20060205

Dear friends,

The Ecoshelter Appeal seeks to raise funds for thermally-insulated post disaster emergency shelters that:

� are easy to transport, erect, use, clean, maintain, dismantle and redeploy � are adaptable to different climates � are versatile in their application � can help provide a combination of food, drinking water, biofuel and an income � can help improve sanitation and prevent secondary diseases � provide cost effective solutions to both predictable and unforeseen natural and humanitarian catastrophes

www.ecoshelter.org

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The Ecoshelter Appeal is really picking up a head of steam and I'd like to update you on some important developments.

DESIGN The Technical Team have made great strides forward and have resolved many issues and are close to finalising the design.

THE ECOSHELTER STRUTS The struts that make up the frame will be made from aluminium (excellent strength:weight ratio).

Yesterday, we had a fantastic meeting with Alcoa (the world's largest aluminium company / recently announced as one of the top 3 sustainable companies in the world for second year running).

Alcoa in Banbury have agreed to help develop the prototype by creating the die's (the moulds?) and suplying an amount of aluminium pro bono. Ongoing support is offered in the way of reasonable rates and Robert Knowles from Omni Worldview / Life Synthesis will be discussing ways of financing the aluminium for on-going manufacture of Ecoshelters for both Humanitarian uses and commercial uses (eg domestic roof systems and marquees in event industry).

PROTOTYPE & MODEL It looks like we'll have a scale model prototype ready for the events we're planning to hold and others to visit in Spring/Summer :)

Also, Paul Bayley is going to make a desktop model to take to presentations and exhibitions.

FUNDRAISING & AWARENESS So far (and we haven't even really started yet)>>>

Corporate donation of �20,000 from Genus Pharmaceutical
Goods/Services-in-kind offer from Designed 4 Hits ? (see below)
Goods/Services-in-kind offer from Alcoa (a/a)
Gwenno and Heather organised a "Bilingual Buskathon" in St David's Shopping Centre, Cardiff (see below)
Sian from Poncho Productions and Glyn from Cunning Stunt Promotions/Tsunami Relief are organising events at The Coal Exchange, Cardiff and other venues
We hope to be visiting festivals through Spring/Summer with an Ecoshelter-or-two as an awareness and fundraising activity (eg The Glade Festival, Groove Armada's Lovebox Weekend, The Time Out Festival, etc)
We hope to exhibit Ecoshelter with the Solaroof Garden at The Royal Horticultural Show's stand at The Malvern Spring Gardening Show
There are plans being made for utilising contacts in big name bands and DJ's and taking them to large venues (eg Royal Albert Hall, etc) and/or on mini fundraising tours (details tbc)...

Anyone wishing to input into the music events and festivals (acts or contacts), please get in touch.

THE BUSKATHON The Bilingual Buskathon was a group of professional musicians, bands and comedians who all had 15 minute slots from 9am-6pm in the main walkway of Cadiff's main shopping centre. It raised �506.05 on the day and was featured on Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and in The South Wales Echo and Cardiff Post. Since media coverage, have received a further �105 in cheques posted and I suspect there's more to come. What was really encouraging from the Buskathon event was gauging the public reaction, which was very enthusiastic from anyone who stopped to talk or look at the info boards... Anyone wishing to replicate this, get in touch for some tricks & tips...

PAYPAL Anyone wishing to donate via Pay Pal ? can do so by visiting www.paypal.com and using the e-mail address: paypal@ecoshelter.org . On the website, we will have a button offering direct link to do this. We will also eventually have other online payment solutions available :)

A HEADLINE FIGURE It has been established that it will cost c.�20 per person to provide a place in an Ecoshelter for up to 3 years while reconstruction attempts to provide a longer term solution. The Ecoshelter Clusters will also contribute towards providing them with food and clean water, biofuel and will help improve sanitation.

�20-per-person is an easily understood amount and many people are immediately offering that amount. People like to help people and this helps them to do just that.

WEBSITE AND E-MAIL ADDRESSES We have the domain names www.ecoshelter.org / .org.uk / .co.uk / .info / .net and all are pointing at .org

Anyone wishing to have yourname@ecoshelter.org pointing at any inbox/current e-mail address, please let me know. This is a very useful promotional technique. I often cut&paste the end off people's e-mail addresses and go visit the site to see who they are and what they're about.

So please, if you have a non work or other specific e-mail address (eg hotmail, yahoo, gmail, beeb.net, wanadoo, etc) then have an ecoshelter version. You don't have to do a thing to change what you've already got. People you know already don't have to change, so you don't necessarily have to tell them. Just start giving the new address out once it's set up. It all helps raise the profile and takes you away from Corporate blandness.

We have some basic copy coming together at www.ecoshelter.org but no design or pics/graphics yet apart from in some of the .pdfs there.

No menu bar even, so: Part of the meeting on Tuesday at The Hub (4-6pm) is to enlist the help of the web designers/developers we have on board to take over the design and to help utilise the fantastic offer from Tom at Designed 4 Hits ? of goods/services-in-kind for web development, hosting and other.

There are a lot of creative "tecchies" with some very special software and tricks that we can utilise to make the site really rock!

NEXT ECOSHELTER MEETING Tuesday 7th Feb 4-6pm @ The Hub The focus this week will be on Media, Marketing & Web Development and all are invited to contribute - The Hub, 5 Torrens Street, London EC1 - Out of Angel Tube station, turn left, turn left and turn left again... - Next to Candid Arts Cafe - Fourth Floor/No Lift ;-) - Streetmap: click here

I'm sure there's more so watch this space...

NB - comments, corrections, suggestions and constructive advice always welcome!

Peace And Power To You All,

gareth@ecoshelter.org (C'mon Wales!)

Gareth Strangemore-Jones Campaign Promotions (T) + 44 (0)2920 493100 (E) gareth@campaignpromotions.org (W) www.campaignpromotions.org

Campaign Promotions is supported by Un Ltd ? (The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs)

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