Sarah Thorp, one of the co-founders of the not-for-profit project, says her life transformed when she became a parent of a child with additional needs. This kickstarted a life transition, which also involved a career shift. Thorp, along with her husband, realized there was a lack of provision as well as opportunities for their son to become more independent, develop skills and—eventually—find work.

In England, only 6% of adults with a learning disability are gainfully employed. Research shows the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, including improvement in reliability, team morale, and productivity. Thorp says her original mission was to establish a community café & hub where young people with additional needs learn new skills, gain work experience and are supported in their transition to work and a more independent adult life.

Thorp joined efforts with her friend, Amanda Pugh, who also had a daughter with additional needs. With Pugh as No Limit’s co-founder, the pair embarked on a mission to not only launch a café, but to found a company that could break down barriers and improve the lives of an often-overlooked demographic. In doing so, they’ve beautifully demonstrated the power and potential of diversity and inclusivity.

We wanted to create a place where people with additional needs can thrive. — No Limits founder, Amanda Pugh

Their work officially began in 2018. With the support from a National Lottery Fund, Pugh and Thorp were able to run scoping projects using a borrowed café space in the town of Newton Abbot (Devon, England). They used this preliminary stage to gain experience, information and perspective, expanding their network by attending specialist education and accessibility fairs. After securing further funding, they were set to open.

Pugh and Thorp originally planned to open the hub in March of 2020, but plans were delayed due the Covid-19 pandemic. In June 2020, No Limits Community Café & Hub opened its doors for take-away, later expanding to dine-in seating as it became safe to do so. The hub’s tagline is “Changing misconceptions one cappuccino at a time”, which they do by offering a safe, inclusive and supportive space, where training, work experience and employability skills are provided for people with various additional needs. 

The original space is conveniently located near a pedestrian crossing and bus stop and the initiative has recently launched a new hub where they can make their own soups and cakes. “Making our own food was always what we originally wanted, but given how busy we became, we no longer had the capacity for it,” Pugh says. “The new facilities allow all the participants in the Work Experience program to be involved with the whole cooking process, which makes them appreciate even more what’s involved. Seeing that what they’re producing is sold and enjoyed by the public is very empowering. We also now have even more scope to provide opportunities for more people with disabilities and additional needs.”

The eco-friendly café prioritizes mobility access as well and is fully wheelchair-friendly, with extra wide turning spaces in all areas. Their facility is also autism-friendly and Makaton (a language that uses speech along with gestures and symbols to help people communicate) friendly. The intentional inclusion of accessible design are evident throughout the building. There are adaptable kitchen surfaces, broad windows that help people feel less overwhelmed, equipment to support deaf people and those with visual impediments, different colors of paper that facilitate understanding, a bespoke till and much more.

There are various routes prospective workers can take to start at No Limits: the eight-week Work Experience program, long term placements, and supported employment are a few options. Many staff members have continued on at the café even after their initial program.

“The most joyful thing is to see our participants arriving here on day one lacking confidence, lacking belief, barely speaking or looking people in the eyes, and after the program, to see them leaving with a much greater degree of confidence and self-esteem as well as a lovely sense of appreciation for what this place has provided to them, knowing they’re valuable and understood,” Thorp says.

Tom is one employee who, when he started a placement at the café, wouldn’t talk with anybody and didn’t feel confident enough to serve customers alone. Two years later, he is a cheerful staff member who works as a kitchen assistant, running errands by himself. He’s known as the ‘king of coffee’ given his much admirable coffee making skills. “I love working here as I get to do lots of things and make new friends”, Tom says.

Time and funding are the main hurdles with the operating No Limits. Pugh explains: “What we’re doing here is like running two businesses: the café, which is a business in itself, but with much higher costs given the need of specialist equipment as well as one-to-one job coaches. And by being a disability confident leader, it entails a greater level of safeguarding and risk assessments, recruiting and timetabling the participants in our programs, on top of liaising with the Job Centre as well as funders. An important aspect of what we do is to explain to people what we’re about because we still find a lot of people don’t appreciate we’re a café open to all general public.”

Sustainability is also at the core of the ethics the project models. No Limits partners with local suppliers of produce and ingredients, from fruits and vegetables, to artesian bakeries and local butchers. The Coffee Company supplies the coffee grounds to the establishment and also offers free barista training to the participants of the program. Localization is also a priority for the hub and No Limits aims to “use solely Devon suppliers where possible and reduce the amount of deliveries required through careful ordering.”

Since opening their doors in 2020, the café has trained and orientated 41 participants, showcasing the benefits diversity brings, and raising awareness about disability and the importance of a diverse workforce.

“We’ve had many very able people coming through our programs. Some, despite having had a great experience here are simply not work-ready (while having a noticeable increase in their sense of worth and self-esteem), and some are more than capable, in fact, they’re a real asset, and I wish there were more paid roles available as access to work support is out there. There is a limit to how many people we can employ ourselves.”

Going forward, the project wants to expand the catering area, and plans to secure further funding and continue breaking down barriers. You can learn more and support their work here. 

Check out these related articles:

• Grow Free improves food access in Australia, one cart at a time
• Lending and community building at The Thingery
• Sharing Cities: How Rennes has helped over 550 people get back to work

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They’re saving lives by leaving uplifting notes in areas with high suicide rates, teaching people the importance of wild plants on the sidewalks, cleaning up roads while getting fit and connecting with others, and transforming abandoned spaces into bee sanctuaries. Indeed, these everyday people are creating a true do-it-ourselves revolution. 

Saving lives

According to the World Health Organization, “more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.”

When she was struggling with mental health issues and tragically contemplating suicide, Paige Hunter recieved support from a stranger in a critical moment. Emboldened by that support, she’s since worked to overcome her mental health struggles. Now, she aims to be a beacon of support for others, leaving encouraging handwritten notes on Wearmouth Bridge, in Northampton, England, where suicide attempts are not uncommon. 

In a moving social media post, Paige shared: “I have placed 240 of these notes of hope to show that it’s actually alright to not be okay, and I hope that these quotes just help that one person to not go through with suicide and know that they are worthy of living.” 

These “notes of hope” have been recognised by mental health workers as well police for their impact and effectiveness in helping to prevent suicide. In fact, it’s estimated that 28 lives have been saved by Hunter’s uplifting notes. Hunter continues to use her voice and online platforms to openly discuss and raise awareness about mental health issues, a topic that is still taboo for many.

Between the cracks

Another kind of silent revolution has begun in France. 

Sauvages de ma rue —“The Wild Plants of My Street” teaches people about plants that are simply growing on roads and sidewalks. Participants use chalk on pavements to draw attention to wild flowers and plants in urban areas, helping the general public learn and understand more about their names and significance.

These interventions have inspired contemplation, and encouraged respect for weeds – which are often misrepresented and misunderstood. 

By highlighting the importance of these wild plants for a variety of species, including bees and butterflies, ordinary people have been able to appreciate a bit more their contribution to the ecosystem, whilst learning about the extraordinary botanic world.

The initiative has also inspired similar acts in other countries, such as the More Than Weeds project, set up in the United Kingdom by French botanist and campaigner Sophie Leguil. 

In 2017, the country banned the use of pesticides in the streets, forcing cities to change the way they manage urban flora. Leguil explains: “I launched the project after seeing the change in perception that happened in France. I am hoping to educate people about the plants growing around them, and their many benefits — from cleaning air pollution to helping insects as well as their medicinal uses.” Above all, she hopes the project will encourage acceptance of more wilderness in parks and city streets.

What’s the buzz? 

Detroit Hives, a nonprofit organization that builds “educational apiaries” in vacant city lots, was founded by Nicole Lindsey and Timothy Paule in 2017.

By transforming abandoned spaces into beautiful bee farms, Detroit Hives helps ensure that pollinators can survive and propagate. Doing so also builds communities by bringing people together to cultivate local, healthy, diverse and fresh food. 

According to The Bee Conservancy, one in three bites of food we eat gets pollinated by bees. Detroit Hives cultivates gardens for bee colonies, which in turn produce honey and other bioproducts. The people involved in the venture also get to learn about the importance of protecting pollinators, growing food locally, as well as connecting with each other. All of this helps communities thrive.

Running for good

The Good Gym, in the U.K., sponsors teams of runners who “combine getting fit with doing good”.

In addition to running, participants give back by executing physical tasks for community organizations, supporting isolated elders with social visits and assisting them with difficult tasks. 

To date, Good Gym participants have completed almost 270,00 of these good deeds.

Examples include picking up litter while running, or clearing a patch of overgrown grass and weeds while jogging, in order to create space for fruit trees to grow.

These inspiring projects are helping more people to act in alignment with their broader belief systems while doing more of what makes them feel good. 

These stories reflect what the activist and pacifist Mahatma Gandhi continually asserted: In order to make a tangible difference in our material conditions, people must “be the change they wish to see in the world.”

After all, community heroes can be anywhere. Every one of us can join this growing team of do-gooders and create lasting change exactly where we are.

Check out these related stories on grassroots initiatives and community empowerment:

• Community gardens are cropping up at public libraries everywhere
• Wildfire blackouts got you down? Start a battery sharing collective like we did in Oakland
• How the pandemic has brought us together: A conversation with The Reveal podcast
• The power of nature in restoring personal and community wellbeing
• Community connection key to fighting loneliness in a pandemic

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You don’t have to be a high-profile activist to be a seed guardian. Ordinary people are on the frontlines of the global revolution against corporate seed patents, the industrial seed business, and the way they decrease biodiversity. 

Being a seed saver and sharer is an investment in future generations. All you have to do is cultivate, save, and share organic seeds adapted to where you live. You’ll help create change by contributing to a food system that’s more democratic, diverse, and sustainable. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been full of trauma, yet with it has come a reconnection with nature as people around the world, whether by choice or necessity, have started gardening.

This has increased the demand for seeds — and has inspired activism around the world.

The Free Seed Project

While ordinary people lead the way, celebrity activists play their part too. This includes American sustainability advocate Rob Greenfield, whose extreme acts to raise awareness about consumption and waste include wearing all the waste he produced for a month and only eating food he grew or harvested himself for a year.

Since 2018, Greenfield has led a free seed distribution project, the Free Seed Project, in collaboration with the Live Like Ally Foundation (LLAF).

The program has since distributed over 20,000 free kits around the United States containing “some of the easiest-to-grow seeds out there,” including vegetables, herbs and bee-friendly flowers. According to the foundation, the goal is to “make it as easy as possible for new gardeners to get started and be successful.” 

The program is also setting up seed libraries in community hubs around the country. Their goal is to improve access to healthy food, especially to the most vulnerable people.

India at the forefront of seed sharing

In India, the ecological advocacy organization Navdanya has promoted seed sharing since 1987, with a focus on conserving native, nutritious, and climate-resilient seeds. With a mission to conserve and reclaim the commons, the agency has established  150 seed banks and educational programs to support local, traditional, organic farming.

All of this hits close to home for Indian farmers, who are struggling with corporations that are using patents to own, make, sell and distribute seeds. This puts farmers in the position of “stealing” the intellectual property of these patented seeds by continuing their traditional methods of cultivating, selling, saving and sharing seeds. 

In this economy, Navdanya is fighting the strict rules imposed by industrial agriculture and securing, through the seed banks, the future of many varieties of plants for local and traditional farmers across India. 

The Seedy Sisters in the United Kingdom, in partnership with the Transition Town Movement, have mobilized seed savers by organizing gardening-training events, seed swaps, and skillshares.

Brazilian farmer workers form seed co-op

In Brazil, members of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (the Landless Workers Movement) created their own organic seed co-op, Bionatur, to “produce and commercialize agroecological seeds that can be cultivated, multiplied, conserved and improved by the farmers who acquire them, expressing their productive potential and their ability to adapt to the different regions of Brazil.”

Sara Cabreira, one of the Bionatur’s workers, says that seed saving pits “mainstream agribusiness against peasant agriculture.” She says that it’s literally a “dispute of territories,” with pesticides and conventional cultivation reducing the land available to small farmers to produce their own food and earn a living. “We started out with 12 families,” she says “and we currently support over 400 families to grow organically.”

Join the seed sharing revolution

Seed saving protects the organic seed heritage and traditional farming; propagates stronger, climate-adapted plants; and supports independence from chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and mainstream corporations. 

Seed sharing has become a global phenomenon that can secure diverse and nutritious food for generations to come. 

We can all learn how to do it, too. Planting a seed is a real act of hope, and maybe even a food revolution.

