hairs. Welsh Mountain uses the wool from both the black and white sheep, combining mottled cream, black, grey, and brown fibres to create a striking marbled effect.

With two stunning composites the Solidwool Hembury Chair with its simple lines and timeless appeal is a product to be cherished and handed down through generations. Taking a considered and sensitive approach to all materials, the hand-turned legs are made by a local wood turner from UK sourced sustainable Ash and the frames are made from recycled steel.

Designing sustainably doesn’t have to mean fewer options, the Solidwool offering also includes a Hembury Side Table and a Hembury Stacking Chair. Each conscientiously designed to showcase the beauty of the material. Seven new colours have also been added to the Solidwool palette, including the neutrals of stone and bark, as well as brighter shades of moss, ochre, cobalt and tan. All are informed by nature and reflect the beauty of our environment.

All Solidwool products are made by a small team of skilled innovators in a workshop in Devon.

www.solidwool.com

Spring has sprung and for most of us, this signals positivity,  with lighter, longer days and flourishing nature, but Councils it is time to start applying Poison to our Pavements

Glyphosate is still the main chemical chosen for weed control in and around the  capital cities pavement’s, streets, around trees , publicly used buildings and spaces, outside houses , flats, schools, parks and medical establishments  and much much more , this continues , despite it being well known that this chemical, kills more than just the weeds!

It was way back in 2016, when The International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC) announced that Glyphosate was a probable carcinogen to both humans and animals.

Companies and manufacturers immediately raced to use well funded research and selective results defending the chemicals safety and protecting continued use and profits.

Several high profile successful lawsuits later, the very real harm caused by Glyphosate has been brought to light. Supreme Court judges recognise and acknowledge research, which is free from vested interests  and available for public scrutiny and millions have now been paid out to those affected , thousands of cases are now awaiting trial and billions have been set aside to meet  future claims. 

Common sense, would dictate that any continued use of Glyphosate by councils, would immediately halt , but no, unfortunately common sense is not that common these days  and years later councils are still using!!

In Edinburgh, Poison is still being applied to our pavements in communities despite mounting local stories of everyday human and animal sickness and harm linked to nearby applications . Claims from council of apparent reductions and safety are amongst the usual responses , but the fact still remains – Glyphosate continues to be used, where we walk our dogs and our kids play.

Glyphosate is now not only linked to Cancer but to a host of today’s common ailments like Asthma, allergies, sore throats, stomach issues and epilepsy, Autoimmune dysfunction, respiratory distress and gastrointestinal issues have all been linked to Glyphosate.

Despite full knowledge of this, each year our elected officials vote and then go on to decide to allow applications to continue , aware that Glyphosate was only ever narrowly relicensed for minimal and restricted use only.

Glyphosate goes on to be applied by   councils usually 2/3 times per year between March and October , onto our pavements, streets, around trees, bus stops, lampposts, around signs, preparing flowerbeds, in cemeteries and in and around many other public buildings and shared spaces.

Glyphosate is applied right under our noses using quad bikes or by individuals wearing backpack applicators, without our knowledge or consent. Unless you are at your window 24/7 you are unlikely to ever see or know this has happened, making it near impossible to avoid.

Council are quick to reassure us of the chemicals safety, citing their other‘ environmental’ credentials and their many other admirable activities, hoping to justify continued use. Thankfully some prefer to take a precautionary approach.

Councils like Glastonbury, decided in 2016 if there was any doubt to the chemicals safety, to apply the precautionary principle and to immediately stop use . Glastonbury have been successfully removing weeds by using safe alternatives, prioritising the health of their community. Hammersmith and Fulham also switched to using safe alternatives without hesitation, removing  the weeds using safe environmentally friendly methods. Protecting pets, people and planet above profit.

Unfortunately , Scotlands Capital city seems to have been somewhat side tracked and although they were amongst the first to acknowledge the urgent need to stop using this chemical and remove the weeds safely way back in 2017, they still in 2024 actively choose to apply Poison to our Pavements and local areas, even outside our  homes!!- even when they are well aware of suspected connections to ill health and in the full knowledge that there are cost effective , safe alternative solutions available.

