So the time has come to say a final goodbye with our last ever post. The majority of our stores are now closed with only West London and our Brighton Clearance Store left until Saturday 4th April.

We are pleased that our aim to close the business down in an ethical way over the last few months has been working really well. A big thank you to all of our loyal customers over the last 30 years, and for continuing to support us over the last few months by shopping in our closing down sales.

We have been overwhelmed by the amount of messages we have received through email and social media sharing your wonderful memories, your sadness and wishing us all well for the future. This has been hugely inspiring to hear, having such a positive impact through these challenging times.

On a final note we are pleased to announce that two other companies we have relationships with are able to continue with some of our suppliers, ranges and social projects - Shared Earth and Something Different, so please pay them a visit and support them where you can.

Thank you again and wishing you all well for the future.

Goodbye from all of us here xxx

Sadly – after over 30 years of bringing ethically sourced gifts and home ware to the High Street – Windhorse:evolution will be closing down over the next few months. Having made this difficult decision, our aim now is to close in an ethical way that preserves our reputation being an honest, open and principled retailer.

The retail landscape has changed so much since we started trading in the 1980s and we now find ourselves unable to compete with pressure from larger companies and the Internet.

The economic climate has greatly affected us and despite working very hard to save the business, we have seen a long term and consistent drop in sales. As a relatively small business, we are unable to offer the constant discounting that other companies can and this, coupled with the fact that the gift and home ware market has reduced over the years, means that we find ourselves in an impossible situation.

Many of you will have followed us through the recent “100 Days of Ethical Giving” campaign that we ran before Christmas and we were touched by the support we received from individual Sangha members and from Centres. Hopefully that campaign has raised the issue of making positive shopping choices which – despite our inability to remain a viable business – is still a cause that we hold dear.

We remain grateful for the support that both our Customers and the staff working in our Evolution shops have given us – some of them over many, many years. Tribute must also be paid to those working at Windhorse:evolution HQ, many of whom have made heroic efforts to try to save the business.

We would like to ask you to consider supporting the social projects we have had the closest links with – Kupu Kupu in Bali, Ban Sai Rom orphanage in Thailand and the Green Tara Trust in Nepal. All of these small but vital charities are grateful for any help offered.

We will now be closing Windhorse:Evolution over the next few months. We are very happy to share our Closing Down Sale bargains with you and we will keep you updated on which stores you can find the best deals in once we have stopped selling through our website.

We will be keeping you informed of our progress via our website, Facebook and Twitter.

with love Evolution x

Back in September we launched the 100 Days of Ethical Giving and it’s hard to believe that the campaign will end on 25^th December.

As the first campaign Evolution has ever run it has been a huge learning curve. We have particularly enjoyed working in collaboration with thebuddhist centre.com team and would like to thank Candradasa for his inspiration and encouragement.

We have appreciated the input and support of many people, especially the Triratna Buddhist community, and have been encouraged to find that there are many, many people who want to shop ethically and care where their money goes.

One aim of 100 Days was also to raise the profile of Evolution as an ethical business at a time when the business was facing unsure times due to the pressure of competition on the High Street. We are still facing uncertainty, but the original ideal of making money to give away remains an inspiration for many.

We would like to send sincere thanks to everyone who has been involved, whether that has been through sharing details of the campaign or deciding to shop with us. We really appreciate your input and support.

Perhaps, in a way, the campaign is not ending…it has simply been the start of a something new. We hope you will continue to support Evolution and it’s underlying vision.

Sending peace, joy and love – Evolution x

We are nearly in the last two weeks of the 100 Days of Ethical Giving Campaign. We’ve told you about how we trade, how we work, what we donate and what we sell. We’ve been asking you to make more impact with your Christmas spending by supporting ethical shopping choices and Evolution.

This week we want to let you know how Evolution makes less impact!

Here are some specific things we do to reduce our impact on the environment;

- We have systems in both the shops and the warehouse that mean we have a high level of reusing and recycling packaging.

- We have chosen a “green energy” supplier for our headquarters in Cambridge

- Many of the people working at headquarters live in communities; meaning the “economies of scale” help reduce things like energy use and food waste.

- Transport to and from work is usually via the daily “crew bus” or by cycling, reducing the level of car ownership across the business.

- We think carefully about materials we use, for example, working with Cambridge Woodworks to used recycled wood for our recent shop rebrands.

- We use sea, rather than air, transport for our overseas supplies.

We understand that running a business has an environmental impact, but we do try really hard to reduce it. So, for every product you buy from us there is an ongoing “back story” of Evolution striving to be as environmentally sensitive as we can be.

