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CLICK HERE FOR DISCOUNTED TICKETS
Taking place on 16th and 17th April 2010, in Olympia Two, London, UK AWARE is the UK\'s only green and ethical lifestyle exhibition which offers a platform for:
- Organisations to educate, network, sell, improve brand profile, build databases and conduct market research.
- Consumers to purchase and learn.
- Organisations to align their brands with the UK\'s premier green and ethical lifestyle exhibition through event sponsorship.
UK AWARE is now in it\'s third year and RAISE magazine is offering discounted tickets to readers.
Just CLICK HERE to purchase tickets online. Usually £15 on the door you can get them here for only £6 - or £5 for OAPs and other concessions (there is a very small booking fee of 80p).
UK AWARE 2010 will bring together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world class guest speakers.
Exhibitors will be showcasing thousands of products and services ranging from cars to computers, from fashion to food and from travel to advice services.
All attractions at UK AWARE 2010 are included with entry ticket purchase and will include:
- The Green Machines Expo: the UK\'s largest showing of low carbon vehicles.
- The Green Business Start-up Surgery: an oasis of solutions for budding entrepreneurs to help make dreams become reality.
- Clothes swapping party: a chance for anyone to get a completely new to you wardrobe without damaging the environment or spending a penny.
- Kids area: shows and interactive activities designed to inspire young minds...a perfect Easter holiday outing!
- Morsbags: an oasis of creative surprises and haberdashery delights - voted best feature by our visitors last year.
RAISE loves this exhibition. It\'s well worth a visit! |
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Here at Raise magazine we are commited to supporting ecologically aware living. In the latest issue you will find us promoting Fair Trade and highlighting providers such as Divine Chocolate and Shared Interest as well as advocating organic places to stay such as Witherdens Hall and The Straw Cottage, and we will continue to feature similar causes and providers in the future.
Articles such as the one below are part of the reason why we do this.
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from Sunday Herald (Scotland), 31 January 2010
The health of thousands children is being put at risk by the widespread use of toxic pesticides in Scottish schools, according to a new survey by environmental groups.
Local authorities across the country have admitted spraying chemicals suspected of causing cancers and other health problems on playing fields, paths and playgrounds to control weeds. They have also laid poisonous bait to try and get rid of rats.
Exposing children to such risks is “staggering” and “unacceptable”, say campaigners, who are demanding a ban. Some councils say they would prefer not to use pesticides, but manufacturers insist they are safe if properly used.
Councils across the UK were asked for the first time to identify which pesticides they used in schools. The survey was carried out at the end of last year by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), which brings together 65 organisations in 26 countries across Europe, along with the UK campaign group, Pesticides Action Network.
In Scotland, councils confessed to using four pesticides that have been linked to cancers. They are weedkillers called sulphosulphuron, oxadiazon, dichlobenil and mecoprop-P, all of which have been listed by the US government’s Environment Protection Agency as possible carcinogens.
A compound known as glufosinate-ammonium, which the European Commission says might harm fertility and unborn children, is used to help mark sports pitches. The weedkiller, glyphosate, which some studies suggest may disrupt hormones, is widely applied.
A powerful pesticide known as bromadiolone has also been laid as bait to kill rats in some Scottish schools. It is classified as extremely hazardous by the World Health Organisation.
“From this survey and our investigations it is likely that use of these hazardous products is widespread across Scotland,” said Vicki Hird, who co-ordinates HEAL’s ‘sick of pesticides’ campaign.
She pointed out that children were particularly vulnerable to harm from pesticides as their organs were still growing and couldn’t remove toxins. “This is an unacceptable health hazard,” she told the Sunday Herald.
“It is staggering that thousands of Scottish children may be being exposed to these toxic chemicals when they go to school. They must have a safe school environment, and Scottish authorities must ban the use of pesticides immediately.”
Hird refused to name the six Scottish local authorities who had given details of their pesticide use. She argued that it would be unfair put the spotlight on them because the majority of councils who had failed to respond to the survey were also likely to be spraying and laying pesticides.
Under new European legislation, the UK government must produce an action plan for cutting pesticide use by 2012. Particular attention must be paid to places where vulnerable groups like children might be at risk.
Reducing the exposure of children to pesticides linked to cancers was an “urgent priority”, according to the Soil Association, which promotes organic food. “We should take all reasonable steps to avoid and minimise risks,” said the association’s Scottish director, Hugh Raven.
“It\'s surprising and very disappointing that these known poisons are being used where they could affect children. We agree that it should be stopped.”
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) said that the survey raised important issues, which were taken seriously by councils. “Local authorities would do their own in-house risk assessment before any work is carried out anywhere,” stated a COSLA spokesman.