The village of Balerno, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, felt forced to take matters into their own hands in 2019, after they linked local applications to incidents of human and pet illness and bee death, dog sickness.

Reports  of sore throats, chronic coughs, allergies, asthma, arthritis, hay fever, gut issues, neurological issues , respiratory issues and autoimmune disfunction persuaded the council that no more Glyphosate was to be applied in Balerno and the council agreed to look into safe alternatives. Balerno residents now choose to safely remove the small strip of weeds outside their own home, while waiting as the Council investigate alternatives. 

Since ending the use of Glyphosate in Balerno , local residents have noted previously reported ailments have improved and in some cases their chronic health conditions have been completely resolved!

Public demand on this matter has never been higher now , as most people do not want  unnecessary toxic chemicals forced upon them! Edinburgh has a petition touching 5,000 , asking for no more Glyphosate to be applied to remove weeds and for safe alternatives to be used instead.

It will be very interesting to see this year how our democratically elected officials choose to allocate our £2.4 million budget which has been announced for Edinburgh Parks, Environmental protection and Biodiversity.

Isn’t it a very unusual democratic council that ignores the democratic wishes of the public it claims to represent and who are asking for safe alternatives to protect health and the environment!

Safe alternatives like Hot water or Foamstream machines are not only affordable at around £20,000, they are already used successfully worldwide to protect the environment and biodiversity. When used correctly, they are not only safer for health and the environment but they actually save councils money and are more effective . Multi function capabilities also mean they  are able to remove chewing gum and graffiti, clean bus shelters and can be used all year round and in all weathers!

With so much emphasis on health and the environment today it seems almost ludicrous and extremely odd and concerning to continue to use and force a known harmful to health and environmental chemical upon communities we claim to represent and protect.

Councils and communities have the responsibility to make this work. Surely our role and duty as responsible adults is to protect our most vulnerable and our next generation?

It may be doubtful that any future generations will ever wonder why companies protected their profits or why councils protected their reputations but they may indeed wonder and be shocked at why we so easily let it happen 

Contributed by Pesticide Free Balerno

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Edinburgh Petition

KFC & FareShare launch new campaign to raise awareness of community kitchens and drive more volunteers as 11 million Brits face food insecurity   

·       11 million people in the UK face food insecurity, yet most of us (51%) couldn’t identify a community kitchen in our local area  

·       New research shows the majority (53%) of generous Brits want to volunteer to support good causes – but many feel hampered by a low understanding of local problems, a lack of information and poor awareness of local charities  

·       In a bid to raise awareness of community kitchens and unleash Britain’s volunteering superpower, KFC and FareShare are teaming up to launch an eye-catching Bucket Bike, trialled on the streets of Brighton with volunteer riders who transport food from KFC to FareShare depots 

KFC and food redistribution charity FareShare today reveal a new ‘Bucket Bike’ designed to raise awareness of community kitchens and the need for more of the volunteers who power them. This comes as KFC hits the milestone of 1 million meals redistributed via FareShare.  

The joint action is being driven by shocking new research commissioned by KFC and FareShare revealing that 51% of Brits don’t know if there is a community kitchen in their area. Indeed, whilst 31% of us could confidently locate a local food bank and 26% a local animal welfare charity, just one in ten (10%) could say the same for a community kitchen. 

This is despite the fact that 11 million Brits are currently facing food insecurity, according to The Food Foundationⁱ, many of whom access community kitchens as a vital resource.   

FareShare has a presence in every Local Authority and Parliamentary constituency across the whole of the UK. Its charities and community kitchens operate as local support hubs for people facing food insecurity, using chicken from KFC to offer hot meals or food parcels for people to enjoy at home.  Many of the groups receiving food from FareShare also offer wraparound care to the people they support, such as mental health support, guidance with money, and referrals to external organisations. Volunteers are crucial to this ongoing work. 

Generous Brits Disconnected from Local Impact  

Brits are generous when it comes to supporting those in need – with 53% vowing to volunteer in future and 50% of us keen to offer our time to a local charity.  

However, a lack of information (22%) and limited awareness of local charities (20%) were identified as key reasons people have not volunteered more in the past.  

In more positive news, 32% of us would volunteer at a local community kitchen if there was one in our area.  

