news
press releases
Happy Fairtrade Fortnight 2010!
Feb/ Mar 10
Happy Fairtrade Fortnight to one and all. We are open as ever, for Fairtrade antics, which means this year, that the nation is being asked to swap their usual products for superior fairtrade ones, in the Big Swap. But of course, how can we disagree with such a notion?!
So just to remind you that our 2 shops in central London are open from 11.30 to 19.30hrs daily in Covent Garden, and Southbank: 12.00 to 18.00hrs Tues – Sun. We look forward to some serious swapping over the next week or so.
Also, we have lots and lots of new products in the shops, which are very slowly making their way onto the site. We apologise for being so slow (general over work, etc..) but here are the latest additions for your pleasure:Kantha books Pehli natural dye scarves Rekha wraps More felt bags Vintage silk bunting
Happy Fairtrade Fortnight, and happy shopping!
Oct 09
Regular visitors to Ganesha.co.uk will probably have noticed a slight difference to the site. The old head banner has been replaced by a new one, and we have reorganised the site, to try and make it easier and quicker to use.
Surfers could always access any part of the website in just a couple of clicks, though as the site grew and we added information and products, the old design began to creak under its own weight, and surfers found they would have to scroll and scroll and scroll to see everything.
This was a particular problem with pages of the Ganesha shop. We realised that pages towards the bottom of long menu choices weren’t getting seen as much as they should. It was the virtual equivalent of having the curtains drawn on your shop window, making it hard for customers to see the products within.
Now we have reorganised Ganesha shop into product types such as accessories, gifts, house, smellies etc… right on the homepage. So when these are clicked, smaller menu choices appear on the left, and in pictures you can directly click on, too. No more excessive scrolling!
All the old information about how we trade, and our producer partners’ profiles is still there, as ever, of course. The site is just a little neater, rationalised, and refreshed.
But have we succeeded? You tell us in your feedback that on the whole, we have. But there is always room for improvement also, so the coming weeks will see a little more tinkering..
Thank you to all of you who gave us your time and responded to our questionnaire, we really appreciate it, as this site is not made by a web design company, but hand fashioned by us ourselves (Jo + Purnendu). So, if it seems a bit hand made and irregular, in the spirit of hand fashioned things, that’s because it is.
The winner of the draw for a £20 Ganesha voucher has been notified, thank you to everyone.
We were touched that someone actually went to the trouble to nominate us in the category Best Green Business (someone other than our mums, that is).
As we never put ourselves forward for awards, it was a nice surprise and outcome, and we will try our hardest to minimise our impact further.
March 09
To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight 2009
And so, we thought we’d make a competition with these stories in mind. There are 3 questions about 3 products each made from recycled materials. You have to guess what the product once was in its previous life. All the information you need to answer these questions is on our website –somewhere!
So without further ado: oh. We need to tell you what the winner receives. We will pick 4 winners randomly, at the end of Fairtrade Fortnight. One will win a £30 Ganesha gift voucher, the other 3 will win one of the 3 items listed below that inspire the competition questions.
The competition is now closed and the winners have been notified
Good luck and happy Fairtrade Fortnight!
We won't pass your details on or use them for marketing.
There are lovely stories behind each of our hearty products , making Valentine's Day even more of an occasion to celebrate.
The leather heart keyrings, Disco Deewana boxes and foil hearts are Motif , supporting marginalised producers in Bangladesh. The heart soaps are made by the Suanplu Women's Co-operative in Bangkok, and the 'I was a flip-flop' keyring was once washed up on the African shoreline, making a nuisance of itself to the locals (that's human and marine life) in its former incarnation.
Silverchilli for bringing these to our attention. The silk heart decorations meanwhile, are produced by landmine survivors in Cambodia.
see our hearty little gift page here
Dec 08
Profuse apologies for not managing to make a gift guide this year! So very briefly here are our picks for a very merry + sustainable Christmas.to see them, click here vintage silk scarves click here handloom silk + natural dye wraps here felt bags click here rubber bags click here more recycled bags click here
Hearty stocking fillers see them here
see them here
Natural soaps view them here
Leaf party plates click here
The leaf plates are a roaring success, and we are thrilled. It pleases us to think we are helping to ‘make party green.’ They also seem to be an increasingly popular choice for weddings of a greener kind.
