We're back after a bit of a break and in this episode, Stuart talks with Sian Conway-Wood and Dr Andrew Lumsden-Groom about their ethical alternative to Black Friday, Shop Ethical Instead. Here's some more info! #ShopEthicalInstead is a positive alternative to Black Friday - encouraging people to support small, ethical and sustainable businesses throughout the holiday season. Organised by #EthicalHour - the world’s first and largest support community for ethical SMEs, #ShopEthicalInstead is now going into its 5th year and is set to be bigger and better than ever! Having weathered the pandemic and now entering a cost-of-living crisis, it’s a challenging time for ethical SMEs, but they are still fiercely committed to paying living wage, creating jobs, supporting communities and treading as lightly on the planet as possible. Throughout November and December, we spend more money than any other time of year on gifts for our loved ones. By simply purchasing those gifts from the good businesses in our community, we can have a positive impact that ripples around our neighbourhoods and through supply chains across the world. Research shows that approximately 73% of money spent locally stays within the local economy (as opposed to only 43% of money spent at chains). If we want our high streets to thrive and our local communities to be vibrant, diverse places to live, we need to support the SMEs on our doorstep. This year, choose to shop small, vote with your wallet, and #ShopEthicalInstead - because every sale matters to a small business. Websites Mentioned: Ethical Hour - https://ethicalhour.com/ ShopEthicalInstead - https://ethicalhour.com/home/shop-ethical-instead/