Recruiting New Community Heroes  

Research also shows 86% of Brits know where their nearest fast-food restaurant is and 77% of us expect restaurants to give surplus food to communities in need. KFC has been partnering with FareShare since 2021 to donate surplus chicken – and this month has hit a new milestone, with the equivalent of 1 million meals’ worth of food redistributed. KFC is currently on track to donate the equivalent of 2 million means by the end of the year through its ongoing partnership with FareShare.  

The joint campaign to big up the Bucket Bike is designed to raise awareness of local charities and community kitchens – driving volunteers to offer support at a time of need. By shining a light on the existing volunteers transporting surplus chicken from KFC restaurants to almost 1,000 charities and community groups across the UK, the hope is more will come forward to support FareShare. 

The Bucket Bike is being trialled by volunteer drivers in Brighton between FareShare’s Sussex & Surrey local depot and the KFC restaurant on Western Road. Its eye-catching design, modelled on KFC’s iconic Bargain Bucket, is geared towards awareness raising.  

Jenny Packwood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at KFC Pan-Europe, UK & Ireland says: “It’s great to see how much people want to give back – but we need to do more to tackle low awareness of local charities. By bigging up the bucket bike, we want remove the awareness barrier and shine a light on the tireless work of local volunteers who transport our chicken restaurant to community kitchen.” 

FareShare Sussex & Surrey Volunteer Delivery Cyclist Adam Hall says: “Whilst volunteering for FareShare Sussex & Surrey, I have been amazed by both the amount of people who benefit from the food redistributed by FareShare, and the generosity of people who have surplus food to give. I have lived in Brighton for 10 years and always thought I knew the area really well. However, since volunteering for FareShare my eyes have opened to how many community kitchens, food banks and other care providers there are, right on my doorstep, that I had no idea about. It’s amazing to see businesses like KFC supporting the work of FareShare and giving back to local communities.”  

Kris Gibbon-Walsh, Chief Operating Officer at FareShare says: “Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at FareShare. We know that the charities and community groups we provide food to often rely on the generosity of volunteers to deliver their services. Through our work with KFC, we are hoping to shine a light on all of the wonderful volunteers giving their time to help get food to people in their local communities and encourage more people to volunteer with FareShare.” 

Dan Slatter, Chief Executive Officer at FareShare Sussex & Surrey: “Over 150 wonderful people of all ages and all walks of life volunteer with us each week, many initially come to us driven by a desire to help others locally in Sussex and Surrey but most stay due to the sense of community, belonging and friendship.  Volunteering is such a wonderful thing to do, aside from the enormous practical help to our operation, there are huge benefits to combating isolation and improving physical and mental health. Shining a light on food insecurity and the benefits of community cooking through this partnership with KFC and FareShare is incredible. We hope that by spot lighting the wonderful work of our volunteers, more people will be inspired to take action and help their local community.” 

KISS FM partnership to supercharge awareness  

As part of its ongoing partnership with KISS FM, KFC will be using 2024 to talk about its mission to get meals to the people who need it the most. Working with KISS FM gives a platform to talk about this in a way that resonates with younger audiences. KISS FM presenter Tyler West visited a community kitchen recently which is supplied with chicken from Fareshare and KFC and spoke with volunteers and beneficiaries. 

DJ Tyler West, KISS Radio, Weekdays 4pm – 7pm: “Already on this journey I’ve learnt so much and felt so inspired by the stories I’ve heard. It’s a privilege to be able to shine light on those making real change and helping people up and down the UK. It’s so important now that we’re able to connect with the services available and support in any way we can.” 

¹ Source: The Food Foundation 2023, Food Insecurity Tracker Round 13  

How does it work for FareShare?   

FareShare charities and community groups collect frozen food from KFC three times a week. The restaurants are currently able to redistribute their five main chicken items (original pieces, hot wings, mini fillets, fillets and zingers) to charities. The food is transported over to the freezer ready for charity collection.  

The designated charities must confirm their collection through the FareShare Go Foodiverse app between 8-11am on the day of collection.  

If it’s not confirmed by the designated charity, then it’s offered to the next charity in line. The provision is then confirmed by staff on the FareShare Foodiverse app through KFC’s in-restaurant system.  

