When I was asked to write something on Shared Interest for the Otesha Handbook, I must admit I wasn’t feeling ultra inspired.  Nothing against directories and handbooks you understand, but as we try and have a presence in as many relevant tomes as possible, it can become a bit banal after a while.

But (and note I said this Paul Sharpe!) this time I was wrong.

Anyhow, my rule is that we never EVER bash out the same description of our work as standard, you have to look at the place your copy will live and make sure it’ll be a fitting home. 

When I clicked the link to Otesha, I not only thought Shared Interest would be at home there, but found that I felt kind of comfy too.  Far from the bland blah blah blah preaching that can go hand in hand with this type of lifestyle guide, opening the Otesha Handbook is a bit like holding a work meeting in the pub.  It is still dealing with serious matters but has far more attractive surroundings.

Anyway, before I get accused of blah blah blah preaching why not just check it out for yourself and don’t forget to tell us what you think.  Here is a sneaky snippet, followed by a link…

We’re ever so pleased that you’ve taken the time to open and read our masterpiece and lovingly flip through its pages.  Hopefully it doesn’t stop there, though! As you read this book, we’d love to hear what you’ve been thinking, learning or doing – so whether it’s turning your old bike tyres into stylish belts, getting your local shop to stock Fairtrade chocolate, or sneakily planting strawberries on roundabouts, please let us know!

http://otesha.org.uk/downloads/book/OteshaUK_Handbook.pdf

Shared Interest missed the boat for the book this year but all is not lost as we may just get a mention on the website, that’s if I stop blogging and get writing instead….

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade. Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation