More successes via IGNITE with Environment Now funding
You’ll already have heard lots over the past year about “Pipes Away” – the virtual reality experiment to raise awareness about the problems caused to sewage pipes by putting the ‘wrong things’ down them. This was a project led by Victoria Russell on the IGNITE team which was successful in drawing down a significant funding pot from Environment Now.
That project has been a great success. The funding was well managed, the virtual reality game worked well, it’s been around our region and further afield in the UK raising awareness of this environmental issue, the funders have been pleased and, as the project nears its conclusion the feedback continues to roll in.
Just up is a quick YouTube video with Victoria explaining about the project. Watch it below or see it on the National Youth Agency website here.
The project has been picked up numerous times by the funders and the agencies involved now, so we’re really pleased that “Pipes Away” has been such a success.
But now it’s all starting again!
Another young leader being supported by the IGNITE team is also now celebrating success getting funding through the same pot for another local, technology based, environmentally focused project. Shaun’s project is called “Long Strip Wildlife” and it’s just at the start of its journey.
This project is also funded by the National Youth Agency’s Our Bright Future project called “The Environment Now”. That project is run in partnership with O2 Think Big and supports young people aged 17 – 24 to develop sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
Shaun had to develop a pitch which he had to deliver in London before he successfully managed to get his funding accepted. Well done Shaun (and thanks to the IGNITE team for supporting him).
The project will build an app that allows users to do the following:
– follow a guided walk
– record environmental data such as species of birds and plants seen
– take photographs of the area to send back to a central data base
– It will also have a function that will allow the user to report and record fly tipping, environmental damage etc. to the appropriate local council.
We’ll be reporting on the progress of the project over the coming year.
These two projects are both significant in scale (£7000-10000 each) and in reach (UK wide), and are exciting in terms of the technology used (Virtual reality and apps). It demonstrates that with the right idea, the right motivation, support and more, some significant projects can happen. Well done to all involved so far. Do you think you’ve got what it takes to get a project like this off the ground? Contact the IGNITE team to have a chat!
Follow Pipes Away on Twitter – @pipesaway