The only thing, we have come to know, is that you want more! Well, let us never be accused of not listening to you and answering your call! So we are delighted to launch a range of plates in different sizes, including a small bowl.
We now stock 3 different sizes of plate: a regular dinner plate, a side plate, an extra large plate and a small bowl, ideal for dips and desserts. You can see them here.
And apart from the fact they are sourced through fair trade organisations in east India, ten percent of the cover price goes back to forest conservation schemes in Orissa, east India, where the plates are made. We should have an update on this soon.
March 08
The paint was barely dry and the products only just on the shelves when we launched our new Covent Garden shop with a party on March 7 –opening the doors after a ten day shopfit.
We were exhausted, but thrilled, as many friends and colleagues from the fair trade world turned out to toast the new shop. The wine (fair trade, of course!) flowed. Everyone commented on the amazing location and thought that the shop should thrive in such a
bustling part of town. And indeed, business was brisk all evening.
The shop is just off the piazza in the beautiful and historic King Street. It is a very busy location and buzzes with people all day long. We are looking forward to selling them all our lovely fair trade accessories.
The expansion into Covent Garden is an opportunity for us to increase the profile of fair trade in central London, and more importantly, to sell more products made by talented, marginalised producers in India, Bangladesh and beyond.
Feb 08
We are thrilled to announce the opening of another Ganesha shop, in the heart of Covent Garden. The shop is located on the historic and beautiful King Street, just off the iconic piazza.
We aim to expand on our success on the Southbank and bring a quality selection of home and personal accessories to a wider London
The shop will open its doors on March 7, just in time to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight 08 and will launch with a party in shop in the evening.
Our leaf plates might just become even more popular when people find out we are giving 10% of profits back to forest conservation projects in Orissa, east India – the very forest from where the leaves originate.
We are delighted to be teaming up with MASS –an Orissa-based NGO, to help support local forest protection schemes in Sambalpur district. Our twice yearly donations will go towards capacity building of the community forest protection committees and also in gap filling of the forests with a nursery support in the first year, and an extension of activities envisaged for the second year.
Leaf plate making is a traditional industry in the villages of Orissa and depends upon the availability of siali (Bauhinia spp. ) and sal (Shorea ) leaves from local forest. It is a widespread activity in the region, employing thousands of workers. Many are organised as 'self-help' groups:
these are often women or adivasi (tribal)-focused. Leaf plates made in Orissa are used throughout India for festivals and weddings, it is a largescale cottage industry.
The plates race out of our shop and online store, partly because it really is a fantastic product – they are not just lovely to look at and use, but are low-impact, and compostable. They have also attracted lots of media interest, with editorial features in publications such as The Observer newspaper and the London Evening Standard. We are thrilled to have sold a job lot to Oxfam and Amnesty International also.
Our leaf plates are sourced through fair trade organisations in east India, so together with our forest protection partnership, it’s good to know that both people and forest will continue to benefit from this age-old industry. That’s as good a reason as any for a party!
click here click here
When Amazon invites you to open up shop on the most gargantuan of shopping sites, how can you refuse? We are therefore delighted to announce the opening of a Ganesha concession at Amazon.co.uk.
People can find us by clicking on different product types such as purses, wallets and bags, and other key words such as fair trade.
We are very excited at this development, and feel that this is the right way forward -taking fair trade out there to a wider audience. Please stop by and check us out there.
The Fair Trade Organisation Mark (FTO) banner and various fair traders
pitched up at Ganesha this afternoon (11 May) after touring around London
in a red bus, marking the latest leg of the Global Journey.
The Global Journey is promoting the FTO logo of The International Fair
Trade Association (IFAT) and the global network of fair traders. The mark
is given to organisations and businesses that have met ten fair trade
standards and who have poverty reduction at the heart of what they do.
It was a busy day for the Global Journey. The day kicked off with a photocall
at Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank, with London's fair trade community
in attendance. The bus then toured around iconic sites of London and various
fair trade organisations, before stopping off at Ganesha to say hi.
Its destination and conclusion is an IFAT conference in Brussels, mid
May.
UNICEF were looking for a gorgeous bag they could give to their sponsors
running the London Marathon, so naturally, they came to us.
