Town centre gets ready for green invasion

Thursday 29th May 2008 - Redditch Advertiser website

ON Saturday, June 7, the third annual Redditch Green Fair will take place which looks set to be bigger and better than ever.

The eco extravaganza will take place in and around St Stephens Church in the town centre from 10.30am-3pm. Admission is free.

The fair will feature a range of local 'green' companies, alongside numerous environmental organisations and campaign groups. Trading stalls will offer electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, ethical clothing, recycled stationery, fair trade goods, eco-friendly cleaning products, natural cosmetics and more.

Environmental and ethical groups represented will include Redditch Friends of the Earth, Redditch Trade Justice Network, Redditch Vegetarian & Vegan Society and Redditch Freecycle. These are the four main groups that have got together to organise the fair, under the banner of the Redditch Alliance of Greens (RAG).

There will be other stalls offering advice on energy efficiency, composting, waste reduction solutions etc. Eco-friendly vegan food will be provided free of charge throughout the day, in order to demonstrate how appetising and varied meat/dairy-free cuisine has become, while raising awareness of the diets environmental benefits.

To keep youngsters amused, there will be a Green Man mask making workshop and a clown or magician will be on hand to entertain them. Children and adults alike will have an opportunity to join a 'drumming circle' with the Redditch-based group Talking Drums.

The green fair has been timed to coincide with World Environment Day (WED) on June 5, a global day of raising awareness , celebrated annually since 1972. There will be hundreds of similar events across the globe during that week. Like last year, the United Nations' WED co-ordinators have officially endorsed the Redditch Green Fair and are helping to promote it via their website.

For more information about the day, visit www.redditchgreenfair.org.uk or call 458395.