Education, Fair trade, Human trafficking, Seasonal, Shop

Rainbow Turtle shop window highlights human trafficking in Scotland

1000 scarves project that highlights human trafficking in Scotland

Rainbow Turtle education officer, Philippa Jeffery, recently decorated our shop window to publicise the 1,000 scarves project that Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS) is currently running. Many people have been trafficked into Scotland and they have often been overlooked and hidden in plain sight.

The project takes second hand scarves and converts them into weaving kits which can be purchased from SOHTIS. The kits have been taken to schools and community groups so that they can all get involved.

The weavings have been made by people of all ages. Everyone who has made a weaving fills out a little card with a little about themselves. The weavings will become part of bigger artworks that will be publicly displayed in the future in order to raise awareness of human trafficking.

Colourful scarves and pockets

Philippa linked the scarves project with the idea of an advent calendar for our Christmas window. She stitched pockets into her scarves and placed 25 different fair trade products, sold in the shop, into them. Her work was kindly featured in a recent article in the Paisley Daily Express.

There are close links between promoting fair trade and shining a light on human trafficking. By buying fair trade products we help farmers and producers in developing countries create stable communities. The fair trade premium can be spent by the community on health care, education and clean water supplies. People who live in these villages and communities are less likely to end up being trafficked.

If you would like to know more about the 1,000 scarves project, or the education work that Rainbow Turtle does, you can contact Philippa here. Scarves can be donated at Rainbow Turtle.

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Window display

Have you seen our spectacular COP26 window display celebrating cooperation and close connections between consumers and producers and between all of the people around us? We hope so, as time doesn’t slow down and we had to say farewell to our COP display to welcome another wonderful artwork created by very talented Nicola Henry. Nicola is a Glasgow based illustrator, who was kind enough to let us into her world right in the time for Christmas. Come down to the shop to see us and admire Nicolas’s work in full. Besides the wonderful window display, we also have a lot of new stock and we (probably) have everything you need to finish off your Christmas shopping or simply treat yourself during this cold weather.

We have a range of nativity scenes – felt from Nepal, wood and olive wood from Bethlehem (doesn’t get more authentic than this!). On top of that, we have a big range of Christmas tree decorations and of course – TONS OF CHOCOLATE – white, milk, dark, vegan, big bars, mini bars, hearts, coins, elves, angles…you name it!

For those of you looking for more practical gifts, we have a fresh delivery of items made from inner tubes, coffee sacks and lorry curtain fabric: washbags, wallets, sports boot bags, ‘gig’ bags and decorations. For smaller humans we have some new Christmas themed items from Lanka Kade – perfect for Christmas stockings (which you can also get in our shop – Christmas sorted!).

If this doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. Our fantastic volunteers know answers to all your questions about the origins of items stocked in the shop. They are also great if you just want to pop by for a little chat. I’m going to risk saying that we have the best volunteers in town! 😀

So get your warm coat, hat and mittens (if you can’t find them, it’s ok, we have some in the shop!) and pop down to see us!

To see more of Nicola Henry’s work please head to her website: https://www.nicolajanehenry.com/ or find her on Instagram at https://instagram.com/nicolajanehenry

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Merry Christmas!

2020 has been a difficult year, and we have only got through it thanks to the huge amount of support and encouragement from you: our supporters, customers, friends, and volunteers. Thank you!

The new year will kick off with a little uncertainty, with Rainbow Turtle now closed and most of Scotland in a level 4 lockdown, but we’re confident that we can get 2021 off to a great start, even if that does have to be a little bit later than normal!

We hope that you all have a wonderful, if unusual, Christmas and that your new year is a good one. Merry Christmas from all at Rainbow Turtle!

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Reopening Saturday 12th

Following the Scottish Government’s announcement yesterday that Renfrewshire can exit level 4 restrictions, we will be reopening Rainbow Turtle at 10am on Saturday 12th December!

To allow our lovely customers as much Christmas shopping time as possible, we have extended our opening hours from the 12th until we close on Christmas Eve.

We look forward to seeing you back in the shop!

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Three More Days!

Following the Scottish Government’s announcement that Renfrewshire will be moving into level 4, the Rainbow Turtle shop will be closing for 3 weeks at 4pm on Friday.

So you’ve got three days to get shopping! We recommend stocking up on all of your household essentials, like refills and toilet roll, as well as treating family and friends to some of our Christmas goodies!

We’ll be open from 10am until 4pm today, tomorrow, and Friday.

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A Chocoholic’s Dream…

We’ve just taken an enormous delivery of Divine Chocolate to the shop, including some new and unusual flavours!

We’ve also now got advent calendars and other chocolate treats and gifts in stock. A full list can be found here, and remember that you can reserve items for collection or arrange local delivery on our online ordering page here.

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Paisley Daily Express Article on our Christmas Window

Thanks to the Paisley Daily Express on the 2nd of December, a lovely article was written by Alison Rennie about our delightful Christmas window, designed and installed by the students of Mary Russell School in Paisley. Come and see our shop window and buy something different for the special person in your life, knowing that your purchase supports producers and their families in developing countries.

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Last Minute Gifts!

Time is ticking on and it’ll be Christmas Day before we know it. How are you getting on with your shopping for presents? If you’re anything like us there’ll be a last minute rush so we’ve compiled this handy gift guide to easy present shopping with a conscience!

Christmas Banquet Box, £20.00

This flavour-packed box squeezes in everything you need to make your Christmas dinner zero waste by turning leftover turkey into a tasty fair trade curry!

Coffee & Chocolate Pairings, £7.99

Traidcraft’s Q Arabica Graded coffee consultant has paired up ground coffee and bars of chocolate for the ultimate taste experience!

Friendly Bars Gift Set, £9.99-£14.99

Friendly’s ethical bars (4 in each set) range from simple shampoo to multi-purpose hair/face/laundry, meaning you use fewer harmful chemicals and no plastic in getting clean this Christmas.

Lip Balms, £8.00 & Balm Duo, £14.00

These Fairtrade and handmade beauty products will leave your skin feeling soft and you feeling virtuous.

Recycled Sari Bags, £4.99

Offcuts of colourful saris have been repurposed into these beautiful and practical bags which unfold from their handy keyring pocket. Perfect for last minute shopping trips!

Bombangles, £7.00

Made in Laos from metal salvaged from unexploded bombs dropped during the Vietnam War, each of these simple bangles comes in a pretty gift bag with a copy of the terrible story behind them.