Jan 07
You will find them prominently displayed
in both Ganesha shops, so next time you come in for a browse please take
one.
And even better, it is absolutely free, so
what are you waiting for?
Nov 06
We have long made a point of listing the
name of the producer next to their products for sale in the shop pages.
Then we compiled producer profiles, all nicely arranged in the trading
information section.
Happy shopping and browsing!
Now- gift vouchers
May 06
You've been asking us for ages, we're happy to
oblige at last. Gift vouchers exclusive to Ganesha are now available to
buy in denominations of £5, £10, £20 + £50.
They are very easy to redeem online: when you have
finished shopping and
We think they look rather nice + feature lots of Ganeshas, as you might
expect. And we present them to you in an embroidered Calcutta Rescue card.To buy them online click here.
March 06
We are delighted to announce the launch of a wedding list facility at
Ganesha, especially so, as this is something we have often been asked
about.
It's easy to use:click here .
The happy couple sign in and go shopping for their list. Instead of proceeding
to the shopping basket to check out, they go back to the 'wedding list'
link and their choices are compiled, with photos, on a new page.
Friends and relatives can then sign in and browse or buy any items on
the list.
When an item is sold, a 'sold' sign will be added next to the product.
They check out and pay for the item, and we send the items out to the
individual buyers.
It's that simple.
We hope to keep building on the range of products we offer, to make sure
you can get married in fabulous fair trade style.
So can some happy couples road-test our latest bit of programming please?
We'll add a present from Ganesha to the first 3 couples that sign-up.
And congratulations!
Mass lobby for trade justice 2 Nov!
Oct 05
On Wednesday 2 November there will be a mass lobby at Westminster, when
thousands of people will come to parliament to lobby for trade justice,
not free trade. The more the merrier, so please try and come.
The plan is for an enormous gathering outside the House of Commons to
make a big 'moment' at 1pm, followed by an opportunity to meet your own
MP.
Why?
countries to choose the best policies for poor people and the environment
in services such as water, health and education.
If you can't make it in person on the day, you can still take part in
writing: TJM is also appealing to people to lobby Trade and Industry Secretary
Alan Johnson to get the Government to use its influence within the EU
to address these issues.
And with a mere click of the mouse, you can email Tony Blair and let
him know you vote for trade justice:
email Tony Blair here
For more information:Mass lobby 2 Nov Trade Justice Movement Make Poverty History
Ganesha.co.uk
August 05
We've just been rated third best fair trade website, in a list of the
top 10, according to The Independent.Silverchilli and New
Consumer Magazine . Well done guys!
click
here
G8 Summit at Gleneagles, Scotland
July 05
Group of Eight is an informal group of some of the world's most industrialised
nations: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US, Canada and Russia. They
come together once a year to try and take on global challenges. On the
agenda this year is climate change, Africa, and global trade.
The UK is in an unusually powerful position to influence negotiations
this year, as President of the European Union and the G8 meeting of world
leaders.
Explore the G8 + these issues for yourself:
BBC The Guardian The Scotsman
G8 site Make Poverty History
G8 alternatives
Join the crowd to help make poverty history!
April 05
You are cordially invited to join thousands of others in a night of revelry
and vigil in London on 15 April, to help make global poverty history.
The night will kick off at Westminster Abbey at 10pm, with songs and
readings, and will continue through the night with a vigil (it's a vigil,
though not as we know it, um, Jim).
For more information on this and other UK-wide events, check out:
Make Poverty History Trade Justice Movement
We'll see you there!
Ganesha celebrates 10 years!
March 05
We are delighted to be celebrating 10 years of alternative business.
Over the last decade we have seen an incredible upswing in the fair trade
market - and are proud to be playing a part in this, though we'd like
to think this is just the beginning.
Pondering how to mark the occasion, we thought it would be a good opportunity
to spread the fair trade word some more, but not from ourselves, from
the people we buy from -the producers in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and
the other UK-based importers who are working in a similar way to ourselves.
Browsers in the shop are often told the stories of the producers, but
this is lost on surfers browsing our site. So to put that right, here
they are -and not even in our words. You can find out about them, in their
own words; who they are, what they do, the challenges they face, what
makes it all worthwhile, and what difference your purchases make to them.