“Any spraying is undertaken when no pupils or staff are present, thus removing the immediate risk of inhalation or ingestion. Any baiting for rodents is carried out in safe locations either in locked bait boxes or in areas where there is no pupil or staff access.”
The Scottish government said the use of pesticides was up to local authorities. “The health and safety of children is paramount,” added a government spokesman, “and we would expect local authorities to ensure that pupils are not at risk in the school environment.”
The Crop Protection Association, which represents the pesticides industry, said that “wherever possible” chemicals should be applied outside school hours. “Products are safe when used correctly,” insisted the association’s spokesman, Richard Minton.
“If left unchecked weeds, pests and diseases can potentially be more hazardous to the public well-being, than the pesticides being used to control them,” he argued.
“The majority of pesticides being used are far less toxic than many household products, such as cleaning materials, shampoo, toothpaste, alcohol, tea and coffee.”
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Aid agencies have mobilised across the world since the earthquake in Haiti and the size and speed of the current international response is crucial to saving lives. But we’ve all seen the shocking images of hundreds of thousands of lives torn apart by the devastating earthquake. With so many people in such desperate need, the response is never going to be quick enough.
Even as the emergency response gathers momentum, past experience tells us we must also take the time to think about long-term recovery as early as possible.
Perhaps the real question is, long after the dust from the initial relief effort settles will we have supported people so that they are better prepared and more resilient to the next disaster
Future disasters
For make no mistake, there will be another disaster. There is a horrific inevitability about events such as this recent earthquake, as Haiti sits on a fault line and has a long history of humanitarian crises.
Strengthening communities’ ability to both prevent and cope with disasters is a concrete way to save lives, protect livelihoods, and prevent such shocks from crippling the poorest countries’ development.
This is essential in Haiti as the current earthquake is just one of many devastating blows for a country still reeling from other disasters. Recovery and reconstruction programmes following hurricanes Faye, Gustav, Hannah and Ike which pummelled the country in August and September 2008 have barely concluded.
Humanitarian crises
But we can’t just blame natural disasters for Haiti’s woes. Poverty and a history of violence and political instability have exacerbated Haiti’s vulnerability to humanitarian crises. This poverty translates into the urban shantytowns and shacks on hillsides hit by the earthquake where the most vulnerable live.
Even before the quake, basic services such as healthcare, safe water, and sanitation to much of the population was scarce. Aid agencies, in collaboration with international donors and local authorities and communities, need to start thinking about how to end this tragic cycle of poverty and disaster.
Lessons learned
The humanitarian community has learned many lessons from previous disasters such as the Bam and Pakistan earthquakes and the 2004 tsunami; the question is whether we will implement them in Haiti.
We know that recovery efforts must help people to be prepared for future disasters, not just earthquakes but floods, hurricanes and food security and health risks. We also know that we need to consider all a community’s needs, such as linking where new homes are built to future sources of livelihoods, as well as access to safe water and sanitation, and providing people with the skills, cash or assets to get back on their feet.
These are things the British Red Cross has done in Indonesia after the tsunami and in Bangladesh after past cyclones.
Long-term recovery
The immediate international relief effort is vital to save lives, particularly when, as in Haiti, the local capacity is overwhelmed. But recovery needs long-term planning, it needs real community involvement and to look at some of the broader needs affecting the country. This will require continued commitment from governments, agencies and donors.
The real moment to judge the response to Haiti’s earthquake will be long after the cameras and the headlines have moved on. Will donors and agencies stick to the task? Will we have acted on the lessons from previous experience?
Rightly our success in terms of responding to this emergency will be judged not just on the first weeks but also on what we leave behind – will communities be stronger, more resilient and better prepared? Watch this space. |
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New Mary Rose Museum
To mark the 500th anniversary year of King Henry VIII’s accession to the throne and of his commissioning of his flagship, the Mary Rose, the Mary Rose Trust, the charity preserving the ship, is launching the Mary Rose 500 public appeal (www.maryrose500.org) to help fund an ambitious new £35 million museum project.
The museum will display previously unseen artefacts recovered from the ship. The extraordinary Tudor items – which include Europe’s oldest fiddle complete with its bow, a beautifully preserved leather ‘manbag’ and the giant wooden spoon used to stir the crew’s porridge pot – have been hidden away in the Mary Rose’s reserve collection due to a lack of display space. They have been brought out of storage to highlight the need to hit the Trust’s funding target for the new museum project and through it to secure the future of the Mary Rose.
The new museum, scheduled to open in time for the London Olympics in 2012, will complete the preservation of the wreck of the Mary Rose and reunite the great ship with thousands of hidden treasures that have never before been displayed in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the Mary Rose’s home.
To find out how your group can help secure the future of Henry VIII’s flagship visit www.maryrose500.org or call 023 9275 0521. |
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As we move into the ‘season of mellow fruitfulness’ and the evenings draw in, how could you resist gathering your favourite people together to share good food?
