Making More Difference than Madonna!

Strong Scottish souls selflessly give better chances to many Malawi infants.

By Liam Bailey

Pop star Madonna recently adopted a child from Malawi. I’m sure most of you know of Madonna’s possibly ill-advised but undoubtedly well intentioned adoption Ill-advised in the bending of the rules for money, power and influence possibly leaving the door ajar for gang-lord people traffickers to do the same. Well intentioned in the difference made to little David Banda’s life, undeniably the transformation of a poor child’s life for the better, a good thing, even if just increasing his chances of surviving past the age of five.

Some 96.14 children die in their first year out of every 1000 born in Malawi; which has the 15th highest infant mortality rate in the world, the above figures are taken from the World Factbook estimates 2005, and infant mortality in Malawi was recorded at 94.37 for this year, which is again the 15th highest infant mortality rate in the world.

I’m also sure not so many of you will know of a possible reason for the slight improvement… people, unknown compared to Madonna, from the Scottish medical and midwifery professions devoting their spare time to charity, and combined with a substantial aid program from the Scottish government, their work is making sustainable improvements that will continue making the chances better for thousands of babies (Ref 0 Malawi children) in Malawi long after they are gone.

The Scottish Parliament really set the ball rolling when the government published an international development strategy March 2005 following a visit by some of its members to Malawi in Feb 2005, although the charity ALSO (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics) UK had already sent a team of eight Scottish midwifes led by a doctor on a three week placement to Malawi. During the tour MSP’s visited Bottom Hospital in Malawi capital, Lilongwe, where the ALSO team was at work teaching staff and students, and assisting only two doctors and 25 nurses with no proper medical equipment to deliver around 10,000 babies each year, many of the mothers suffering complications like pre-eclampsia and possibly Malaria, TB and/or HIV/AIDS. Their findings led to Jack McConnell going to Malawi in May 2005 and among other places, also visiting Bottom Hospital.

Jack McConnell said of what he saw: “The statistics for mothers who die in child birth and for infant mortality are shocking. No one could fail to be moved and angered by the reality of the conditions in Bottom Hospital.” and announced that the Scottish government would support a new three year programme which will see up to 300 Malawi medical staff trained in life saving techniques. The cost, £120,000 per year will be covered by a grant from the £3 million International Development Fund, and will finance a further ten Scottish trainers to provide training for up to 100 staff and students a year at Bottom Hospital and other sites in Lilongwe, building on the work already being done by ALSO UK.

During his visit of Bottom Hospital and afterwards to the Lilongwe College of Health Sciences, where up to 600 medical staff are trained each year, Jack McConnell was accompanied by the deputy Minister for Health Frank Mwenifumbo and leader of the ALSO team, Dr Graeme Walker from Edinburgh’s Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital. Now leading a second ALSO 8 midwife team on a ten day mission to turn the dire problems noted on the February mission, which was predominantly a fact-finding expedition into comprehensive and sustainable solutions.

One of the midwives on the second ALSO mission, and every subsequent mission since is a dedicated midwife from my local Maternity hospital, who has kindly donated some time to provide largely undocumented details of ALSO’s magnificent work in Malawi.

As part of the ALSO team led by Dr Graeme Walker, Frances Wright rolled up her sleeves on her first mission to Malawi, which turned out to be a unique mission for all involved. After dropping their luggage at the hotel in Blantyre, where the training part of the mission would be based, Bottom Hospital Lilongwe was the team’s next destination. It was the rolled up sleeves that subsequently made the mission unique.

The first ALSO mission in February 2005 had been in a predominantly training capacity, offering some help with emergencies when the need arose. The second ten day ALSO mission in May was the first and only mission to take large quantities (Ref 1: Packed Car) of essential medical supplies to the Malawi capital’s main maternity hospital. Frances told me they used “most of their package deal” luggage allowance on the badly needed surgical supplies.

As well as the first mission to take supplies, which are now sourced locally using charity and IDF money to pay a facilitator. The May 2005 trip was also the first ALSO mission to involve hard labour in the form of a 24 hour make-over at Bottom Hospital. Frances kindly gave me (all) pictures as she listed the ALSO team’s work in one day at Bottom hospital:

“We cleaned the entire hospital” (Ref 2: Even the curtains, Frances on the right), painted the labour ward (Ref 3: Painted ward BH May 2005) and employed local joiners to repair the window and build suitable storage cupboards (Ref 4: Filling built cupboards BHMay2005) for all the newly provided medical supplies (Ref 5: New equipment BHMay 2005 mission), all using fund-raised cash.

