Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday - did you know today is the busiest day for shopping via the Internet - so don't be left out and go straight to BrightKidz and look at our fabulous selection of gift ideas for that special someone. The ruck sack covers are proving to be great sellers as they are shower proof, reflective, fluorescent and can be easily posted: any cycling adult or child would love this in their stocking.

Growth Readiness Programme

New season - New vision!
After being selected by the Regional Development Organisation EMDA to take part in the High Growth Readiness Programme, we held a full staff training session to decide on a company vision for the next 3 years. It was so refreshing and encouraging to see that the future needs of the business were identified not just by me but by the whole team.

We had been chosen for this programme as it was recognised that we had good potential for growth as a business. For this accolade we were provided with the consultancy services of EMDA to help us realise our vision.

After such a successful day we are looking forward to our next session where we will identify how we can realise that vision.

Gone Made for Armbands

Gone mad for Armbands - They seem to sleep for much of the year and then go crazy when we get to November. Our highvis armbands really seem to be a big thing this month....you folks out there are buying loads.

Safety and being seen near traffic is so important now that the clocks have changed, we want everyone to be bright. So this year we introduced a second size for children, a plain reflective armband to fit smaller arms. Its not just our plain high visibility armbands that are doing well.....our fun snake design armbands are a hit as well.

Off to the House of Commons - On Monday I went to London for the British Promotional Merchandise Association Academy graduation ceremony. This is the day when the studying pays off and I was presented with my certificate in Promotional Merchandise.

This qualification is the first professional qualification for the promotional merchandise industry. Having worked in the industry for several years, its a good way to prove on paper what I know!!

It was great to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a while over a drink in such swish surroundings.

Road safety week is coming up at the end of the month, this annual event is organised by the road safety charity Brake. They are encouraging schools, businesses and communities to get involved in promoting road safety.

So with only 2 weeks to go make sure you are ready for your activities. Take a look at some of our great reflectors - why not even get one of our reflector shop starter packs and run your own stall in school or at work.

Its true the weather really does get colder following Bonfire night. This weekend I am going to have to dig out the winter woolies and definitely make sure that the kinds have their high vis for those journeys to and from school as the nights have now started drawing in. Living Streets, a national charity have reported the fact that an enormous 41% of children are driven to school in cars, despite the fact that the average distance to primary schools remains around one mile. So lets not let the darker nights be a barrier to children walking to school.

Be Bright be Seen is never more important than on Bonfire Night so that is why our gang will be wearing high vis beanie hats this November 5th, not only to be seen but keep those ears warm on a chilly evening. So do have fun this Bonfire Night!

What a busy week ahead! On Thursday I will be heading off to the Footsey social enterprise trade fair in Doncaster www.footsey.org.uk, where there will hopefully be lots of fellow social enterprise organisations attending. I am looking forward to seeing how our eco range is received and if any of our other promotional items make an impact.

I will return just in time for the children to break up for half term. I'm really looking forward to getting out and about this half term with the children, be it in a park or just riding the bikes. As such I often find it much easier to spot the children if they are wearing a high visability waistcoat or some reflective clothing.

Interesting fact for the day - did you know it is Tyre Safety Month and you can carry out your own tyre check by inserting a 20p. into the tyre tread, for more information why not check out their website www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety-month/introduction/. Whilst you are checking out the tyres, also make sure that your car has all the essentials should you break down including some reflective clothing to be seen at all times.

Half Term is fast approaching and that means that the clocks will be changing. Whilst that is good for lighting fires and snuggling up warm, its not so good for school children walking home from school.

According to the AA boys are more at risk from having a road accident in the Autumn term, which can be attributed in some part to poor visibilty. However its not all doom and gloom as by using stylish fluorescent reflective clothing and accessories to increase your visibility day and night it can help to raise the profile of children walking home from school.

International Walk to School Month As we have now entered the month of October its time to get everyone Walking to School and what better way than to take part in International Walk to School Month. Throughout October, whilst the weather is still great, all schools and local authorities are encouraged to get everyone to walk to school. Back in 2007 42 countries took part, so why not you? Look at ways of walking to school be it on a walking bus, park and stride scheme or just with a few friends, everyone can do it! Even if you have to drive some of the journey, what about setting up a park and stride scheme, whereby you park in either a local pub/village hall safely away from the main school area and walk the last little bit. Lets see if we can make it a record breaking month.