We hope you can support 100 days of Ethical Giving right through December – and enjoy making less impact, not more! #EthicalChristmas

Although online shopping can be highly convenient, one of the down sides is that people miss out with the human experience. One of the ways we try to counteract that is our little personal messages and drawings on the side of each order, along with who your order was packed and dispatched by. Customers have fed back on how much they enjoy this and how it helps to make online shopping that bit more human.

We wanted to take this one step further and let you have a look behind the scenes at the team behind your orders and where they work.

Here you can see pictures of Jose, Leigh, Jody, Isabelle, Owen, Leif and Daniel our wonderful web order team keeping the smiles and laughter going during a busy Monday morning of Christmas orders.

We hope this helps you to connect with your online shopping with Evolution - #Ethical Christmas

All the Best

James Healy Dufosse-Belton
Communications Manager
Evolution

Yesterday for Giving Tuesday my wife Mel and myself visited the Sheffield Evolution Store to try and do as much of our Christmas present shopping there as possible.

My wife has already spent about £20 in the last month or so and we managed to do another £60 of Christmas gifts shopping on this trip.

I really wanted to put my money where my mouth was as I have written recently in the windhorse magazine and in articles during the 100 Days of Ethical Giving Campaign #EthicalChristmas of how we can all support Evolution, as well as other Ethical retailers. Whether it's by spreading the word of what Evolution does and sells, sharing social media posts and tweets, or deciding to do some of our shopping with Evolution, as a buddhist community we can all make our contribution.

I remember writing in the Windhorse magazine back in the autumn that one example was that if 3000 people read that article and decided to do £50 of there gift shopping with Evolution this year, that would be £150,000 of extra income for the business which translates into sustainability for this great right livelihood business and more donations for Buddhist Projects and Social Projects around the world.

Speaking to my wife who has actually bought several other gifts from Evolution through out the year, we can probably say that we have spent about £100 this year with Evolution.

We are probably not your average Evolution shopper, but we wanted to throw that fixed view out the window and plunge in anyway. We have to say we found it very easy to find a lovely broad range of gifts for many of our friends and family.

So with 3 weeks left before Christmas, you too can make this choice to contribute and support a great buddhist team based right livelihood business.

I already know that many of you have already made big efforts to support us in the past and during this latest campaign - so a big Thank You!, but if you haven't its not too late to start right now.

With love

James Healy Dufosse-Belton
Communications Manager
Evolution Stores

We are now into the last four weeks of the 100 Days of Ethical Giving Campaign and in the run up to Christmas. Christmas is when we do over 40% of our total year trade and this year this has extra poignancy, as the business struggles to survive.

This week which includes #GivingTuesday we are thinking about all the connections that bring us together. From our suppliers, to the people working at Cambridge HQ, to the people who have received support from the Windhorse Trust via Triratna projects, to adults and children benefiting from our social project support and our hardworking shop teams who work tirelessly throughout Christmas and into January and last (but never least) our customers. Just considering the complexity of the connections that occur through Evolution – they truly are global!

You can be part on this wonderful web of interconnectedness! Simply make that choice to buy from Evolution – either at your local shop or through www.evolutionstores.co.uk. You will find plenty of gift inspiration, whatever your budget – and your support will go a long, long way!

Connect with us today #ethicalchristmas.

Christmas is drawing ever closer and regardless of how we spend the season, we may have gifts to buy. The simple act of giving can be an antidote to the excess of Christmas and by buying from Evolution you can give three times and more – through the gift you give the projects we support and the ethical work practices we uphold.
 
This week we’ve put together five top gifts that come in at £10 or under:
(See Image Slide Show Also)
 
1)    Large Meditating Buddha - £7.50. A beautifully detailed rupa  with a calm and peaceful expression.
 
2)    Cupped Hands Oil Burner - £10.00. Made in Thailand, the generous bowl makes it perfect for use with aromatherapy or fragrance oils.
 
3)    Turquoise & Plum Mosaic Frame - £10.00. Part of our ever popular mosaic range, this frame is hand made in Bali.
 
4)    White Doves Parasol - £9.00. This serene and natural hanging is crafted from mulberry paper in Thailand and features white doves and stars.
 
5)    Thai Buddha Tealight Holder - £10.00. Made by Balinese craftspeople, this simple design is carved from gypsum and can also be used as an incense holder.
 
Visit evolutionstores.co.uk for lots of other ideas for gifts in this price range – and to get your Christmas gift bags, wrap and cards.
 
Thanks for your support!