The food is then collected by the local charity or community group and reheated into meals for the community or provided as part of a food parcel for people to enjoy at home.  

Argentina’s leading exporter of organic wines, Domaine Bousquet, has launched its first wine with Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC™) into the UK: Virgen Vineyards Organic Malbec 2022.

The Gualtallary Valley based estate became only the fourth winery worldwide – the first outside the US – to achieve ROC™ status in 2022.

Co-owner & CEO, Anne Bousquet commented: “We were delighted to achieve ROC™ in 2022, and now the launch of our first wine with this status gives us the opportunity to communicate to the consumer our regenerative organic approach, our commitment to combatting climate change and our 360˚ sustainability ethos. Hopefully, we can also encourage other wineries around the world to work towards gaining ROC™ along the way.”

Virgen Vineyards is also a natural wine, with no sulphites added. To protect against faulty flavours associated with harmful bacteria and oxidation, the winemaking has to be exceptionally clean and precise with wines stored at a cooler temperature post-fermentation. The wine is wrapped in thermal blankets before shipping to create an air chamber between the container and the wine which minimises contact with fluctuating temperatures. Storage is the same as with a normal bottle of wine (a cool, dark space), but wines may be more sensitive to high and low temperatures.

Bousquet added: “Making a sulphite-free natural wine is a challenge but also a natural progression for us, having worked organically since the beginning at Domaine Bousquet. We have already had success with Virgen Vineyards in the US and can see the market for natural wines growing significantly, with consumers – particularly those unable to tolerate sulphites – actively seeking them out, especially from brands with a track record of organic, sustainability and quality.”

Virgen Vineyards Organic Malbec 2022 is made from grapes grown in Tupungato, in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, in the foothills of the Andes. It has an RRP of £14 and is available to independent wine merchants via UK agent, Vintage Roots. Domaine Bousquet Virgen Malbec No Sulphur from Vintage Roots www.domainebousquet.com | @domainebousquetarg

Solar energy in Shropshire is shining a glowing spotlight on how local communities benefit from new green technology after eco supporters bought a solar farm.

The Shropshire solar farm has joined forces with four others with the joint aim to give around £20 million to green energy projects nationwide over their 18 year or more lifespan.

The innovative scheme involves the UK’s largest transfer of renewable energy assets into community hands, says Howard Betts, of Shropshire and Telford Community Energy (STCE), which bought Twemlows solar farm, near Whitchurch, in December and powers the equivalent of 3,400 homes.

Community organisations across Shropshire, which have received around £60,000 over the past three years, praised the scheme.

“We’re a small community and it takes a lot to raise this kind of money. Thank goodness for the Twemlows community fund,” said Rose Aston, chair of Longnor Village Hall, near Church Stretton, which received £1,000 for insulation.

“We did the work ourselves putting in 90sqm of thick layers of Rockwool. It’s made a world of difference to the hall. We only have to put the heating on for an hour then we can turn it off as the hall retains the heat. We also insulated below the floor. By doing both, the acoustics have significantly improved too.”  

Jodie Rudd, manager of community owned Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, which received £4,000 towards solar panels, said: “The grant from STCE was a key contribution to the funding that allowed us to install our solar panels. They’ve generated nearly 10,000kWh to date and substantially cut our electricity bills. 

“This helps us continue to provide so many local services such as our coffee shop, community cinema and a wide range of family and leisure activities. We were pleased to show a short video clip about STCE’s share offer before our films last year.” 

STCE joined Gower Power, Kent Community Energy, Wight Community Energy and Yealm Community Energy to form Community Energy Together (CET) where investors bought their local solar farms to get a target six per cent interest, while donating money to good causes.

The idea originated with funding in 2017 from Power to Change and Big Society Capital buying seven UK solar farms so that they could benefit local communities. 

Shropshire and Telford Community Energy, established in 2020, now has 126 investors and distribute £20,000 in community benefits each year to local communities with plans to expand.