“Then we drove back to Blantyre”, back to the hotel with conference facilities to continue the team’s usual work, training Malawi’s future medical staff in all the life-saving techniques that give our (developed world) babies much better chances of survival.

In the remaining nine days of the mission the team ran two 2 day provider courses (Ref 6 Frances busy training 2005) on how to deal with labour ward emergencies, and selected people with potential for one instructor course, all in Blantyre. Frances said, “The provider courses are us simply training students in better techniques, the brightest then go on to learn how to effectively train others in the life-saving skills, with the long term aim of sustainability.”

The next, third ALSO mission, Frances’ second with the team was only five months later in November 2005, on the two week mission based in Lilongwe the team helped out medically where necessary at Bottom Hospital as well as continuing the work of training for Malawi’s future; self sufficient maternity health services, which was done in a hotel nearby.

Frances said the team were “delighted” to see that standards “were being kept-up.” The [Bottom] hospital was much cleaner, “morale” was “good” and word of their success on the first visits was spreading so there were “more people keen to do the courses”. Frances also told me that their fundraising is continued all year and said: “as long as we keep raising the money there are people out there making sure the work is getting done.”

The third ALSO mission was training and assisting emergencies only, all the team took was essential training equipment, anything else was sourced locally through a facilitator as the need arose, therefore aiding the impoverished country’s economy. Because of the November 2005 mission’s strong focus on training for sustainability the team managed to squeeze in three provider courses and two instructor courses, which “successfully trained over 20 local instructors.”

And from small acorns… grew great oak trees when the team returned to Blantyre for a two week training only mission in May 2006, the fourth mission was very different to the second; ten day Blantyre based mission just a year before. This time four provider courses and two instructor courses were provided by the selfless Scottish souls and this time the team managed a two day break in between. Even the training equipment was bought locally, Frances told me ALSO UK “employ” a facilitator to buy goods locally in Malawi.

Frances also told me that the team’s fifth mission, her fourth in Malawi was planned for November 3rd 2006, this time to a place called Ekwenwdeni in the North East of Malawi. Ekwendeni has among the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Malawi, largely due to it being a favoured resting place for truck drivers heading North to Tanzania, Kenya and beyond, so the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics techniques Frances’ and her team can teach are badly needed.

Since the interview Frances has e-mailed to tell me that the latest trip has been postponed till January, but I am planning a more detailed follow up piece on the mission in Ekwendeni. From what I have seen and heard so far, and the drop in Malawi’s infant mortality rate in the first year since the work began, this is a charity working hard to make a real difference.

If you feel you would like to help in anyway please call the ALSO UK enquiry line on: (0191) 2765738 or visit the website.

Mother Friendly = Baby Friendly!

This is a feature I wrote, along with a news article for Lifescape magazine, the news article was published but unfortunately there was a shortage of space as this piece was submitted rather late.  If you would like to publish this article e-mail me. 

Mother Friendly + Baby Friendly!

Aside from the obvious financial benefits, breastfeeding a newborn child provides unsurpassable health benefits for both mother and baby, the Baby Friendly Initiative are making sure it latches on.

By Liam Bailey

In recent years medical research has and is proving breast milk to be far ahead of formula milk in infant feeding; developing the baby’s immunity against wide ranging infections and conditions much more rapidly.   Many studies since 1990 have provided significant reliable evidence that breastfed babies have a reduced risk of gastro intestinal infection (vomiting and diarrhoea), respiratory infections, ear infections , urinary tract infections, allergic disease (asthma, and/or wheezing, eczema), insulin dependant diabetes (mellitus) and, mainly in premature babies, necrotising enterocolitis; a serious childhood disease inflaming the tissues of the intestine, this can lead to a perforation (hole) developing, allowing the contents of the intestine to leak into the stomach, likely to cause severe infection.

There is also some evidence to suggest that breastfed babies have better neurological development but further research is needed.  For the mother breastfeeding lessens the risk of hip fractures, ovarian cancer and breast cancer, possibly also rheumatoid arthritis but again, further research is needed. Breast milk is formula milk; milk specially formulated by the mother for her baby; with regulating substances to give the baby the correct amount of only the nutrients he/she needs at the time, and if the mother’s immune system fights off an infection antibodies are transferred through breastfeeding, which in effect immunise the baby against the infection.  In baby’s born prematurely breastfeeding comes into its own again; aiding brain development, breast milk for a premature baby is higher in growth factors and antibodies and has special properties to prepare the babies bowels to tolerate milk.