We're coinciding the start of our celebrations with Fairtrade Fortnight,
but will carry on adding more, new information on the website during the
year, so be sure to tune in again.
To mark our 10 years, we are also launching some fabulous new products,
as well as decorating the exterior of the 2 shops with Bollywood murals,
and, how could we not resist in partying just a little -after all, fair
trade wine producers, like all fair trade producers should be supported,
no?!
We'd like to raise a toast to everyone who makes Ganesha happen, from
the producer to the consumer. Here's to our next ten years of good business;
more successful, more effective.
New supplier: Aranya of Bangladesh
May 04
We're thrilled to be stocking products made by Aranya of Bangladesh.
Aranya joins the growing list of IFAT members (International Federation
for Alternative trade) that supply Ganesha.
Focusing on the age-old, specialised skills of the region, Aranya markets
the traditional industries, such as embroidery and handloom, but in a
wholly contemporary way, allowing the medium to develop and be as vital
today, as it has been for centuries. And gives rural women a chance to
earn a decent income.
Traditional skills such as khadi cotton - where the cotton is handspun,
as well as handwoven, and the kanther style of embroidery so associated
with Bangladesh; skills that are usually passed on from mothers to their
daughters, feature large in Aranya's products, on scarves, wraps, and
textiles for interiors.
Aranya is also a leader in the use and development of natural dyes in
its products, and conducts regular training workshops in Bangladesh and
abroad to promote this more ecologically friendly approach.
The use of natural dyes has another advantage, too; the collection of
the materials, such as leaves, bark, roots etc.. in the community maximises
local labour and builds in additional value to the product at source,
increasing the economic benefits to the producers.
Check out the wonderful Aranya products at Ganesha: crinkly scarves dip-dyed
with natural dyes are proving to be a winner in the shop (see below).
And we have some beautiful and stylish muslin silk wraps, perfect for
a special occasion. We think they're fab!
Click here to see more Aranya
wraps at Ganesha Aranya also has its own website
To find out more about IFAT, visit their
website, click here
March 04
We're delighted to announce the opening of our second London shop next
door to the original one - at Gabriel's Wharf, South Bank.
The new shop has allowed us to introduce new product ranges in both clothes
and home style, with one shop for each; and allows us to offer twice the
range of fairly traded products to consumers in London and online.
The launch of Ganesha 2 on 8 March is timed to coincide with Fairtrade
Fortnight (1-14 March).
We have been developing some fabulous lines with our producer partners;
sharp tailored shirts in handloom cottons, perfect for work and play,
jeans-cut linen trousers, knee length split skirts, as well as some very
Asian cuts: mini silk tunics, and sari ribbon tops. The emphasis is on
style, with a desi twist.
In the home style shop, there are new ranges of bamboo and laquerware
accessories and more of everything else -handloom throws in some fabulous
textures and colours, new silk cushions and drapes plus a brand new
range of organic cotton bedlinen. Also there are some rather unusual
things made from post consumer waste: chunky vases and planters made from
tyres, coasters made from recycled plastics, and beautiful paper mache
bowls made by women living with HIV in south Africa.
As well as importing a more diverse range of goods and developing new
lines with our producer partners in
When we started about 10 years ago, there were very few importers working
in this way, but now, as the fair trade message is getting across, there
are more IFAT (International Federation for Alternative Trade) members
and importers who are BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops)
accredited. We are excited to be working with them in developing the fair
trade market.
We hope that our new shop helps to develop the market for fair trade
in London and beyond-good news for our producer partners and UK consumers
alike.
Dec 03
she says: 'Ganesha is a fantastic luxury home and fashion experience....
love their vibrant multi-coloured cushion covers'
Nov 03
We'll be attending the Fair Trade Fair 2003, at Chelsea Old Town Hall,
on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December 11.00-17.00hrs.
We'll be selling lots of new stock -new bags from Teddy, as well as our
bestselling baroo and vintage silk scarves in new colours. Plus lots
of funky handknitted hats and gloves. We'll be having some special offers
too, so give yourself a fair break this Christmas and join us at the FT
Fair. Oxford St? We say pah!
click here to go
to the FT Fair site
Fair Trade Christmas Fayre
Ganesha -repainted!