Groups to benefit so far also include Rushbury village hall granted £4,000 for new energy efficient windows and doors; Park Lane Centre in Telford has new water butts and low energy lighting; Lightfoot Enterprises, of Bishops Castle, which initiates projects to combat climate change received £4,920 to carry out home energy surveys while Harmer Hill village hall, Shrewsbury, haven’t paid an electricity bill since installing solar panels, with £1,000 contributed from STCE. Shrewsbury United Reformed Church is being helped with secondary glazing.

CET Director Dave Green said: “We’ve been working for the past three years to get to this position. STCE has come a long way from our standing start in 2020 to taking ownership of Twemlows solar farm. We have plans for more community owned energy including a wind turbine and heat network in Bishop’s Castle.” 

ducation charity, The Country Trust, calls for urgent action to give children more soil-based learning in schools and launches Plant Your Pants campaign to help close the gap

A survey conducted by ChildWise^[1] for education charity The Country Trust has revealed the worrying lack of understanding among children about the connection between the food they eat and the soil.

The survey of children aged 7 to 17 highlighted a significant knowledge gap, with around 40% of children saying they either don’t know or don’t believe soil is important for the production of the food they eat. This revelation is particularly alarming given that 95% of food, and therefore all human life, depends on soil, and it’s under significant threat.

The survey also found that around a third of children don’t have the opportunity to put their hands in soil – either through play or soil-based activities such as gardening – at home or at school. The findings reinforce the Country Trust’s call for every child’s education to include hands-on learning about the miraculous life support system beneath their feet and the farms that produce our food. The charity is launching its Plant Your Pants campaign on the first day of spring (20 March) as an easy way for everyone to learn more about soil – the invisible world that gives us life.

Reacting to the news, Jill Attenborough, CEO of The Country Trust, says:

“The results of this latest survey only serve to underline the urgent need for hands-on learning about soil and the land to be a vital part of every child’s education, from early years right through to further education. If we and our world are to thrive, we need our children to be given regular opportunities to get their hands dirty, in the soil. And we need to equip teachers to guide children to discover the amazing, life-giving world within it.

“Our work with schools across England and Wales, particularly those from areas of socioeconomic disadvantage, reveals a really significant gap in knowledge, even though ‘rocks and soils’ are part of the National Curriculum. If children don’t have the opportunity to discover through first-hand experience that their lives depend on healthy soil, how can we expect them to look after it or be equipped to deal with the global climate challenges ahead of them? We have launched a national soil health campaign, Plant Your Pants, as a fun, easy and eye-opening way for all of us to make better connections with the ground we rely on and hope everyone can take part this spring.”

The Country Trust connects disadvantaged children with the land that sustains us all through hands-on, sensory experiences of food and farming. Last year 23,000 children visited working farms with The Country Trust to learn at first-hand how food is grown and the vital importance of soil to all our lives

The charity’s fun and interactive soil health campaign, Plant Your Pants, launches on the first day of spring (20 March 2024) and is designed to encourage everyone to plant a pair of cotton underpants and then dig them up two months later to discover what has happened to them, and see soil biodiversity in action. A healthy soil ecosystem will break down and degrade the cotton faster than soil with low microbial activity, ideally leaving behind only the elastic.

Jill Attenborough explains: “Plant Your Pants is an opportunity for all of us to become soil scientists – observing, touching, listening to, and smelling the soil. Using all our senses we will tune in to the wonder of the unseen micro-organisms beneath our feet and discover how good food, grown well in healthy soils directly impacts our health and the health of the planet itself. We support our network of schools to take part each year but this year we want to extend the invitation to everyone. We’re here to support everyone to get planting!”

Soil provides 95% of our food, but how many of us really know what is in the soil, how it is formed, and what life it sustains beyond the plants we can see growing in it? Soil holds many of the answers to our urgent climate questions. It is one of the most important carbon sinks on the planet with the capacity to capture and store carbon in plant roots and systems which, even on a small garden scale, can be very effective.

Tom Fairfax, a regenerative organic farmer based in Northumberland who hosts Country Trust Farm Discovery school visits and is a Plant Your Pants soil champion, said: “Healthy soil is teeming with life, much of which can’t be seen by the naked eye, so getting our hands in the soil and seeing the way it acts on a pair of cotton pants is a brilliant way to experience its magic.  We have ignored the soil for too long and this has had a negative impact, not only on the environment, but also the quality of the food grown in it and our health. We all have a role to play in improving our soil, all we have to do is open our senses to the ground around us and listen to what it has to tell us.” 