On a budget this Christmas or just lots of small gifts to buy for your beloved friends and family, here's a great hand picked selection of #EthicalChristmas Gifts that cost £5 and under from Evolution:

(Slideshow through the images on the left)

Soup Cup & Spoon - £5 - Choose from 4 Great Colours

Cauldron Oil Burner - £5 - Don't forget we do a great range of Oils and Fragrances

Worry Doll Notepad - £4 - From our Friends in Guatemala

Cute Fox Salt & Pepper Pots - £5 - See the rest of this very cute range.

Power Gemstone Bracelets - £4.50 - Choose from 5 different gemstones

Round Tree Silhouette Coasters - £4.50 - Tasteful and Subtle with natural shades.

Woodland Tree Stump Photo Frame - £4 - See the rest of this woodland inspired range.

Carved leaf Photo Frame - £5 - Beautifully Handcarved.

With love

EvolutionStores Team (Part of Windhorse Trading Ltd) owned by the Windhorse Trust

Buddhasiha the Manager of the Ipswich Evolution Store shares with us passionately why he has worked for Evolution for 13 years, and why he continues to be so inspired by his and others experience of working together through those years.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about Evolution as part of the 100 Days of Ethical Giving campaign. Please see our previous posts if you need to catch up!

As we move towards Christmas we need your help. Evolution is now feeling the full force of the recession and increased competition in the retail sector. Our future is uncertain, but we are working hard to ensure that our original vision survives.

There are very concrete ways you can help us.

LIKE – If you use Facebook, you will know that interaction helps to get our message out there, so please like our posts. If you don’t use Facebook, please feel free to like us in the traditional way – and telling your friends about us is important too!

SHARE – Follow this campaign on Facebook and Twitter and share our posts with your friends. If 3000 of you like us on Facebook and share our posts with your friends, on average 100, that’s 300,000 people we could connect with. Again, if you don’t use social media, simply share information about the campaign with people – that works too!

BUY – No matter how worthwhile a business is, it cannot survive on good wishes alone. We need you to support us by choosing to buy from us. No matter what lifestyle we live, we do buy things – gifts for friends and family, presents for Mitra ceremonies, incense and candles for shrines. Giving a gift is an expression of love and gratitude to those around us.

In real terms, if 3000 people decide to do £50 of their gift and personal shopping a year with Evolution that generates £150,000 pounds extra income, which translates as sustainability, and increased donations to Triratna resources.

Visit www.evolutionstores.co.uk or #ethicalchristmas – Christmas is coming!

The 100 Days of Ethical Giving Campaign helps to support Evolution - an ethical business based within the Triratna Sangha - as it faces difficult trading conditions on the High Street.

Throughout the campaign we want to share information about our ethical trading criteria and our products but, being a Buddhist business, our ethical values go deeper than our trading relationships. After all, many businesses say they are ethical and have all the accreditations to prove it. Evolution offers more.

The wages for our most of our shop staff are paid at market rates - we still have 4 stores with Buddhist Management teams. However, at head office, many of us accept wages that are below those paid in other businesses. We therefore have a very flat wage structure, where the highest paid individual in the business receives less than four times the lowest paid person. To put that in perspective, the John Lewis Chairman’s salary this year was around 60 times the average non-management salary!

Our conscious policy around wages has two aims: it asks those who could command higher salaries elsewhere to make some financial sacrifice to support the wider goals of the business, and it aims to provide a reasonable level of remuneration for all.

Some Buddhists, and all the Directors, in the business have gone further: they receive a Support package, which relates to their basic needs, rather than a wage or salary related to the level of responsibility they take. The principle underlying support can be summed up by the aphorism: Give what you can, take what you need.

It asks us to separate the usual connection we make between the contribution we make at work, and the payment that we receive. It also means choosing a simple lifestyle, taking just what we need, and freeing ourselves up to contribute to the charitable goals of the business, unhindered by consideration of our personal economic worth.

So, when you buy from Evolution, you are not paying for shareholders, highly paid executives or business perks. You are simply helping a unique and ethical business to survive.

As part of our 100 Days of Ethical giving Campaign, we are also looking at the environmental impact of what we buy.

Just looking at one of our products shows you how you can make a difference once you start considering its’ journey. A simple, £18 recycled glass vase has a whole environmental story to tell!

Just choosing recycled glass over newly made glass means that;

- You are supporting constant recycling. Glass can be recycled over and over with no loss to its’ quality or usefulness.

- You are saving energy. Recycling glass used 40% less energy than producing new.

- You are cutting pollution. The recycling process reduces air pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%.

- You are saving space in landfill. Glass takes over a million years to break down, but only 30 days to recycle.

- You are conserving raw materials. Every ton of glass that is recycled saves over a ton of the raw materials needed to make new.

