Beat the Credit Crunch

Bristol Group Shows How You Can Live on Less Than £1 per Day! Series of FREE Public Talks/Demonstrations:

Commencing Tuesday 3 February, 2009; 7.30pm

The Better Food Company, Sevier Street, Bristol

LOCAL skills will be showcased over the coming months with the re-launch of ‘Freeskilling’, Bristol's free weekly skill-sharing evening.

The first event will be hosted by Mark Boyle, the Freeconomy founder who is currently living without money, and he will be joined by Kath Kelly, author of ‘How I lived a year on just a £1 a Day’ (published by Redcliffe Press) a Bristol woman who lived on a pound a day for a year. Their inspirational talk – ‘How to beat the Credit Crunch! – ways to survive and thrive on the tiniest of budgets’ – and will cover all aspects of frugal living, including tips on free food, shelter and fun!

Says Mark: “Given the economic and meteorological climates we are facing, we are all going to have to be a bit more frugal. The good news, however, is that there are so many innovative ways out there to not only survive, but to have a lot of fun, on even the tiniest of budgets.”

He adds: “All myself and Kath want to do is to help show you how you can live an amazingly fun life – from food and accommodation to travelling and entertainment – either for free or under a £1 per day. And just to prove it the talk itself is free!

“All the projects are already out there – from the Freeconomy Community to Freecycle and Liftshare – all of which have got lots of members in Bristol. The hard work has already been done – all we really need to do is to teach people how to make use of these incredibly smart tools.”

Future events include a talk by the star of the BBC's ‘Roadkill Chef’ series Fergus ‘the forager’ Drennan, on how to make paper and ink from mushrooms, and a demonstration on how to make beer from local foraged ingredients, by Andy Hamilton, co-author of The Self-Sufficientish Bible (Hodder & Stoughton). There will also be a demonstration on how to grow food in small spaces, and on how to cook using obscure or less popular vegetables from your veg box!

The events are absolutely free and everyone is welcome. For more information, join your local Freeconomy Community at www.justfortheloveofit.org or contact Mark Boyle on 0775 886 1783

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NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about this media release, interviews, or feature articles on frugal living, contact Mark Boyle on 0775 886 1783, Kath Kelly on 07763109043 or Amanda Woodvine on 07599 022259.

Kath Kelly's book is called “How I live on just a £1 a day!”, is published by Redcliffe Press, is out now and costs £6.99.

The Freeskilling evenings for the next two months are –

How to Beat the Credit Crunch!

3rd Feb, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7.30pm

Kath Kelly, who lived on a pound a day for a year, and Mark Boyle, the Freeconomy founder who is living without money, give their advice on how to survive and thrive on the tiniest of budgets!

Throat Singing

10th Feb, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

Everyone can throat sing… come along and learn how. You’ll find out how to isolate a few simple throat sounds which will be used as stimulus for play throughout the workshop.

Boxing Clever: Cooking from Your Veg Box

17th Feb, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

Jane Easton, food & cookery co-ordinator for the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation and Viva! will cook up some recipes using obscure or less popular vegetables from your organic box.

Growing in Small Spaces

24th Feb, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

Pick Your Own throughout the year in small spaces: window sill, balcony or patio… Learn about growing veg in containers to stay healthy in mind as well as body – even if you live on the eighth floor!

How to make Paper and Ink out of Mushrooms!

3rd Mar, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

World-famous forager Fergus Drennan is back, and this time he has come to teach the good folk of Brizzle how to make paper and ink out of mushrooms!

Brew Up

10th Mar, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

Local ‘Self-Sufficientish’ guru Andy Hamilton shows how to make beer from local foraged ingredients.

Cheap as Chick Peas: Thrifty Ways with Pulses

17th Mar, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

Tasty and thrifty ways to cook pulses, including ideas for wind-free zones(!)

Tap Your Hidden Potential

24th Mar, The Better Food Company, Sevier St @ 7pm

We know you’re a talented bunch… this confidence-building workshop will unleash your skills and fill you with flair for presenting them to others. A light-hearted evening with a local theatre director.

Mark Boyle the freeconomy community www.justfortheloveofit.org

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – MK Gandhi