Related stories:

• How to start a seed sharing campaign in your town
• The Anarchist Guide to Seed Sharing
• Seed libraries help communities grow food in a pandemic

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In the current pandemic situation, the time people are spending on screens has rapidly increased, which means exposing ourselves to nature is even more critical to our emotional and physical wellbeing than ever. It’s also an opportunity to support and bring communities together.

Here are a few organizations aiming to get people safely outside. 

The Woodland Presents is an environmental not-for-profit in Southwest England responding to the neglected state of British woodlands and working to connect people to trees and timber in meaningful ways. They have built various community wellbeing hubs, setting up a maker-space for woodworkers, an outdoor woodland venue for courses and events, and created a reforestation community benefit society that aims to plant over 10,000 trees a year. 

One project, launched in response to the pandemic, is named ‘Woods for Wellness’. As Sylvia Mohabir, one of the organization’s co-directors says “our Woods for Wellness project was created to help those struggling during COVID-19, to increase health and happiness, and combat isolation, loneliness, and other wellbeing issues the pandemic may have caused.” The project brings people together to help restore and connect with woodlands, slow down, learn and share skills, and discover transformative experiences in a natural environment.

Another UK mental health not-for-profit organization Mind shares that “ecotherapy involves getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental wellbeing. Whether it’s taking regular walks in the park, flying a kite, or participating in a gardening therapy project, green exercise is proven to have huge benefits for mental health”. 

In a study run by the initiative, 95% of those interviewed reported their mood improved after spending time outside, changing from depressed and anxious to more calm and balanced as nature has a soothing effect on people’s nerves.

Aligned with that philosophy, forest bathing (also known as Shinrin-yoku) originated in Japan in the early 1980s and is regarded as a form of nature therapy that supports our body, mind, and soul, helping us cope with pain, suffering, and discomfort. Immersing oneself in a forest and just being is a simple and yet, very significant act of self-care, and some believe it works as preventative medicine.

And honoring this ethos, whilst attempting to boost the immune system, better our sleep, and lower blood pressure, as well as depression, social prescribing of forest bathing is a movement gaining strength due to how effective, inexpensive, and beneficial it is. The non-medical therapy provides patients with an opportunity to attend to their health and overall wellbeing by getting involved in social activities, such as gardening, connecting with and befriending those who are most vulnerable, practicing a sport or simply forest bathing. 

Another growing global movement, ecotourism, aims to provide people with an opportunity to enjoy the natural habitats whilst preserving them. 

In Lisbon, for instance, Breath Portugal, is a project offering “healing experiences in nature”. Focused on ecology, mindfulness, and mental health, the agency is popular among those wanting to relax, as well as being creative.

Richard Louv, the bestseller author of the book ‘Last Child in the Woods’, defends why we need more nature where we live, learn, work and play. Bringing attention to the term ‘nature-deficit disorder’, Louv documents how the decrease in the exposure of children to the natural environment has contributed to obesity rates, lower self-esteem, social anxiety, and many other issues related to physical and emotional wellbeing, and how addressing such issues can support one’s creativity – and sense of freedom.

Considering the effect on people’s quality of life in urban environments, a US study set out to investigate how people who live in two Chicago public housing developments, surrounded by trees and green spaces, were affected by it. Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that “natural elements such as trees promote increased opportunities for social interactions, monitoring of outdoor areas, and supervision of children in impoverished urban neighborhoods.” 

These findings are now influencing public policies around housing developments as well as green spaces for the benefit of people – and the wildlife. Ecological corridors are a way to support and connect spaces separated by human activities or structures, so the fauna has a better chance to survive – and thrive – especially in densely populated areas. 

The nonprofit, Tress for Life is also working to revitalize wild forests in the Highlands of Scotland, “providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.” Relying on volunteers, the organization has planted an impressive two million trees as well as developed a number of projects that help conserve and restore the Scottish Highlands wilderness. 

In Brazil, Reconexão Amazônia (Amazon Reconnection) is an initiative offering spaces to educate Brazilians about the largest forest in the world, which inhabits 59% of the tropical country. The organization’s founder, Karina Miotto, uses the principles of deep ecology, which at its core considers human life as just one of many equal components of a global ecosystem, as the starting point to reconnect people to the wonders of nature, and says “the human soul longs for freedom and nature is our ally on this path.”