Despite the significant health benefits for mother and child, British breastfeeding rates are still some of the lowest in Europe.  At birth, only 69% of UK babies are breastfed. This figure falls rapidly to 55% at one week. Just one in five babies (20%) are still receiving breast milk at six months, this is because many midwifes and health visitors have inadequate training in how to breastfeed correctly, leading to problems of “latching on” (how the baby takes the nipple) and failure to feed on demand (the baby does the demanding).  Ultimately leading to cracked and/or bleeding nipples, puerperal mastitis (blocking of milk ducts, pain, fever, redness) and/or an inadequate supply of milk, which in turn leads to mothers being told they aren’t producing enough milk.  Although some hospitals (not BF) still offer formula supplements, a baby needs nothing more than breast milk in the first six months of life.  Baby Friendly are trying to put an end to hospital and unintentional midwife misinformation.

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme run by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the World Health Organisation to promote breastfeeding; working with a country’s health service to ensure all mothers are properly educated on feeding their baby, and if they decide to breastfeed that they are shown how to feed their baby correctly.  On July 26th this year the Baby Friendly Initiative was held up by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) as the minimum level of care maternity units should provide, NICE released a costing report on the same day which showed that based on the projected rise in breastfeeding levels if their recommendations are followed, working towards Baby Friendly status would start to show cost savings for the hospitals and the NHS after three years.

There are currently 50 hospitals in the UK with full BFI accreditation and many more at various stages of the accreditation process meaning the number of accredited hospitals is firmly on the rise.  This summer, a record seven hospitals received accreditation in six weeks, between them representing 130,000 births a year according to BFI news August 8th.  Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Tair Afon Midwifery Unit in Aberdare, Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, North Manchester General Hospital, Cheltenham General Hospital andWalsall Manor Maternity Hospital had all been working towards accreditation for some time but their almost simultaneous ascension was a major boost for Baby Friendly UK.

You can find out if your local hospital is Baby Friendly on the website.  If your local maternity hospital(s) isn’t Baby Friendly, or you feel the staff aren’t adequately trained to assist effectively in breastfeeding, you can lobby the hospital management by clicking on the notepad icon at the far right of each hospital listing.   My local maternity hospital has been granted its certificate of commitment and is currently striving towards full accreditation.  As a dad-to-be I am glad my partner and I will receive the best information and advice on feeding our baby now and when the time comes.

Fair-Trade Balls: Bouncing Around The World!

A 2 year old UK fair-trade company specialising in sports balls and equipment, launched its U.S counterpart in September 2006.  Fair-Trade Sports has achieved incredible success in its 2 years in the UK, its year in Australia and six months in Canada, with big hopes the U.S sister company will do the same.  Structuring a global network of fair-trade sister companies around a new and unique method of collaboration/communication (blogs), and donating all after tax profits to children’s charities are I’m sure reasons in part why this company is going down such a storm.

Centres of Inspiration

All Britain’s best eco-visitor centres have never appeared together in one guide, with a little help Greenfutures magazine make that a thing of the past.

By Liam Bailey

In association with Friends Provident and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Greenfutures, a bi-monthly environmental news magazine have put together a 32 page full colour A5 booklet.  Locating the top 20 environmental and sustainability visitor centres on the map, free to download, Centres of Inspiration contains all information necessary to visit each of the centres, including up to date information about facilities, opening times, admission prices and how to visit on foot, by bike or using public transport.  The layout of the guide is excellent, having a central section containing all the general information about each centre, with all the visitor information in a separate section down the right hand side.
    
Greenfuture’s Hannah Bullock, editor of the guide said.  “We wanted to show that there’s a real wealth of centres right here on our doorstep in the UK.  Some are off the beaten track, hidden away in forests or on cycle trails, so you can make it a real day out.  The buildings are really innovative as well, using clever technology to make their own energy.  Anyone who’s at all curious about anything ‘green’ will come away inspired.”  Additional aims of the guide were to introduce more of the business sector to these excellent sustainable projects, i.e. environmentally friendly buildings that generate their own power and can be hired for events. As well as on the net copies of the guide are available free of charge at all visitor centres featured and elected tourist information centres across Britain.  In my opinion, and I’m sure all those of you who choose to obtain a copy of the guide will agree, Greenfutures magazine and their associates have succeeded in all their aims. 
   
The guide features twenty eco-visitor centres all excellent in their own different ways, three that I thought were particularly outstanding for one reason or another were:  The Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, outstanding because it is an amazingly informative museum, and has spectacular gardens definitely worthy of an entry fee, but entry is free.  The current museum opened in 1901 and along with the surrounding land dedicated by Frederick Horniman, as a gift to the people of London, forever for their recreation, instruction and enjoyment.  The original collection contained cultural artefacts, musical instruments, and natural history specimens.  Over the last century, the museum has added to the collection significantly, with original artefacts and specimens now making up only ten percent of the collection, for details of how to visit refer to the Centres of Inspiration guide.
    
Secondly the London Wetland Centre, outstanding because it is over 40 hectares of created atmospheric wetland, right in the heart of a capital city.  London Wetland Centre is also outstanding because of the amount of rare species regularly spotted there.  In 2002 it was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), because it was providing a suitable habitat for Gadwall and Shoveler Duck in nationally important numbers. The Centres of Inspiration guide contains full visitor details for this attraction.
   
Last but by no means least the The Eden Project, Cornwall, which I have covered in-depth see Ref 2: Eden Project Info.  After researching all the centres featured, the Eden Project became my favourite, because of the projects mission, and in my opinion it’s high likelihood of success. I’m sure you’ll agree when you’ve read the information, the Eden Project is doing something small but very special to help the world.
 
So, for all you eco-warriors out there, or just the growing number of people who are finally realising that we have to start treating our world with respect, this is the guide for you.  When you’ve read it I’m sure we’ll all agree that Greenfutures and their associates have succeeded in all their aims, with the bonus of creating increased publicity for these ecologically informative centres, which will in turn, up visitor numbers and therefore numbers of people knowledgeable in helping keep our planet healthy.  For the full list of the centres featured in the Centres of Inspiration guide see Ref 1: Centres Featured, I’m sure there’s a place for everyone. Check out this wonderful guide, find your place, and help your planet.

END

Ref 1: Centres Featured

• The Eden Project, Cornwall.
• CCANW Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, Devon.
• Genesis Centre, Somerset.
• The Living Rainforest, Berkshire.
• BedZED Exhibition Centre, Surrey.
• The Horniman Museum and Gardens, London.
• London Wetland Centre.
• Ecotech Centre, Norfolk.
• Brocks Hill Country Park and Visitor Centre, Leicester.
• The Ecohouse, Leicester.
•  Attenborough Nature Centre, Nottingham.
• National Wildflower Centre, Merseyside.
• Solaris Centre, Blackpool.
• Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, Leeds.
• Nature’s World, Middlesborough.
•  English Nature, Nationwide.
• Our Dynamic Earth , Edinburgh.
• Craigencalt Ecology Centre, Fife.
• National Botanic Garden of Wales , Carmarthenshire.
• Centre for Alternative Technology, Powys.
• The Organic Centre , County Leitrim.
• Ecos Millenium Environmental Centre, Ballymena.

Ref 2: Eden Project Info.

Owned by registered charity the Eden Trust, the Eden project was set up to mark the year 2000, as one of the landmark Millennium projects in the UK and structured as an educational charitable trust.  The Eden Project’s mission: “to promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources leading to a sustainable future for all.”  The trust intends to make Eden a completely sustainable project, to act as a guideline for everyone.  They intend to do this by explaining how man constantly changing the world affects plants and the rest of the natural world, exploring the best way to compensate for these changes, and therefore reaching an understanding of what sustainability could mean.  Then, by running the project on these principles, when Eden has proved the project’s complete sustainability, these principles could and should become guidelines for a greener world.  As for every centre featured, full details necessary to visit the Eden project from anywhere in the UK can be found in the Centres of Inspiration guide.  You will also find out that the Eden project has something we can all be very proud of, “the worlds largest jungle in captivity” in the form of it’s huge biome’s, providing a suitable habitat for tropical specimens and plants, these bubble wrap domes maintain the necessary temperature of 35 degrees centigrade.

Tasty Boxes

Organic box schemes have been around for well over a decade now, but never before has there been such a variety of strongly ethical schemes, run by people who obviously care deeply about the world we all live in.

By Liam Bailey

An organic box scheme is a home delivery service for organic products, in this article I have featured 10 schemes all run in an ethical and sustainable way; growing their own produce, buying locally where possible and most companies only delivering their fresh organic produce locally; limiting the miles travelled (food miles) and therefore pollution from vans and lorries.  Although some schemes featured supply Fair-trade products, all supply organic products only, which alongside delivering locally often means reduced income at least in the early years.  This shows that the people running the schemes care less about profits and more about the environment.
    
The organic food industry has been growing steadily for years now but some still don’t know the difference.  Well, as you may have seen in April’s issue of Lifescape growing numbers of celebrities are buying organic, this is because organic produce is free of harmful chemicals from pesticides and artificial fertilizers, fresh organic produce contains up to 50% more vitamins and minerals, and celebrities are what they eat.  For further reasons why buying Organic is much better for the environment and us see Ref 1: top reasons to go organic.  If now knowing the difference you want to join the growing number of people and go organic, read on, between them the schemes in this article deliver to most of the UK.    