Food for Good is a refreshing change from traditional fundraising: you host a cosy meal together with friends and family and, by way of a ‘thank you’, your guests make a donation to Practical Action.
Whether the food is simple or extravagant, it’s all about sharing, and at Practical Action we know a thing or two about that. By sharing ideas, information and technology with people in the developing world, we’re helping them to grow their own food, and to cook, store and sell it.
You may already have a classic, signature dish in mind to wow your guests, but if not, download our fundraising pack for inspiration. We’ve included recipes, imaginative themes, and even templates for invitations and menus. The cooking part, however, is up to you. Unless you invite your guests to bring a dish along, and then you can even share the cooking out too.
For more information click here to email us, call 01926 634537 or visit www.practicalaction.org.uk/foodforgood |
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Wellchild holds Beauty and the Beast treat for sick children at Everyman Theatre
Sick children were given a treat at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, when they attended a performance of Beauty and the Beast and met the cast of the show.
WellChild, the national charity for sick children, which is based in Cheltenham, organised the visit with the Everyman to brighten the lives of seriously ill children from Cheltenham and the South West.
The theatre kindly donated tickets for children and their families for the matinee performance on Thursday 9 July. And after the performance the excited children got to meet the cast – still wearing full costume and make-up.
Mrs Brenda Hulbert, a Team Leader at the school said, “It’s absolutely fantastic for the children being here today. These kinds of experiences are few and far between for these children and they have had a fantastic time today. They have been so excited about coming here!”
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A star-studded Gala Dinner has raised £1.5 million for the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
350 special guests attended The Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Fourth Annual Gala Dinner, including JK Rowling, Sophie Dahl, Vanessa Redgrave and former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev.
An auction was led by Marie Curie Chief Executive Thomas Hughes-Hallett, featuring lots including dinner with Mikhail Gorbachev, work by Damien Hirst and a Fiat 500c car decorated by Sir Peter Blake. Guests also enjoyed performances by artists including Beverly Knight and Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde.
Marie Curie Cancer Care will use the funds it receives from the event to support its bereavement counselling service for children and young people. |
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The Government has asked the NHS to start to roll out NHS Health Checks after working with a number of stakeholders including the Cardio and Vascular Coalition (CVC*) and Kidney Research UK, which is based in Cambridgeshire.
NHS Health Checks is an ambitious initiative which will offer preventative checks to all those aged 40 - 74 to assess their risk of vascular disease (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease) followed by appropriate management and interventions.
Over 400 people in the East of England** are patiently waiting for a kidney transplant but with only 154 transplants last year, there’s a great need for local people to be checked as early as possible so they can hopefully control any signs of kidney disease.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said, “The NHS Health Check programme could on average prevent 1,600 heart attacks and strokes and save at least 650 lives each year. The programme could prevent over 4,000 people a year from developing diabetes and detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier, allowing individuals to be better managed and improve their quality of life.”
*The CVC was formed after the Prime Minister announced in January 2008 the Government’s intention to shift the focus of the NHS towards empowering patients and preventing illness.
**437 people in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire – figures from the Strategic Health Authority as at 23 April 2009.
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By holding a Come Dine with NSE fundraising party, you are helping to fund the National Society for Epilepsy’s (NSE’s) essential services for 456,000 people with epilepsy. This is a brand new fundraising initiative from NSE, and you can sign up now to be one of the first to take part and receive a FREE apron! There is no typical Come Dine with NSE party – it’s up to you what, where, who and when!
Order your Come Dine with NSE party pack today and receive a free apron and information card to keep handy in your wallet. It explains what you can do to help if you see someone having a convulsive seizure.
Just let NSE know how many copies of the card you would like when you order your party pack on 01494 601300.
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The Alexandra Rose Charities (ARC) confirmed that its recent Rose Opera Extravaganza event raised a staggering £20,000 as 125 guests ‘dug deep’ to support the charity. The total amount collected was thanks to the ‘prizes money can’t buy’ auction, the Lady Grade Pink Raffle and advance ticket sales.
Not only did attendees thoroughly enjoy the evening’s performances by The London Festival Opera but they also embraced the opportunity to bid for some highly sought after lots in the auction - including a one week stay in a 5-bedroomed property in the Western Cape of South Africa, a private box at the Royal Albert Hall to see Eric Clapton perform and an opportunity to charter a luxury yacht, which was donated on the evening itself.
Margaret Stock, National Director for ARC said, "It was a spectacular turn out and the amount raised was far more than we had thought would be possible. We really are very grateful to those that gave us their time, effort and cash to make the Rose Opera Extravaganza the success that it was."
Visit www.alexandrarosecharities.org.uk to find out more.
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