July 2003
was inspired by a stormy monsoon sky, and the lettering is a metallic bronze.Dulux exterior masonry paint,
custom-mixed 'mercury showers2' 7
Ganesha -refitted!
May 2003
After 8 years of chaotic growth in Gabriel's Wharf, the shop was decidedly
cluttered and all the new bags and scarves for 2003 weren't getting the
display that did them justice. There was only one thing to do -repaint
and re-organise!
In stays the recycled plastic table and card rack, and the window console
made from waste wood, along with our old cubist shelving. Just a bit re-organised.
And, we're really happy to report that the shop is now buggy and wheelchair
friendly.
Organic paint from Auro -available
from Texture T: 020 7241 0990Zen Flor Smile Plastic T:01743 850267B+Q Ikea
Teddy Exports - new Ganesha supplier!
February 2003
Teddy, based in south India, was set up in 1989 to effect positive change
through business. Started by Amanda Murphy, in her own words 'a failed
vet and daft Irishwoman' after she fell in love with the country and its
people, she realised the brilliant local skills and abundant local resources
could be used to benefit the craftspeople and their wider community.
After successfully haranguing the Roddicks to buy wooden massage rollers
for the Bodyshop, Teddy has grown from humble beginnings in a single mud
hut with 5 workers to presently employing more than 300 locals with a
turnover of more than £1.5 million.
Conditions for the workers are excellent; all receive free medical care,
subsidised lunch and tea, plus perks through out the year such as events
and excursions. And good wages mean that workers, unlike so many in India,
do not live a hand-to-mouth existence, but can afford good homes for
themselves, education for their children and also save for their future.
Teddy also helps by offering a pension scheme and operates a system of
housing loans.
Very rooted to the local community, Teddy has shown to be a positive
force by helping to set up various schools, education centres and health
clinics for employees and their children, as well as the wider local community.
In 1995, An HIV /Aids awareness project began, to address the spread of
HIV in the area by long distance lorry drivers. The project has created
highway clinics, where truckers can be treated and counselled. The scheme
has also introduced peer educators to sex workers to foster safer sexual
practices and distributes condoms.
Murphy was awarded an MBE for her Teddy achievements in 1998 -not bad
for a 'daft Irishwoman'!
Teddy are presently working on a wonderful new range of products for
Ganesha for 2003, so watch this space, as they say.
February 2003
Fabulous new Ganesha bags
Ganesha now has fantastic customised bags, hand made by Calcutta Rescue
-the organisation that gives free medical care to anyone who needs it
in Kolkata.
screen-print on one side, and matching pink rope handles. We don't sell
these bags, but give them away free to customers when they buy something.
Launched at the Fair Trade Fair in December, they received a fabulous
response, with some people actually buying things just so they'd get one!
With such a positive response, we feel they are definitely doing what
they should do and more. And the quicker we get through them, the quicker
we can go back to Calcutta Rescue and order some more, providing work
for its service users.
December 2002
We had a cracking time at the Fair Trade Fair and it was our best ever
show. FTF is the new incarnation of the Global Partnership show and took
place at Westminster Central Hall just before Christmas. The weekend turned
in to a virtual buying frenzy as it seemed half of London turned out to
do their Christmas shopping, which was fantastic, if rather exhausting
for the traders. Let alone shoppers staggering home with all their purchases.
All the usual fair trade suspects were there; our BAFTS colleagues One
Planet from Sydenham, People Tree
and festival regulars such as Malika with their fabulous recycled metal
range of stuff from Africa, along with lots of new guys too -seems the
alternative trading message is getting ever more popular, which is great
news for everyone.
And helping spread that message was the recently launched New Consumer
magazine -published by the Big Issue, Scotland. NC Mag is more glossy
and good looking than you would imagine a magazine dedicated to fair and
alternative trading should be, so, for that alone it is worth a look.
NC, like everyone else had a cracking show, so here's looking forward
to Fair Trade Fair 2003 -and hoping it will be even bigger and better!
Ganesha shouts for trade justice!
June 2002
Ganesha attended the Trade Justice Movement mass rally at Westminster
on 19 June, in what was a marvellous day with a solid turn out from all
over the country, to lobby for justice in international trade. The Trade
Justice Movement is a new grouping of charities, aid agencies and campaigning
groups of which Ganesha is a member by way of BAFTS.