Delivering from the tip of Lands end to London, Oxfordshire, and part of South Wales is Riverford organic vegetables.  Guy Watson converted his father’s farm to organic status in 1987, it is now one of Britain’s largest independent organic growers and part of the South Devon Organic Producer group with 14 other family run local farms.  Between them growing 85 different varieties of vegetables, on land spanning from Dartmoor to the coast where the warm sea air provides frost-protection allowing the growing of winter crops, keeping Riverford boxes interesting all year round.  Their range includes: carrots, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, mushrooms, spring greens, butternut squash, flat lettuce, valor potatoes, orla potatoes, and onions. Organic boxes of such quality cost from £7.50 for a mini-veg box to £13.50 for a large-veg box and £13 for a mixed box.  Fruit alone will cost you £7.50 for a box containing oranges, pears, royal gala apples, bananas and a melon.  Riverford customers receive a newsletter and recipes with every order.  
    
Delivering to Central Berkshire and South Oxfordshire including Marlow, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, and Henley on Thames is Eat Organic, starting sale of organic produce from an old van in 1988, and growing into a successful home delivery service.  Diana May and Francesca Perino took over the business in November 2005, maintaining quality by spending a day each week checking all their fruit and veg, ensuring all vegetables are fresh each week, and wherever possible delivering within hours of picking. Customers can order individually from their selection of over 400 fruit and vegetables, organic drinks, meat, poultry, fish (certified by Marine Stewardship Council), vegetarian products, milk, eggs, dairy, bakery, and pantry products.   Unusual vegetables including Radicchio, land cress, curly kale, and cabbage spring greens are grown on site meaning they are delivered within hours of picking, and with the full range can also be ordered in three seasonal boxes: a vegetable box for two at £10, salad box for two at £7, and fruit box for two at £10. 
    
The scheme with among the biggest range of organic boxes is Abel & Cole, delivering across London, south to Poole in Dorset, westerly to Cheltenham and Bristol and as far as Cambridge to the North since 1993.  Customers can order meat, sustainably sourced fish, dairy products, bread, wine, beer and household products, as well as their fresh produce, with occasional treats like white sprouting broccoli, seasonal treats like blueberries in the summer and organic turkeys for Christmas in 13 different boxes, which tailored to individual needs range from £6.50 to £22.00.  Including a small mixed organic box typically containing:  aubergine, bananas, carrots, cauliflower, courgettes, oranges, pears and potatoes, enough for a couple over a week for just £10.00.  Or Able mixed organic box with: courgettes, globe artichoke, green lettuce, green pointed cabbage, kiwi fruit, oranges, pears, potatoes, and white onions, for 3-5 people over a week at £14.80. Able & Cole send out weekly newsletters to their customers, with supplier stories and two recipes.
 
Also sending out newsletters and recipes with their boxes is London based, The Organic Delivery Company, known for their exceptionally high standards of quality and freshness.  Delivering their eight set boxes of dairy products, dairy free products, pasta, pantry items, beer and wines, and wiggly wiggler composters, alongside their range of fresh organic produce to all the London postcodes, as well as Kingston, Richmond, Croydon, Sutton and Enfield.  The Organic Delivery Company allow its customers to make up their own boxes, selecting products individually from their range.  Their set boxes range from £11.95 for a small veg or fruit box containing for example: carrots, tender greens, onions, leeks, aubergine, broccoli and courgettes, and Gala apples, D'Anjou pears and oranges respectively.  To £24.95 for a large fruit&veg box typically containing: carrots, tender greens, onions, leeks, aubergine, broccoli, courgettes, celery, Batavia lettuce, green peppers and tomatoes.   
    
Also known for high standards, delivering by local distributors in Eastern England and part of the Midlands is Riverford’s sister company, Rivernene Organic Vegetables. Since April 2000, Rivernene have kept their service simple, like Riverford offering a range of six seasonal boxes. Ranging from £4 for a small fruit bag containing apples, bananas and oranges, £7.50 for a fruit box containing the same with additional mangoes and pears, or a mini veg box containing purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, onions, salad pack, and Orla potatoes.  For £9 is the small veg box containing the same except the salad pack, with the addition of leeks, mushrooms and pak choi, a medium veg box contains the same as the small except leeks, with the addition of courgettes, parsnips and peppers for £11.50. Rivernene’s large £13.50 veg box has the contents of all veg boxes except the salad pack, pak choi, and peppers, with additional lettuce, rocket lettuce, and celery.  Their £13 mixed box contains apples, bananas, plums, fennel, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leeks, mushrooms, and a salad pack, newsletters and recipes go with every order.
    
