General Discussion

23:00 - 01-September-2008

TWO environmentally conscious friends from Dawlish are behind a new venture which is being launched in Topsham on Sunday, September 14.

Sue Haswell and Carolyn Wilson, both in their 40s, have co-founded Eco-fayre, a fair which is dedicated to promoting ethical and eco-friendly products and services in the heart of the community.

The aim of the venture is to bring green products, which have either a beneficial effect or no adverse effect on the planet and its residents, into easy reach of consumers.

The pair thinks that the country is becoming increasingly eco-friendly, and there are some amazing ecological products now available — but it's not always easy to find the information or products needed.

Sue said: "From wormeries to solar panels, wind turbines to cleaning materials, the interest in the environment is seeping into every area of our lives, and long may that last.
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"However, all these swift-moving technological and ecological developments mean it's tough to keep abreast of what's happening and the best solutions.

"It's difficult to search for something when you don't know it exists."

There are currently a couple of national exhibitions which carry eco-friendly products, but when it comes to a local presence, there is very little.

Sue said: "We wanted to provide an easy, local route for people to find out about eco-friendly products, and buy them right on their doorstep.

"Eco-fayre brings the whole environmental movement into a community, enabling people to sample, test and try products, ask questions of the experts, and ultimately do their bit for the environment easily."

Sue said the fair would benefit businesses as well as consumers. She said: "Eco-fayre means an easy way to promote, inform and sell.

"Costs for producers to take a table are low, meaning it's a great route for companies to bring their products to market and raise their profile, and for the entrepreneur to be able to launch on a minimal budget.

"Little eco-businesses that want to get their products out there have a very cost-effective and friendly way to do it."

Sue explained how they had formulated the idea back in February or March. "Carolyn and I both have marketing backgrounds," she said.

"We basically wanted to do something together, and do something beneficial. Marketing can be very superficial, and there aren't many opportunities to do something Earth-changing. Carolyn also has a background in event management."

Sue, who moved to the area in January last year, has always been interested in the environment and been a campaigner for protecting it.

She said: "Before we moved from Bromsgrove, I campaigned for several years to prevent Tesco building on a football pitch. The use and abuse of green space is part of the whole environmental issue."

Sue was heavily involved in a similar campaign in Dawlish earlier this year.

"My husband is a passionate recycler and has been for decades," she continued.

"We try to live a pretty green lifestyle ourselves.

"There's always an opportunity to change things and make a difference. If you make it easy for people, then they are more likely to do it."

After Sue and Carolyn had the idea, the next step was to do some research to see what was already out there. They found there seemed to be very little.

"Then we sounded out potential companies to come on board, and the response was so positive," said Sue.

"It would be great to get 25 tables at Topsham. We want a diverse selection to make it really interesting. It should be a day out for people."

The pair considered various places for the launch of Eco-fayre before finally settling on Topsham.

Sue said it was because the community profile was right, the hall available, and people were welcoming and friendly."

Carolyn, who has lived in the area most of her life, said Devon is a great place to launch Eco-fayres as it is already one of the country's most environmentally friendly counties.

She said: "In the South West, we are a very environmentally conscious community, and as we are also a holiday region, Eco-fayres are the perfect way for visitors to take more environmental knowledge home, at the same time as promoting local products."

Sue and Carolyn would like Eco-fayre to expand across the UK to become something everyone has heard of.

They have big plans for Eco-fayre and more will be added to the website over time.

Sue said: "We want people to book time and time again so we can move around. We've been listening to feedback such as the venues people want to go to. Ultimately we'd love to be taking them outside the county and doing them every week."

The next Eco-fayre after Topsham will probably be at the end of October and probably take place around Totnes.

Violetta Cope — or The Green Chef, based in Teignmouth — was first to sign up to the Eco-fayre in Topsham, which will be in Matthews Hall from noon to 4pm.

Violetta runs specialist food workshops, such as for people who have diabetes or allergies. She also tries to teach people how to incorporate energising food into their diets in an enjoyable and effective way.

She promotes the idea that everything should be organic and fair trade where possible.

"I was so enthusiastic when I heard about the plans for Eco-fayre," said Violetta.

"Everything happens in Bristol or London and Devon seems a bit lost. This is a wake-up call and I hope it will be successful.

"It's like an education rather than just a fair. It's about raising awareness in a fun way. I'm behind it 110 per cent."