FLORAL BAGS

Whether it's pouring with rain or gloriously sunny, these floral bags are perfect. Brilliant for carrying your lunch or going to the beach! Made in vibrant floral print with polished wood handles, these cotton bags are by Teddy, A Fair Trade Supplier.

Teddy, based in south India, was set up in 1989 to effect positive change through business. Started by Amanda Murphy, in her own words 'a failed vet and daft Irishwoman' after she fell in love with the country and its people, she realised the brilliant local skills and abundant local resources could be used to benefit the craftspeople and their wider community.

After successfully haranguing the Roddicks to buy wooden massage rollers for the Bodyshop, Teddy has grown from humble beginnings in a single mud hut with 5 workers to presently employing more than 300 locals with a turnover of more than £1.5 million. And if floral isn't your thing, how about raspberry ripple? This bag features lovely polished handles and is also made by Teddy.

ORGANDY MINI TOTES

Lovely little bags for a girls' night out, with enough room for your purse, lippy, phone and keys! The bags feature lovely wooden handles and a magnetic button closure.

Conditions for the Teddy workers are excellent; all receive free medical care, subsidised lunch and tea, plus perks through out the year such as events and excursions. And good wages mean that workers, unlike so many in India, do not live a hand-to-mouth existence, but can afford good homes for themselves, education for their children and also save for their future. Teddy also helps by offering a pension scheme and operates a system of housing loans.

CANDY STRIPED BAZAAR BAGS These versatile bags are handy for carrying day-to-day shopping and are made to last for years. 100% stripey nylon, for that authentic India bazaar experience, even if your weekly shop is more Basingstoke than Bombay.

MUMBAI JUNCTION SHOPPERS Of course, if your weekly shop looks more like a monthly shop, then these large shoppers are might be just the thing. Complete with zip, these 100% nylon bags are also by Teddy. We found them ideal for storing clothes too!

Very rooted to the local community, Teddy has shown to be a positive force by helping to set up various schools, education centres and health clinics for employees and their children, as well as the wider local community. In 1995, An HIV /Aids awareness project began, to address the spread of HIV in the area by long distance lorry drivers. The project has created highway clinics, where truckers can be treated and counselled. The scheme has also introduced peer educators to sex workers to foster safer sexual practices and distributes condoms.

Murphy was awarded an MBE for her Teddy achievements in 1998 - not bad for a 'daft Irishwoman'!

Top