The Big Day - Which School Next?
Yesterday was 'the big day' for local year six children to find out by which secondary school they had been accepted. A tough day for kids - amongst the jubilation of many, there were bound to be tears from those who hadn't got the place they wanted.

It doesn't affect my family yet but my heart went out to others. There was the crazy logic of a child living a stone's throw from a school not being accepted, but another child living many miles away from the same school, getting accepted even though it was second choice. So both children will have to travel miles each day to school, whereas one would have been able to walk.

I don't want to sound too old but.... in my day it was much simpler and there was less heart ache and stress for the children because most kids went to the nearest school. Easy peasy - hopefully a good mix of children, who lived in the local area.

Going to the nearest school meant we could almost all walk to school, there was minimal traffic congestion and lower costs of travel, eg bus. Okay, so there are some benefits to having a 'choice' but the disadvantages of the current scheme are massive in terms of increased pollution and congestion for society and are detrimental to the health and well-being of our children.

On the Stage at Stratford Upon Avon

Well it wasn't actually Shakespeare... but on Saturday my kids and I took to the stage at the annual Consumer Co-operative Conference in Stratford this weekend.

We were there to convince lots of lovely people who are involved in co-operative retail businesses across the UK that there is an important role for businesses to play in supporting schools and helping get more kids walking safely to school.

It started with a fashion-show - Dan, Matthew and Julia all kitted out in their high vis BrightKidz waistcoats and fleece, carrying bags and umbrella proudly walked on to the stage to a grand applause.... well that is a bit different from Powerpoint isn't it (which I'm not all that good at)?

I told them about Park & Stride (getting parents to park well away from school - possibly in a supermarket car-park - see the connection with the Co-op!).

Finally I introduced many of them to the Walking Bus concept (some already knew, as The Co-operative Group has already started to provide many UK schools with Walking Bus resources - details about that are on our e-newsletter so contact us if you want to subscribe).

There's nothing like a live demonstration, so my three kids took the role of the adult 'conductors' and led 10 volunteer 'children' from the audience around the conference hall in a Walking Bus. I told my kids to award stickers to all the grown ups who walked nicely.... which caused a great deal of amusement. I think my kids felt like the von Trapp children after that experience!

Anyway, I must use my blog for a quick plug of Co-operative and Community Finance (lenders for social purpose) as they are the nice people who lend us money when we need it (they support 'non-profit distributing', community enterprises like ours). They had invited us to speak to show the Co-op community an example of an organisation they invest in.... and we are a very visual example!

Top Local Hairdresser Pledges to Take the Bus
I've just had my hair cut this afternoon (thought I'd better make an effort as I've got a conference tomorrow) and couldn't miss an opportunity to be promoting sustainable transport.

I quite often get the bus home from Kettering to our village and enjoy the ride on this reliable, direct service. Most of the other people on the bus tend to be teenagers or OAPs. The service is subsidised by the council and we've even lost one mid afternoon run due to low usage.

So why don't more people take the bus? I think habit is the main reason, not being aware when and where it goes etc; and a very strong car culture.

Anyway, I was extolling the virtues of our great bus service to Nigel the hairdresser and he agreed that taking the bus would actually be convenient for him once a week... so he has pledged to take the bus to work, much to the amusement(!) of his staff. And now it's in print (on this blog).... so no backing down Nigel! Once he's sorted I'll start work on the other villagers!

The Woman who Stops Traffic - New Channel 4 Series
I've just heard there will be a new series starting on Channel 4 TV tomorrow night (Tuesday 26 Feb) which is a must-watch for anyone interested in getting more kids to walk to school (and getting people to leave the car at home generally).

Thanks to Andrew at Living Streets for passing the tip on. Here's the blurb about it from the Radio Times:

The Woman Who Stops Traffic

Tuesday 26 February
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4

Kris Murrin wants British drivers to cut down on their car journeys. It's a bold suggestion, but then "professional problem-solver" Murrin is a bold woman. She needs to be. When she fetches up, in the first of a three-part series, in the chic town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, suggesting a leave-your-car-at-home day, she's abused and patronised. But you've got to hand it to her, she's indefatigable, even in the face of being addressed as "my dear" in weary patrician tones by one of the town's elders. The hostility towards her idea seems insuperable, but gradually Murrin starts to capture imaginations. It's the schoolchildren who are most receptive to walking or cycling to school, and their overprotective mums (who cause most of Marlow's rush-hour problems during the school run) who are the most resistant. It's highly entertaining and instructive to watch Murrin chivy, cajole and arm-twist. But will it be enough?

RT reviewer - Alison Graham

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