November 16, 2016

GIVE GIFTS WITH A ‘GOOD’ STORY

Every product’s got a story, and Sustainability Trust is encouraging Wellingtonians to make it a good story this Christmas.

The Trust is holding a Twilight Market on November 25, with stallholders handpicked for their products – from kids’ clothing to candles to jam – all locally made, ethically sourced or not harmful to the environment.

“Presents under the Christmas tree have often had a harmful impact on the environment or on the people who made it before they’re unwrapped by someone you love,” says market organiser Rena Kohere.

“We want to make it easy for people to buy well this Christmas – to feel safe in the knowledge that the gifts they’re giving not only didn’t harm, but often helped the people involved in bringing it to you.”

Marketgoers will be able to talk to producers about the life of the gifts they’re buying – and there’s a lot of stories to tell.

Moon Turtle will be there with their mood journals, a beautiful diary created by two young Wellington designers who wanted to support people with mental health issues to track their ups and downs.

Wellington Chocolate Factory are so committed to reducing their impact on the environment that they once paddled their cocoa beans back from Bougainville.

Ritual Tea Company are motivated by wanting to slow people down with their hand blended tea, and the Munch mums who make reusable food wraps are kept going knowing what they do is good for both their kids and the environment.

A list of stallholders and some of their wonderful stories is attached.

Sustainability Trust will also have its own EcoShop offerings available, which include handmade Japanese garden tools, KeepCups, solar chargers, locally-made and recycled kids’ clothing and kids’ books and toys.

Goody bags will also be gifted to the first 50 people through the door.

The market will also include electric bike demos, music, food from Dukes of Sandwich, La Boca Loca and Origin Food Truck, a sustainability workshop for kids and healthy homes demos and advice.

Twilight Market

Friday, November 25, 5pm to 9pm

Sustainability Trust, Forresters Lane (off Tory St), Wellington

Ethical, eco-friendly and local goods for Christmas shoppers, music, food, kids’ activities and sustainability workshops.

Sustainability Trust’s Twilight Market stallholders

Journey Candles: British ex-pats Fay and Laura are all about evoking memories with scent. They hand-pour their 100% soy wax candles at their Wellington base.

La Boca Loca: Miramar’s favourite Mexican restaurant is setting up for the market, bringing marketgoers fresh, responsibly produced, sustainable cuisine made with organize ingredients.

Lady Lemon: Lady Lemon, aka Caroline Donovan, is on a mission is to bring lovely luscious lemony things to lovers of lemon everywhere, in an organic, free range, Fair Trade and sustainable way.

Lilmooch: Shirena Vasan, a passionate advocate for fair trade, brings ethically-sourced women’s clothing and underwear made from organic cotton.

Hoopla Kids: Kirsten Macdonald bringing colourful, ethical kids’ clothing to our shores from Scandanavian suppliers.

Moon Turtle: Created by young Wellingtonian Anna Birchall with help from Imogen Holmstead-Scott, Moon Turtle is a user-friendly journal that helps people experiencing mental health issues record important day-to-day information, tracking a variety of factors, such as sleep, mood, daily commitments, goals and medication use.

Munch: Former lawyer Anna Bordignon wanted to mix mothering, kids and business - so she started with a cookbook. Munch are the go-to source for info and products for eco-minded parents who want to feed their kids well. Much of Munch’s work is done by New Zealand mums at home.

Niche Textile Studio: Christine Brimer handmakes blankets and cushions, thread by thread, from locally-sourced yarn on her wooden loom.

Ritual Tea Company: Katie Smith, who hand blends fair trade and organic tea and herbal infusions in hope of encouraging people to slow down and recharge with a cuppa.

Spinning Top: Founded in Wellington in 2006, Spinning Top helps vulnerable children living on the Thailand and Burma border. They will be selling their bags made from recycled billboard skins, wooden spinning tops and hand crafted purses at the market. Ninety per cent of all sales go directly to its aid programmes.

Small & Human: John and Maria Milmine describe Small & Human as a family project to bring beautiful, minimalist, children’s clothing made from ethically sourced fabrics and eco-friendly inks to New Zealand shoppers.

Switched On Bikes: Ryan O’Connell and Sofia Robinson are passionate about bikes and get a kick out of getting other people riding too. They hire out electric bikes so people can cruise Wellington easily and sell them when people get hooked.

Trade Aid: The original, still awesome, Fair Trade suppliers. Started by a Christchurch couple Richard and Vi Cottrell in the 70s, Trade Aid now works with 75 producers around the world to create income opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

Wellington Chocolate Factory: It’s not a hard sell – organic, ethically-traded, bear to bar chocolate made using artisan methods right here in Wellington. Founders Gabe Davidson and Rochelle Harrison are always working towards ways to reduce their business’s carbon footprint too.

Wellington Curtain Bank: Sustainability Trust’s Curtain Bank upcycled curtains for low-income families to keep warm. We get some incredible curtains and fabric in, and choose the more unique stuff to use for fundraising. On sale will be name fabrics such as William Morris, Sanderson and Liberty, plus glam fabrics, retro 1970s brights, barkcloth, vintage and children’s curtain fabrics.

Wellington Manuka Honey Company: These guys will be bringing you delicious Manuka honey from hives based in Silverstream, Wainuiomata and Hutt Valley; packaged with labels featuring local artists and with macrocarpa spoons produced by Te Rito Gardens in Porirua.

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