Mandy Writes

The current articles from Mandy McIntosh about FairTrade and Tearfund, and links to past articles

Current Articles


For so many Christmas is only about giving and receiving gifts. For others in our world, life is very different. Some may want peace, clean water or sanitation. Others long for the ability to forgive; -
If you want to make your Christmas ethical, sustainable and fair trade, fair2all is happy to help.

Past Articles

As I read through the following paragraph from a recent Tearfund email, it made me question, do I stop and consider, with gratitude, the year past and give God the glory for all He has done for me?
Live models arrive in Ashby’s shop windows on Saturday 5th October with Ashby’s FABulous. The theme this year is Carnival / Fairground so fair2all’s window will (hopefully) be taken over by a variety of Animals.
I don’t know if I am the only one who ends up with an increasing number of unopened emails and then spends some time going through the unread folder to reduce them to a manageable number.
As I write in early August the fact that Ashby is amongst the finalists for #MYHIGHSTREET, is breaking news. You may have seen the reports about Ashby on ITV or BBC News or even heard about it on Radio Leicester. By the time you read this ...
With decreasing levels of food and increasing conflict, nearly 50 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 180 million population is living in extreme poverty.
A friend likened it to arriving in a strange country where you don’t know your way about or the language. I am feeling this as I try to decide about setting up an online shop.
So much of our culture expects instant results, which may make development seem very slow, but as the saying goes ‘slow and steady wins the race’.
If you are thinking the Ashby Arts Festival has come round very quickly, it may have something to do with the fact that the dates have changed:
Nida is one of the countless mothers having to watch her children grow up in the slums of Pakistan, amid rubbish.
Last month it was an exchange of the sign-holding bicycle, as I write the exterior of fair2all is being repainted, so who knows by Easter there may even be flowers in troughs by the door!
I don’t know if you are receiving any Lenten emails? I receive 40 acts from Stewardship; a suggested action for every day in Lent, and Tearfund’s lent devotionals Enough; 40 days of thoughts and prayers.
Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by choice – whether it is flavours of chocolate, colours of scarves or design of hand embroidered cards the choice is there. We may struggle to decide but we still expect to have that choice.
There are very few people who don’t like a bargain. So how about this for an excellent offer; until 17 May, donations to Tearfund’s Matched Giving Appeal will be doubled by the UK government, up to £2 million.
Tearfund is a Christian relief and development charity; introducing themselves saying; ‘we’re following Jesus where the need is greatest.
Premier Christian Radio has recently been focusing on the work of CAP (Christians Against Poverty). I hope the following helps you to understand the lives they are changing.
Do you agree with this statement? I think it is the basis for putting New Year resolutions into action. Several customers who want reduce their plastic waste have enquired at fair2all how our refills work.
As I look forward to 2019 I am hoping to build on some of the plans that have been laid in 2018.
Up until two years ago, every single day was a new battle for Patience and her family in Alwego, Tanzania. But today, things couldn’t be more different. Here is her amazing story.
Toilets may not be something that most people get excited about, but I was very excited to read the following in the Autumn Tear Times...
Worried about your Christmas Shopping? Come and meet the Calmer Llama and its friend the No Problama Llama!
I previously wrote about the crisis in Yemen about 8 months ago and if I am honest I am not sure how much I have prayed or even thought about the plight of the people of Yemen since.
Until Boxing Day 2004 I think I had no conscious idea of what a Tsunami was. In January 2006 I had the privilege of visiting Sri Lanka.
‘Well really, I don’t believe it!’ was the comment of a passing pedestrian when she saw fair2all’s ‘Christmas Window’ which had been prepared to house our live Fairy and Elf for Ashby’s Fabulous at the beginning of October. Their message being that Ashby
RSS Feed for latest articles