Those of you in Lutterworth, Rugby or the surrounding villages, may have seen Naturally Good Food's van making Thursday deliveries, they offer a same day delivery throughout Leicestershire using a courier.   Naturally Good Food are another scheme allowing their customers to order goods separately or as set boxes, but unique in letting it’s customers specify a set value each week, leaving the selection to them.   Naturally good food certainly has plenty of variety, and ethical variety at that, they grow lettuce, tomatoes, courgettes, Helda beans, fresh garlic, supplying alongside their large range of organic produce, a range of whole-foods, gluten free, dairy free, and fair-trade products mostly local and all organic.  Including non-homogenised milk and cream bought locally from Lubcloud dairy, and local meat from Elmhurst organic farm.  Naturally good food now supply only Fair-trade bananas and coffees, along with many of their teas, their Demerara sugar, and Divine chocolate.  Also selling organic toiletries puts Naturally Good Food at the forefront of the organic home delivery industry.
    
As is north Lincolnshire’s Eden Farms, supplying organic produce throughout Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire since 1983.  Growing a range of fifty vegetables, Eden farms guarantee delivery within twenty-four hours of picking with the slogan. “Taste the difference, feel the crunch!”  Their pick and mix service allows customers to choose individual items from their range, or select from eight seasonal boxes complete with newsletter and recipes.  A late April veg box might contain: carrots, onions, cauliflower (family box), chestnut mushrooms, leeks, Desiree potatoes, purple sprouting, salad bags, lettuce, and sweet potatoes (family boxes) all produced in the UK. Seasonal boxes include: a 3kg fruit box containing mixed fruit for £6.50, a small veg box containing approx 2.5kg of 7-8 different vegetables for £7.50, and the extreme veg box containing up to 15 varieties and extra family staples is £15.  At £15.50 the 7-8kg family fruit and veg box containing 10 vegetable varieties, and 4 fruit varieties has stand-alone value for money.
 
Another company offering individual selection as well as set bags, delivering throughout Wales, Western England, Bath, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire and London is Carmarthen based Organics To Go. Offering organic eggs, cheeses, butter, granola, and marmalade, alongside their range of 35 different fruits and vegetables including: potatoes or new potatoes, onions, celeriac, parsnips, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli, white cabbage, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, and pak choi.  Set bags contain a selection of vegetables, salad and fruit ranging from: £6.50 for a small bag for a single person or couple, a standard bag for 3-4 people £9.50 and a large bag for 4-5 people £12.50, with customers stating any preferences such as no cabbage. Organics To Go grow most of their terrifically varied range so crops travel only a few hundred yards to be packed, you can’t get less food miles than that.  Excellent growing facilities mean they make most deliveries within 24 hours of picking, giving excellent freshness from one of the most ethical companies around.
 
Another is Farmaroundnorth, delivering across North Yorkshire and Northern England, and unique in allowing customers to bolt additional modules onto their order. Including the green module with: cauliflower, Savoy cabbage, French beans and purple sprouting broccoli for £6, the Mediterranean module containing: white mushrooms, courgettes, green peppers, French beans, Swiss chard and fennel for £7.50, and the salad module at £6 containing: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes-on-the-vine, rocket, bean sprouts and Hass avocados.  Their range of 4 set vegetable bags, in spring containing a selection of: red potatoes, carrots, onions, Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, tomatoes-on-the-vine, courgettes, asparagus, flat parsley, Swede, beetroot, and fennel.  Prices range from £7.00 for a mini bag for one person, to £13.60 for a luxury bag for 2-4 people.  Fruit bags range from a mini bag for one person at £5.00, to a luxury bag for 2-4 people at £12.70 containing selections of: bananas, Ataulfo mangoes, Golden apples, Anjou pears, Valencia late oranges, Star Ruby Grapefruit, Kiwis and Gallia melons.
 
I only found two schemes in Scotland ethical enough to include.  The first, Stair Organic Growers cover South-South West Scotland including Ayrshire, Glasgow, and Renfrewshire.  Growing fine organic produce, while nurturing local wildlife by planting hedgerows in their field margins since 1996, Stair organic growers have been delivering to homes since 2000.  Allowing customers to select from five seasonal boxes ranging from £14 for a box of vegetables, to £15 for a mixed box, or individual items from a range of chicken, eggs, dairy and non-dairy products, alongside their own produce range: Batavia green lettuce, Marvel Of Four Seasons lettuce, Perpetual spinach, spring onions and Swiss chard.  A range of potatoes, swede, red cabbage, large beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli, and Tundra cabbage from local producers, and Hass avocados, aubergines, broad beans, Fortuna clementines, lemons, kiwis, Star Ruby grapefruit and Jonagold apples from Europe and further a field. Although most of the schemes covered source some of their range from abroad, I mention where S.O.G source their produce only because they are forced to import so much because of poor Scottish weather.
 
