1. Trouble for tea growers
The villagers from the Fair Trade project in Darjeeling which grows tea for Equal Exchange have been cruelly hit by a cyclone which has devastated the buildings in their village and closed down their access road. These people have seen all of the good work done by the FT project destroyed by the weather. They need £200,000 to get working again and we are doing our best to raise some cash for them. Watch out for a Rainbow CD featuring the many and varying talents at RW. We also hope to hold a benefit concert in Norwich in September.

2. Rachel
At the end of August Rachel is leaving Rainbow after 30 years to live in Malawi. She has been a constant reminder to us of all of the positive things that Rainbow was in its first years and we will miss her very greatly. Good Luck and Happy Trails to you Rach, we send with you our great gratitude and all of our love.

3. Price Watch
At last some commodity prices are falling and we hope that this will continue but it is very dependent on currency fluctuations. Raisins and Currants have eased a bit of late. It remains the case that a few commodities are in short supply due to inclement weather and prices for these crops will remain high. Pumpkin Seeds, Green Peas and Banana Chips are amongst those affected. Branded goods prices remain fairly steady as companies are reluctant to foist increases onto a very price conscious public.

For more news and chat, check out the Rainbow Blog