Anyone can get involved with Plant Your Pants – it’s free to register online and you can join with other partici-pants by adding your pants to the interactive map. The activity can be enjoyed by individuals and families at home or by groups at allotment and gardening clubs, schools, youth and community groups or larger public access gardens. You don’t even need a garden – a window box or patio planter will do. Between 20 March and the big reveal in June, the Country Trust team, working with farmers and soil scientists will send informative and fun updates that encourage ‘partici-pants’ to use all their senses to explore the soil and encourage positive action to improve its health.

Find out more and register now at www.countrytrust.org.uk/plantyourpants

^[1] ChildWise Playground Buzz Report, Autumn 2023, surveyed a sample of over 1,800 children via the ChildWise schools panel Children from school years 3 to 12 were approached to take part. Interviews were carried out online in schools.

• Harry has been spotted riding on e-bikes three times in the last five months
• Auto Trader reveal a 53% increase in e-bike sales since May 2023
• Snaps of Harry Styles riding a rented e-bike prompt a 20 point percentage jump in e-bike interest on Google Trends
• Other celebrities who love to use e-bikes include James Cordon, Kate Hudson and Stella McCartney

The e-bike experts at Auto Trader have revealed a 53% increase in e-bike sales over the last nine months, showing a public boost of interest in the sustainable transport which coincides with celebrity uptake of e-bikes too.

Harry Styles has been papped using the eco-friendly mode of transport three times in the last five months. The first sighting was with good friend and English actor and comedian, James Cordon in September 2023, biking through London on popular pay-as-you-go Lime e-bikes. The friends were spotted wearing tinted sunglasses as they enjoyed riding the electric bikes through the streets of Primrose Hill.

Since then, Harry has been spotted two more times enjoying the smooth ride of an e-bike; once on his own wearing a vibrant orange jacket just 24 hours before his 30th birthday (February 1^st 2024), and again with his girlfriend Taylor Russel later on in the month, as they shared a romantic couples’ nighttime bike ride together through London.

As well as e-bikes being an efficient and eco-friendly way of travelling around a crowded and busy city, it is also a super discreet way for A-list celebrities like Harry Styles to get through busy traffic, avoiding crowds and remaining relatively unnoticed; it seems e-bikes are giving celebs a sense of freedom that a super-famous face doesn’t always get to have.

According to Google Trends UK, search interest for e-bikes jumped up 20 percentage points in the days following Harry Styles and James Cordon’s e-bike ride in September 2023, with another interest spike in e-bikes showing in Google Trends again at the end of February 2024.

With over 2.7 million Google searches made each month worldwide for ‘e-bikes’, the sustainable transport is garnering a huge amount of interest, but they have taken a while to really take off in the UK compared to Europe¹. However, it seems that eco-positive celebrities like Harry are helping create awareness in more eco-friendly travel.

Other celebrities who are big fans of travelling around on e-bikes include:

Fred again…

London-based DJ, Fred again... has been spotted plenty of times riding around London on rented e-bikes, with one memorable time involving Fred Again’s very own bike ride rave, in October 2022, to encourage others to follow on e-bikes and enjoy his latest set of music.

Kate Hudson & Stella McCartney

Embracing the warm weather, Kate Hudson was spotted riding around London with fashion designer and friend Stella McCartney in July last year hanging out and enjoying the blissful ride, romantically joined by their partners for what looked like a double date.

Matthew Boderick

Matthew Boderick’s most recent spotting on a rented e-bike was only a few weeks ago wearing a pair of blue denim jeans and white helmet heading out for his day-to-day activities. Boderick is no stranger to an e-bike having used one plenty of times over the last few years.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, explains: “In a world where celebrities are often associated with private jets it’s fantastic to see  A-list celebrities like Harry Styles and Fred Again cruising around on e-bikes. E-bikes provide a lot of useful benefits for everyone, regardless of your celebrity status! They are speedy and efficient, allowing riders to avoid traffic but still arrive at their destination cool and collected as e-bikes don’t require the same physical effort as a normal bike.