So our useful, £18 recycled glass vase – with it’s beautiful bubbled texture and pale green tint – has a lot to say about making your home a bit more eco friendly. It’s a simple thing, but it helps.

#ethicalchristmas #fairtrade from Evolution

One of the questions we ask ourselves when we are choosing to buy from an ethical source is “Can I really make a difference?”

Often it seems the odds are stacked against us and we have so little to give.

One of the great things about shopping at Evolution is that every little bit helps us to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. We’d like to tell you about just one example of what can happen with the donations we are able to make to one of our longstanding social projects, Ban Sai Rom orphanage in Thailand.
 
Arm is 19 years old and is affected by HIV and lost her parents to AIDS. In Thailand there is no infrastructure to support children who find themselves in this situation. Since 1999, Ban Sai Rom has been looking after children who, in some way, have been affected by AIDS.
 
From a very young age Arm has wanted to be a dancer and  some of our donations have been used for her college fees, helping her to pursue her dream to qualify as a Thai traditional dancing instructor.

Every time you buy from Evolution you are part of stories like Arms’, so the answer is, yes, whatever you spend really does make a difference.

#ethicalchristmas

As part of our 100 Days of Ethical Giving Campaign, we want to reconnect with the whole of the Triratna sangha. You may have heard of Evolution before, but if you do not have one of our shops locally, you may be curious about what we actually do!

Evolution started in 1980 as a market stall. The aim – which continues today – was to raise money for the movement. We’ve put together a short list of five things you may not know about Evolution.

1) We now have twenty shops across the country, from Leeds to Brighton and Norwich to Bristol..and not forgetting our Dublin store!
2) We do our best to operate in an environmentally sensitive way, for example, choosing to ship goods by sea, rather than by air - see more.
3) Any money not reinvested in the business is donated to Triratna projects or social projects based in countries we trade with.
4) One of our perennial bestsellers is Nag Champa incense!
5) Over the years, as a business, we have generated over £5 million for Triratna projects – the 100 Days campaign is part of our efforts to generate profits we can give away again.

We hope you will join our campaign and discover more about Evolution at evolutionstores.co.uk

Shopping ethically can be affordable, here's some recycled home accessories for £10 or under -http://goo.gl/GmXQmr at Evolution.

Not only are these made from recycled wood, our suppliers are given a fair price and their working conditions checked. In addition we support social projects in both Bali and Thailand where these are made. Just one way to make this Christmas a #EthicalChristmas.

On 16^th September Evolution – the Retail side of Windhorse:Evolution - launched the “100 Days of Ethical Giving” campaign aimed at asking people to make a difference in the world through positive shopping choices. During the 100 days that lead up to Christmas, we will be asking people to consider the benefits of buying ethically sourced items both to their own sense of well being and because it makes a difference worldwide.

We know that shoppers still feel financially squeezed and this is having an ongoing impact on the business as a whole, however, we hope that “100 Days of Ethical Giving” will help people reconnect with the deeper human quality of generosity.

We hope that the Sangha will support us and reconnect with the original vision of Windhorse:Evolution – simply, to raise money to give away. Over the years the business has raised over £5 million, much of which has gone into supporting Triratna projects. We want to be in the position of being able to contribute again – but we need your help!

Get involved!
You can make a difference – and here’s how:

• Consider buying your gifts from your local Evolution store or online at www.evolutionstores.co.uk and support our ethical policies.
• Sign up for our newsletter at www.evolutionstores.co.uk. Get news of the campaign, plus product news and offers.
• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Follow us on Twitter @evolutionstores or #ethicalchristmas.
• Support other ethical businesses and initiatives – we invite other businesses to join us and use #ethicalchristmas
• Spread the word! The more people that know about this, the better, so please let your friends and family know.
• Share your stories of generosity and ethical buying choices this Christmas on Facebook & Twitter

To find out more, visit www.evolutionstores.co.uk, Facebook or #EthicalChristmas

Last week we launched our 100 Days of Ethical Giving campaign and over the coming weeks we want to let you know more about Evolution – what we do and what we sell.

Here are just a few of our new Autumn lines. If recycling and reusing is your thing, you will love the recycled glass vases – we filled ours with apples and pine cones, but they’re perfect for all sorts of displays and at only £18.00 for the small size they’ll be useful all year round.
Our beautiful mango wood range offers everything from hanging heart decorations, to useful drawer sets, to picture frames. Each piece is hand carved in India so that no two pieces are the same. Starting at only £3.50 for the medium heart, they make lovely gifts too!
To get news of our products and donations to projects, simply visit us at evolutionstores.co.uk and sign up for our weekly newsletter or follow us in Facebook or Twitter.

Happy Autumn Days!
Aryajaya
Evolution