When did National Downshifting Week start?
NDW UK was launched in 2005 by writer and broadcaster on downshifting and sustainable living, Tracey Smith. As a result of its success and the interest received from overseas, the following year saw a ‘soft-launch’ of NDW USA!
It says ‘InterNational Downshifting Week’ on the website – when did that happen…?
This year (2008) and following many nudges from my friends, official organisations and supporters of sustainable living projects ‘outside’ of the UK, commenting that they wished there was an equivalent in their country, I decided to add ‘Inter’ to the ‘National’ and make it so. There are so many common bonds between us all, regardless of where we live and the simple ideas here can be adopted into to the everyday lives of folks around the world, so here goes! 2008 marks the start of this campaign being ‘InterNational’ Downshifting Week! I will be uploading pages of support for the countries who have specifically expressed an interest in getting involved and will appoint a person as a point of contact, in the host country, who will be able to guide you towards any information you need, so watch this space…!
Where has the campaign been featured?
Television – Tracey recently appeared in a feature on Channel 5’s ‘It Pays to Watch’, as the Eco-Cash Saver, showing how you can be kind to the planet and save money.
Earlier this week, she appeared on Channel 5’s ‘Wright Stuff’, the topical news discussion show with Matthew Wright and next week, she’s on the couch with GMTV.
Radio – She has presented eco-tips for Somerset’s Orchard FM and is currently recording a feature that will run throughout IDW for BBC Somerset and regularly appears on their news panel to discuss sustainable living issues.
Other media – here’s a few others – Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday Magazine, The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Express, The Irish Examiner, The Irish Times, Evening Telegraph Dundee, local press (various), Channel 5 News, ITV National News, BBC Somerset (regularly), BBC Radio 4 ‘You and Yours’ and ‘Saturday Live’, various BBC radio stations throughout the country, The Ecologist, The New Consumer, Natural Living, Sustained Magazine, Junior Magazine, various women’s interest magazines (She, New Woman, My Weekly, Home and Family, Psychology, Slimming World (? not sure how that happened!), etc) and many other overseas, including the Toronto Daily Star and the esteemed Grist! It’s also turned up in magazine copy in Russia, Italy, Spain, Japan, Finland, Germany and also in a documentary on Finnish national television (YTV) been on Radio New Zealand and German national TV news and radio too…and that’s just the stuff we know, off the top of our heads! (If you know of others, please let us know – thanks.) For more, click the button below for a up to date Google search.