Bee-Organic, covering North Scotland including Dundee, Perth, North Fife, Tayport, Newport, and St Andrews are in the same boat sourcing in winter around 65% of their produce abroad, and 40% in the summer, though like Stair organic they are still a highly ethical company.  As well as organic eggs, Bee-organic deliver fruit and vegetables in five set boxes:  the mini fruit and veg box, the small veg box at £10, the standard veg box at £13, the standard fruit and veg box at £16, and the salad selection at £10.  As well as providing set boxes Bee-Organic allow customers to select a set box and any extras from their range, or make up their own by selecting individually from their comparatively large range, making them among the most versatile schemes in Scotland.   All clearly priced, their range includes:  cauliflower, four types of cabbage including white and Chinese, celery, carrots, butternut squash, strawberries, bananas, avocados apples and much more.  
 
If I haven’t covered a scheme delivering to your area you can visit Living Ethically, you will see links for local deliveries, and national organic deliveries, by searching both you will probably find a scheme delivering locally in your area, but if not national schemes are the next best thing.  Including Able & Cole and Naturally Good Food, there are many highly ethical schemes delivering throughout Mainland UK, but unfortunately, despite thoroughly searching the web I could not find a scheme delivering to Northern Ireland.  Luckily, there are many schemes currently delivering anywhere in the UK, unfortunately I could only cover one of them, see Ref 2: Organics 4-u

Ref 1: Top reasons to go organic:

Organic produce isn’t covered in a cocktail of poisonous chemicals, unlike conventionally grown crops.

Organic food contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients than conventional produce.

Buying organic is the only practical way to avoid eating genetically modified food.

Organic farmers look after nature and the environment.

Organic produce tastes so much better, full of juice and flavour

There is scientific evidence proving higher instances of cancer, respiratory problems, and other diseases in farm workers using conventional methods, than organic methods.

Organic food isn’t more expensive than conventional food, the latter we pay for through taxes to cover the billions spent on cleaning agro-chemicals from water supplies, and on things like the BSE crisis.

If you like the idea of our children and grandchildren playing in the fields for years to come, go organic for our and their futures.

Ref 2: Organics 4-u

Set up in 2005 providing next day delivery on a range of five seasonal boxes of fresh organic fruit, vegetables and other products direct to anywhere in the UK, including Northern Ireland and the Scottish islands for an additional £10, Organics 4-u are already one of the UK’s largest organic home delivery services.   I can personally vouch for the freshness of their produce, when I opened the box they sent me as a free trial I could immediately tell that it was incredibly fresh, most of the vegetables still having soil on them.  I used most of the vegetables in a sausage casserole, and as well as being incredibly fresh they all tasted delicious, the box also contained: a fresh beetroot, closed white mushrooms, carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, Swede, potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes, leeks, a large cucumber, apples, pears and clementines, from their range of 26 fruits and vegetables.  Other products were basil pesto, penne pasta, and oatcakes.

Blair’s Quick-Fix Nuclear Mistake

Mr Blair is actually finally starting to realise and admit that Global Warming is rapidly damaging our environment, some scientists have out startling estimations on how quickly the polar ice-caps could disappear if the right things aren’t done. Fast. I have spent a lot of time researching the possible problems and benefits of nuclear vs renewable. This article will shoot Mr Blair’s reasoning down in wood-burning flames, and expose it to be (self-confessed) foolishness.

A Beech Breath Of Fresh Air

Ref 1-5: Products from online gallery. 

Another tree is felled, it’s roots damaged beyond repair. We all know this is not an uncommon site across Britain, but when Tree 37 in Endcliffe Park public woodland, Sheffield, was found in this state and earmarked for felling as part of the City council’s sustainable woodland management scheme, a local forestry group saw a golden opportunity to create something good from the death of a beautiful tree. They created a scheme, which isn’t, but I think should become almost as common as the death of a critically damaged tree.

By Liam Bailey

The South Yorkshire Forest Partnership acted quickly, putting together a coalition of local independent artists and crafts people, working together in helping re-connect local people with their woodlands, with the additional aim of providing a fresh perspective on the sometimes necessary felling of trees. The launch event on Saturday the 25th of February demonstrated the felling of Tree 37, educated on why it is sometimes necessary, gave the local people an opportunity to see the artists putting the beech wood to excellent use, (Ref 2-6 above: Products from Online Gallery) and finally gave the local’s a go at carving themselves. The arts council provided financial support for the artists demonstrating their work at the event, and is funding a massive exhibition of the final products made from tree 37 in the summer.

