Campaign News

Carbon Monoxide poisoning
Carbon Monoxide (CO) gas is invisible and tasteless.  Every year thousands of people suffer poisoning, and some die.  To increase awareness to the dangers of CO poisoning the Caroline Stuart CO Awareness Campaign is offering free of charge, one thousand C S I Visual Spot CO Detectors to members who send an SAE to: CSI CWI Offer, PO Box 1,000, Kettering NN15 6WZ.  One CO detector per member only.

This home and travel safety product offers an instant visual check to high levels of CO gas in the vicinity of the detector. For more information please call John Turnbill on 01933 225835.

Living local project
Are you interested in sourcing food locally? If the answer is yes then NFWI is looking for members to trial a toolkit over the coming six months to develop your own Living Local Project. Updates will be posted on the NF website as well as appearing in WI Life. For more information the toolkit can be downloaded here.

Support British dairy farmers action pack
To help WI members, individuals and dairy farmers to continue the successful campaign earlier this year, NF has launched an action pack and is designed to give tools to run their own local campaigns. It is made up of templates, instructions for campaigning, lobbying, use of media and other ideas for a successful campaign. The pack can be obtained by downloading it from the website or email.

National WI lift share website
As part of the 90@90 Project two regional transport workshops were held recently to devise sustainable transport projects and solutions. Resulting from them there was a strong consensus that members were keen to have national WI lift sharing website which would be internet based to allow members to match journeys with each other nationally. A survey to canvass opinions and support is now being conducted amongst the membership and if it is supportive steps to investigate and source funding will be made. Voting can be done online.

Proposed Post Office closures
Post Offices Ltd and the Government have agreed that one in five post offices branches must close and the first public consultation period for the closure of 2,500 post offices has begun in Kent and in the East Midlands at the beginning of October. From now until the end of July 2008 46 area plans will be published for consultation and Age Concern is providing a detailed briefing pack for people who wish to respond. However, the consultation period for each area will only last for six weeks so consultees will need to act fast to submit evidence and prepare responses.

Help The Aged issuing the following advice to people interested in responding to the public consultation:
• Write individual letters showing local knowledge and personal experience
• Examine the facts presented for closure closely
• Find out the views of the local post office staff – how do they help older people in the community?
• Look closely at the journeys that will have to be made to alternative branches –are the practical? For instance is the one mile up a steep hill?
• Find out what plans are in place to make nearby branches able to cope with increased demand
• Make sure the timetable to consultation has been followed exactly
• Enlist the help of the media, locally elected representatives and a local celebrity – but only in conjunction with a detailed and well documented case
• Use evidence gathered to campaign for a suitable replacement for example, a mobile post office service.
As it is likely that the majority of the population to be affected is in the older bracket it is important that this group in particular becomes vigorously involved in this campaign.
A briefing pack is available from Help the Aged or by calling 020 7239 1930.

Climate Change Survey
Would you like to see more Government action to protect the environment and would you like to make your views known to your MP?  If so, complete the Women and Climate Survey available on-line at the NFWI web site or by contacting Belinda Fairbrother in the Public Affairs department, 020 7371 8300 or by e-mail. Ten minutes of your time completing the survey could help make a lasting impact on future government environmental policy.

You, the Future & Science
We are all these, will we all still be sprinting at 80, sitting in self-drive cars, will our fridges be talking to the shopping trolley and will organ donors be a thing of the past?  All quite possible.
Sciencehorizons, is the first widespread public engagement programme designed to get the nation talking about the use of science and technology in the future.  If you are concerned then how about forming and running a discussion group from now until June 2007?  There are paper resources as well as CD-ROMs which contain stories of what life may be like in 2025 based on 4 main themes, Mind and Body, Home and Community, Work and Leisure, People and Planet.  Free packs can be requested either from the website, by email or by ringing 020 8683 6602. The results from these discussions need to be entered no later than 25th June 2007, either onlineor by post to:
Freepost SEA 12430
Thornton Heath
CR7 7XY

You do not need to be a scientist or have a particular interest in science to take part, it is for everyone,

Pesticide Action Network UK
Pesticide Action Network UK has produced a new leaflet giving advice to anyone with concerns about the health effects of pesticide exposure, or whose health has been affected by pesticides. For a free copy contact Pesticide Action Network UK at PAN 56-64 Leonard Street London EC2A 4JXI (phone 020 7065 0914 or e-mail).

European Eco label
Do you know what this logo is? It is the European Eco label. This is the official Europe-wide award for non-food products which achieve high environmental standards and is only awarded to goods and services which meet strict criteria to minimise the impacts of consumer products on the environment. It is awarded not only for white goods and electrical equipment but also such things as tissue paper and textiles. There are many eco labelling schemes and logos can be found on a wide variety of goods from food to wood to white goods, some are a requirement by the EU, others are voluntary.

This logo is the European Energy label and all European manufacturers and retailers must show the energy efficiency on their white good products, air conditioners and light bulbs. There is a rating A – G with A being the most efficient. There are several different examples of Eco labels. Look out for more whilst you are shopping.

CD's & Computer Recycling
Although we continually recycle paper, cans, bottles, etc we all feel that perhaps we can do more. Well here's your chance. Polymer Reprocessors in the Wirral use a non chemical process to recycle redundant or obsolete CDs and CD ROMs. So for the ones you cannot recycle at the local Car Boot Sale, please contact Tel 0151 6060456 or look at their website.

The Gloucestershire Furniture Recycling Project will take computers and printers that are in working order for disadvantaged families. Their offices are at Warehouse 5, West Quay, the Docks, Gloucester GL1 2EH or Tel 01452 331333. In Stroud deliver or contact 10 John Street, Stroud, GL5 2HA on Tel 01453 767771. Rabbit Recycling on 0800 138 0988 will also take IT equipment in any condition.

What about printer cartridges? Contact Office Star Group on 01594 810081 at Coleford. They will even send you a freepost sealing pouch or a free shoe box .

National Campaigns
One of NFWI's major activities is to campaign vigorously on issues which concern its members. In the past it has worked on a wide range of issues: from issues of national concern such as the decline in rural services, to international issues such as the negative impact of free trade on the worlds poorest people The NFWI website has full details of current NFWI campaigns.

Resolutions
Proposals for resolutions to be debated at the national Annual General Meeting can be put forward by any WI and our Resolutions Adviser, Valerie Hooper can help you with this. A shortlist of resolutions is drawn up and Federations vote to decide the final list of between one and four which will be debated at the AGM.

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