Anita Roddick entertained the audience by telling everyone to agitate
and write letters to large multinationals with suspect labour and environmental
credentials and underlined how consuming is a political gesture. There
was also fabulous roots music at Westminster Central Hall.
www.tradejusticemovement.org.uk
For more information on inequities in world trade:www.maketradefair.com
For more information about BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade
Shops):www.bafts.org.uk
To see rally photos click here
Jan 2001
Ganesha is pleased to announce that another one of our suppliers has
just been accepted for IFAT membership (the International Federation for
Alternative Trade). The Crafts' Society of Manipur, based in one of the
far-flung north-eastern states of India, applied to join IFAT after recommendation
from Jo Lawbuary and Purnendu Roy, Ganesha Directors.
CSM markets hand-produced home furnishings, accessories and artefacts,
made using the rich craft traditions of the north-east. Many of the products
are distinctly Manipuri, with designs, colours and motifs typical to the
region. The producers, mainly women, work as part of a women's welfare
group or at home - usually from the smoothed mud veranda, where the looms
are kept. Here they weave the gorgeous sheer handloom fabric for wraps,
weave pads from natural fibres for the house, or create funky bags from
plastic straws.
Despite the craft traditions still very much in evidence, with looms
being installed as part of the marriage agreement in almost every home,
many of the traditional products are being squeezed out of the market
by cheaper mass-produced goods.
And many of the traditional products are being used less as a consequence,
which means less income for the women producers.
The potential good news, however, for the women who produce for the Crafts'
Society of Manipur, is the possibility to develop an export market, and
bring in an improved and year-round wage for their families. Although
the cultivation of the local market is always a safer bet for craft producers,
exporting can bolster the domestic market, and bring in vital income to
crafts people; especially important considering Manipur has a chronic
employment problem.
Joining IFAT is a good move for the craft producers' of Manipur, and
will encourage a fair trade market, where producers are paid a decent
wage for their labour, and emphasis is on continuity in the trading relationship,
and respect for people, culture, and the environment. With the acceptance
of the Crafts' Society of Manipur into IFAT, Ganesha's biggest and most
frequent suppliers are now members of this alternative trading organisation,
showing our determination to trade in a different way.
Sep 2000
Ganapati Limited has been well and truly launched with a successful round
of trade fairs, appearing for the first time at the Autumn Fair, Birmingham
and Top Drawer, London. The company, formed by Jo Lawbuary and Purnendu
Roy, is the wholesale expansion to Ganesha, the alternative trade outfit
on the South Bank, London. Ganesha has been trading for seven years, and
imports quality home furnishings and accessories from India, sourced from
co-operatives and producer associations India-wide.
Focusing on Ganesha's strongest retail lines, Ganapati has been launched
with an unusual collection of furnishings for the home, many of which
have been sourced from the far-flung and little-
travelled north-eastern states of India. Emphasis is on bold colour use,
alongside design-led biomass products for a spare, contemporary effect.
The response to Ganapati at the Autumn Fair and Top Drawer has been described
by Lawbuary and Roy as 'phenomenal'. Apart from the shows generating orders
for this season and the next, Ganapati attracted keen interest from companies
small and large. As most of Ganapati's suppliers are members of IFAT (The
Federation for Alternative Trade), the welcome response is great news
for alternative and mainstream trade alike. Ganapati has arrived!
26/ 02 /2004
Namaste Ganesha 2!
The range of fairly traded products from London's leading fair trade
retailer, Ganesha, is about to double with the opening of a second shop
- next door to the original one - at Gabriel's Wharf, South Bank, SE1.
The opening of the additional shop on 1 March is timed to coincide with
Fairtrade Fortnight (1-14 March).
As well as importing a more diverse range of goods and developing new
lines with their producer partners in India, Ganesha also showcase the
best of fair trade in the UK market from other importers. When Ganesha
started about 10 years ago, there were very few importers working in this
way, but now, as the fair trade message is getting across, there are more
IFAT (International Federation for Alternative Trade) members and importers
who are BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops) accredited.
[29 / 04 / 01 Top Drawer Summer]
Despite the quake...new products for summer 2001
Ganesha partners Jo Lawbuary and
- E N D S
-for images or further information contact Jo Lawbuary or Purnendu Roy