Auto Trader are delighted to now offer a wide range of e-bikes to suit all kinds of journeys and commutes in a wonderfully eco-friendly way.  As many celebs know, e-bikes can provide fun and freedom, whilst also providing you with a good dose of fresh air, clearing your mind and adding some physical movement into your day-to-day activities.’

For those who want to ride around in style just like Mr Styles himself, there are a few things to consider ensuring safety and legality. There are:

• All road-legal e-bikes in the UK have pedals and an electric motor of 250 Watts or less with a max speed of 15.5mph (25km/h).
• To ride an e-bike in the UK, you need to be at least 14 years old.
• Familiarize yourself with the general Highway Code for cyclists. This includes understanding traffic signs which may order you to stop at certain junctions, signals for indicating and road markings to ensure you’re cycling in the correct lanes.
• Although some of the celebrities mentioned may not be, it’s recommend that you always wear a properly fitted helmet when cycling.
• If possible, try to wear brightly coloured or reflective clothing, especially when riding at night to ensure other drivers and cyclists can see you on the road.
• Obey traffic laws by riding in the same direction as traffic, using traffic signals such as using your arms to indicate, and be careful of pedestrians.

Sources: 

• https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/news/e-bike-sales-thrive-throughout-europe-s-main-markets-except-the-uk-4511
• Google Trends from the UK revealed showed that search interest for e-bikes was 51% for w/c 27^th August 2023, and at 71% for week commencing 10^th September.  Google Trends data from the UK also shows search interest for e-bikes was at 30% for the week commencing 14^th Jan and up to 55% by the first week of March.

From kitchen table start-up to thriving eCommerce and wholesale company, Once Upon a Tuesday’s UK-made, recycled paper calendars are now gracing the home and office walls of tens of thousands of people in 38 countries – all from a small studio tucked between the farming fields of Cornwall. Michele Ferron, founder of the colourful stationery brand, started creating design-inspired calendars and planners in 2020 during lockdown.

The company now consists of a team of eight. From the outset, the brand has had sustainability central to its brand philosophy – with a brand promise to print on 100% Recycled Paper and always in the U.K.

“We deeply feel that if we can’t do business in a transparent, caring, respectful, and purposeful way, we’d rather not do it at all,” says Michele. This BCorp certification is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to using business as a force for good.

Why BCorp? “We love that this certification takes a holistic view of the business,” explains Michele “It assesses the five key areas of the company’s performance; governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It gives us a strong framework and goals to work towards in building a brand that prioritises people and planet before profit.”
Their product line includes calendars, planners, diaries, and other paper goods, available through their website and retailers worldwide, including independent shops and renowned establishments like Selfridges in London.
Michele runs Once Upon a Tuesday with her partner Angus Johnston from Lanteague in Zelah, Cornwall where they have their design studio and warehouse within a vibrant community of small businesses. You can find us here:
www.onceuponatuesday.co.uk | Instagram: @onceuponatuesday_

As a sustainable brand, Deakin & Blue is dedicated to being an antidote to fast fashion. Made from durable fabric, its swimwear is designed to last for years and for multiple uses from poolside sunbathing to swimming across oceans. Deakin & Blue also offers a swimwear recycling scheme.

In February 2024 Deakin & Blue launched the D&B Deadstock Designs, a limited-edition range of swimsuits and bikinis made from deadstock fabric. In Sustainability research conducted in January this year, 53% of women did not know what the term ‘deadstock’ meant. The fabric is surplus leftover from the fashion industry which would otherwise go to landfill.

Rosie Cook, founder and CEO, said: “These beautiful fabrics would have been thrown away had we not intervened. Now, they can be enjoyed by our customers, for swim after swim. As a brand, we’re always thinking about how to improve our sustainability, which is important to both us and our customers.”

94% of women said buying eco-friendly designs and sustainable products mattered to them.

D&B Deadstock Designs come in three of Deakin & Blue’s best-selling styles, The Reversible X-Back Swimsuit, The Reversible Plunge Swimsuit and The Plunge Bikini. Like all D&B styles, the swimwear is made responsibly in London where all workers are paid a fair wage.

