by Andrew Williams |
October 19, 2016
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Sounds like a bad joke, doesn't it? Sadly, Hay is now having to steel itself for yet another fight with our local County Council who are trying to impose cuts on our library services. Their ultimatum is that the town has to come forward with a plan for taking over the running of the services, or the County Council will begin consultation on the closure of Hay Library. The internationally famous town of books, closing its library. Insert your own punchline here!
We sell a wide range of books of course, but a library has so many other benefits - a resource to use the internet, browse the papers, meet people - it's the heart of a community.
We are aware that Powys CC are to some extent between a rock and a hard place - the cuts are an indirect result of austerity imposed from Westminster - but Powys are the face of the cuts, so it's Powys we have to fight. Lesley Arrowsmith, scribe supreme of Hay, sums up the state of play perfectly on her blog.
In a week which has also seen Powys exposed to ridicule over their use of outsourced consultants, and hot on the heels of their failed attempt to close our local High School, you might think they'd know how to pick their battles. We'll keep you updated on the fight to save the library service in Hay.
Tagged:
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
Fairtrade,
hay on wye,
library,
town of books
by Andrew Williams |
October 10, 2016
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We are constantly amazed at the stylish new designs and fabrics which Mata Traders manage to come up with. As one of the only Mata stockists in the UK, we are always delighted when their next delivery arrives! This season we have another stunning capsule collection, featuring some on-trend patterns and a timeless little black dress.
As always we only have very limited stock of each design in each size, so please don't miss out! We are delighted that we now have some real Mata "fans" who snap up their favourites as soon as we release a new season, so we hope you'll want to join their ranks.
Of course, as well as providing you with another wardrobe staple, buying from our new Mata collection also helps ensure a better quality of life for the producers in India and Nepal. Let us know your favourites!
Tagged:
developing countries,
Ethical Fashion,
fairtrade,
favourites,
hay on wye,
India,
Mata Traders,
Nepal
by Andrew Williams |
September 26, 2016
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We're delighted to reveal our new skincare collection from Fair Squared! The products use natural ingredients from fair trade projects around the world and we've already had a fantastic reaction to them in the shop.
Our first batch includes body lotion, shampoo, hand soap and lip balm. All of the products have multiple certification including Fairtrade, NATRUE (which ensures cosmetics are as natural as possible), Peta Cruelty Free and Vegan.
Projects which Fair Squared work with are based in all four corners of the globe, from Guatemala to Palestine, Chile to Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso to the Dominican Republic.If you're passing the shop, pop in for a free tester while stocks last - we'll also include samples with all online orders we receive.
Tagged:
cosmetics,
developing countries,
fair squared,
fairtrade,
hay on wye,
skincare
by Andrew Williams |
September 15, 2016
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We know many of our customers love the jewellery we stock from Just Trade. Their designs are perfect for our shop, and the projects they work with are a true inspiration, keeping traditional skills and crafts alive while offering opportunities to disadvantaged groups in India, Peru and Ecuador.
It really lifted my spirits to see this fantastic photo of Ali Cave, the Operations Director at Just Trade.
Ali is pictured loading a huge order which Just Trade received from Laura Ashley, one of the best-known names in terms of interior design on the British High Street. Laura Ashely have bought stock to go into all 200 of their stores in the UK, as well as it going to their Japanese franchise.
Ali told me, "They have ordered across all three projects we work with. So crochet from Peru, Tagua from Ecuador and Brass from India. The work really helped our producers get back on their feet after the earthquake in Ecuador."
You might think it's a bit odd that I'm getting so excited about seeing one of our core product ranges being distributed to another shop, which might be seen as a competitor of ours. But for us at Eighteen Rabbit, this is exactly what we're all about! We don't want to be pigeonholed simply as a "fair trade shop" to be treated in the same way as a charity shop. Our mission from the very beginning has been to take fair trade into the mainstream - to attract customers who simply love the products we sell. Ultimately, as we're fond of saying, we want to make "fair trade" obsolete - what we're doing should be the norm, rather than the virtuous exception.
Huge congratulations from all of us here at Eighteen Rabbit to Ali and the team for all their hard work. Look out for Just Trade products in Laura Ashley stores from October, and remember where you saw them first - you can be ahead of the curve by ordering your favourite from us today!
Tagged:
#fashrev,
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
fashion revolution,
hay on wye,
just trade
by Andrew Williams |
July 22, 2016
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We had a lovely customer visiting us this week from Belgium. As well as stocking up on some of our fabulous fair trade treats, he was also keen to show us his preferred method of payment - a Fair Trade Credit Card!
The New B card is issued in Belgium and works on a co-operative model with any profits being reinvested into sustainable projects. Our friend explained that they had been unable (so far) to get the financial administration in place to run as a credit card as we would know it here in the UK, so at the moment the card works a bit like a pre-paid card - you load credit on to it and then spend it wherever you wish.
There is loads more information on the website, though I did have to use Google Translate - my Belgian is a little rusty :) It seems like a very innovative model and one that could be welcomed here in the UK given our recent history of banks acting in a less than transparent manner. Time and again "people power" has shown itself to be an effective tool for change - and projects like New B could be the start of something big. If you see an example of an unusual fair trade project in action, let us know and we'll feature it on the blog.
Tagged:
Belgium,
Credit Card,
eighteen rabbit,
fair trade,
fairtrade,
hay on wye