The items, fine arts, sculptures and furniture can be viewed locally at the Ecclesall Sawmill, a co-operative showroom set up to display the coalitions work, where local people can view and buy the items, all made from local timber. Or on the online gallery set up by the coalition at http://www.workingwoodlandandsproducts.co.uk, where the same range of amazingly different uses of Beech, made from ethical wood from start to finish can also be viewed and purchased. I think they succeeded in their aims; I’m sure we all share the opinion that this scheme is a breath of fresh air in the felling of critically damaged trees, and can only expand in this area hopefully followed by other counties in the region, and who knows maybe even the rest of the U.K.

The scheme also achieves two extremely ecologically important goals, one insuring that critically damaged trees never go to waste, at the same time relieving some of the demand in the local timber industry, therefore reducing the number of healthy trees which have to be felled. My expanding knowledge in these matters tells me this project and others like it will grow rapidly. We are all buzzing at the moment about the growing number of ecological problems our earth is developing, especially global warming, which is basically caused by excessive deforestation and excessive amounts of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, both caused by man, so more and more of us are becoming ecologically aware, either consciously or sub-consciously we are all starting to realise the potential in schemes like this, which in their start-small way and increasing numbers do their bit towards rescuing Earth.

This scheme and others like it also have the potential for making a massive difference to local art industries in this case certainly, giving many possibly young artist’s something they badly need, an opportunity to showcase their talents and display their work without financially crippling themselves. In-fact, no less than seventeen local artists gained an invaluable opportunity from this scheme, and I have visited the on-line gallery (Ref 1-5 at top of post: products from online gallery). I’m a big fan of wood anyway, but some of the new and extremely different ways that some of these artists have used this sustainable wood is spectacular, especially this sculpture by Lea Torp Nielsen, Ref 1: Carved Spirals. Creating from everyday objects for the kitchen, like this beech cabinet in a homely-rustic style with rope drawer handles by Sue Jenner, Ref 2: Rustic Cabinet, or the bathroom in the form of an elegant yet totally unique toilet seat created by Finbarr Lucas that scores extra points for novelty, Ref 3: Unique Beech Toilet Seat, with not so everyday sculptures like the carved rendering of a mans head intricately detailed by Jason Thompson, Ref 4: Facial Rendering, and lastly the sublimely different, my personal favourite a piece by Lorraine Botterill, a ball of wood completely and beautifully carved out into a shell-like shape, open to interpretation Ref 5: Sea Shell, smoothly different. I’m sure we all agree, all these artists with the help of The South Yorkshire Forest Partnership and The Working Woodlands Trust have done something special, in using the death of a damaged tree to breathe life into their art community, at the same time showing the general community, they can all make a difference in slowing the world’s decline.

As I mentioned this pioneering scheme isn’t yet common, but thankfully there are other people out there who are aware of our woodlands plight, people who know that the beautiful British woodland is a sustainable resource, but our woodlands are so under-managed that their full potential cannot be realised, and they are largely seen as unproductive and useless. These under-managed and therefore under-appreciated forests are disappearing in favour of tarmac and enterprise, because it is far cheaper to import charcoal from South Africa, but make no mistake, disappearing they are. If not from un-conscientious felling or the lack of and/or poor implementation of re-planting schemes, then from under-management in the lack of tree-care and maintenance, for instance decades old plantations that haven’t been thinned for years, and a general lack of proper care, combine to leave our forests in a state of collapse.

Thankfully, to refer to my original point, the featured scheme is not the only success in this struggle to save the British forest and all it’s glory. The forestry commission is running a grant scheme, to encourage sustainable planting and management of our forests. Councils are beginning to see the benefit of having sustainably managed woodland, potential to create a local industry which takes us back a century, fine timber products, made from local timber by local craftsmen, if you like a cottage industry from a sustainable source, which is not only beneficial to that end, but also to the end of the new communities and co-operatives sprouting up as people move back into their woodlands.

Overall, I think that The South Yorkshire Forest Partnership have succeeded in many ways. Primarily by putting this important subject firmly in the spot-light, at the same time creating an outlet for up-coming artists, from which the newly educated local community can buy timber products made from sustainable local timber, therefore regenerating the money into the management of the local woodland, and completing a sustainable eco-friendly cycle, and one which as I said should surely become common across Britain.