D&B Deadstock Designs are:

● Made responsibly in East London, UK

● Tailored to fit a wide-range of female body shapes

● Available in sizes 8-24, AA-HH cup

● Shipped to customers in 100% recyclable packaging

● Sold with excellent post-sale customer service and free repairs after purchase

About Deakin & Blue

Deakin & Blue started in 2016 when Rosie tried to buy a swimsuit. She said: “I realised that swimwear offered either style or substance but never both. On one hand – beautiful, flimsy bikinis for lounging about and ordering cocktails; on the other – serious sportswear that offered little shape, support or style. I wanted a swimsuit that could offer me both.”

Rosie discovered that more than 500,000 women had given up swimming because of body image issues. She also found that half of all mums didn’t swim with their kids because of how they felt in swimwear. She realised that this lack of decent swimwear meant that women were missing out. So, she decided to solve the problem.

Working with a team of design experts, Rosie developed a set of pieces that transformed how swimwear feels, looks and is made. Combining fabrics made from ocean and deadstock waste, sustainable production and a ground-breaking sizing system, Deakin & Blue makes swimwear for a range of body shapes and sizes.

Deakin & Blue is dedicated to a circular economy, guided by the principles of eliminating waste and pollution, keeping its products in circulation, and repairing and regenerating old swimwear.

Key highlights from Deakin & Blue’s 2024 Sustainability Research

● 53% of women did not know what the term ‘deadstock’ meant

● 98% of women said purchasing garments with a positive or neutral impact on the planet was important

● 94% of women said buying eco-friendly designs and sustainable products mattered to them

● 73% said buying something sustainably made was more important than buying something on trend

● 93% said it was important to them to buy a garment where the maker was paid a fair wage

● 70% said it was important to them to buy a garment made from waste

● 81% said they try to buy and own less garments, but ensure that each item is a high quality piece

Find out more For more information visit Deakin & Blue. For comment, photography and samples contact: Alice – alice@deakinandblue.com, mobile +34 693 013 602

The Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) opened the doors today to its groundbreaking ‘Store of the Future’ in West Bridgford, which will help to raise vital funds to support the lifesaving missions for critically ill babies and children across the UK.

The construction of the unique store was made possible by partnering with an award-winning sustainable contractor, OAK Project Management, an ethical and sustainable engineering, construction and project management company based in Ireland.

The grand opening was attended by the charity’s ambassador, social media influencer and charity shop advocate ‘Charity Shop Girl’ – Jennifer Brady, who has a passion for sustainability and charity shopping.

Visitors and guests had the opportunity to have a look around the first of its kind charity store and shop the fantastic clothing, bric-a-brac, electricals and children’s clothing and toys on offer, as well see the locally sourced materials the store has been created with – wooden floors from an old church, second-hand doors, display units created with salvaged bricks, slip bricks and scaffold planks, old scaffolding pipes for rails, as well as the till made from steel mesh.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from local hospitals to specialist paediatric and neonatal treatment centres via the clinically designed helicopters which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

Officially opening the store on behalf of TCAA, ambassador Jen Brady said: “I was honoured to be able to open the ‘Store of the Future’ in West Bridgford and I urge the local community to come down to see the amazing transformation inside the store and grab a bargain.”

“The store brings a new style and vision to charity retail, giving everyone a more enjoyable shopping experience, without removing the essence of why we love charity shopping.

“The store has a brand-new donation station and by donating to the charity shops we are keeping the items out of landfill and in turn supporting a deserving charity with vital funds to keep saving little lives,” she expressed.

This is a unique and exciting opening in West Bridgford. The charity store will raise vital funds for the service to keep the helicopters flying.

“We are incredibly excited and honoured to share the opening of this unique Children’s Air Ambulance store with the West Bridgford community, and it was brilliant to see so many people attend today,” said TCAA’s Head of Retail, Hannah Coventry.

“The success of our store is vital as TCAA receives no government or National Lottery funding and relies solely on donations from the public and retail income to keep saving the lives of critically ill babies and children across the UK,” she added.

The charity’s donation station is open and makes it quick and easy for people to drop off donations.

To learn more, or to support the charity, please visit: www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.