The recently launched documentary ‘The Beginning of Life 2: Outside’ offers insights on the importance of experiences in the natural environment throughout childhood. Claiming that “genuine connections between children and nature can revolutionize our future”, this film shows how such connection can be “part of the cure for the biggest challenges facing humanity today and the construction of a happier life with a greater level of wellbeing.”  

Bearing in mind how many people might not have access to a garden or a park nearby, it’s important to report that researchers have also found that even having a plant, an inspiring picture of a landscape around or simply listening to the sounds of nature can bring benefits, and support people to relax. For instance, Tree FM is a free online resource that allows people to listen to sounds from forests all over the world. 

After all, reconnecting with nature is like resetting our brain. As author Eckhart Tolle shares “nature can bring you to stillness, that is its gift to you.”

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In a world where the waste from what we consume has become a major issue, polluting our air, land, and water, and therefore affecting so many other species, being smart and creative about moving away from a linear economy based on making, using, and disposing to a circular one, where resources are continually transformed and regenerated, is key – and urgent – in order to reach a social, ecological and economic balance.

Let’s meet some initiatives that are showcasing how to make things better for everyone, including our planet:

1. Emiliana Underwear

Alarmed by the fashion industry – and how unsustainable the business models, products, and manufacturing processes are, Emma Kidd founded Emiliana Underwear in order to produce beautiful, ethical, and handmade underwear as well as camisoles by upcycling clothes and fabrics. The initiative rescues a lot of material that would otherwise be taken to landfill, and instead, trim them with stretch lace, ribbons and bows, transforming the fabric into attractive and comfortable lingerie.

The project also offers kits and workshops, so that people who are new to the world of sewing can make their own underclothes, developing a new skill whilst avoiding a considerable amount of waste.

For more information about these happy knickers, click here.  

2. Upcycle Santa Fe

Using the power of education, Upcycle Santa Fe is an organization in the US set out to research, develop and share “open-source solutions for the plastic waste dilemma.” And the way they do it is by utilizing and upcycling plastic waste, and transforming it into a useful and durable building and insulating materials. 

Highlighting the need for small-scale grassroots and local-based approaches to waste management, the organization collects and creates Ecobricks, which are simply water bottles (or milk cartons) stuffed with clean and dry plastic waste that can be used to build and insulate constructions.

And as an option for thicker insulation, the project creates what’s called Ubuntu-Blox, which are compressed bales of bagged post-consumer plastic and styrofoam waste. Such options offer an opportunity to convert a lot of material that otherwise would be wasted into something useful as well as affordable. 

3. Comida Invisível (Invisible Food)

Comida Invisível is a digital platform that brings together those who have good food to donate with those who need it, easily and practically. 

This service, in Brazil, acts as a direct bridge between restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and bars with Individuals and the third sector to facilitate the donation of food unsuitable for trade, but suitable for consumption, supporting a lot of people in need, and avoiding a great deal of waste. Such an initiative can be also described as the ‘Brazilian hub for solutions to avoid food waste through education and awareness-raising’.

Throughout the pandemic, the initiative has partnered with an innovative platform called +Brasil to support people to buy different kits of subsidized food and hygienic products to be donated to those who are most vulnerable.

4. THE ReSTORE Dartington

Intending to rediscover, recreate and rejuvenate furniture and furnishings items that are donated, THE ReSTORE Dartington is a project set up by and managed by the not-for-profit Refurnish, in England, that makes the most of skillful volunteers and upcycling artists – and their creativity. In doing so, the initiative helps people learn and develop skills whilst diverting a lot of waste that would otherwise go to landfill.

After repairing and improving items of furniture, the social enterprise sells the products in the shop attached to its workshop. The initiative also runs a series of skillshare sessions as well as a monthly Repair Café, which had to be paused throughout the pandemic, and instead, they are offering a repair service for household and electrical items on a donation basis.  

5. RUCO – Repurpose Used Cooking Oil

Set out to advocate for and educate people on healthy eating, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO, an initiative that facilitates the responsible disposal of used cooking oil, which when discarded down the sink or toilet, can make the treatment of the water impossible, and when used repeatedly, it can be harmful to human health.

India is one of the world’s largest consumers of vegetable oil, and whilst supporting households, FSSAI has also been regulating restaurants and hotels, to do the same, collecting the used frying oil and converting it into biodiesel, also known as ‘green diesel’.

6. The Repurpose Project

Keen to “innovate a reuse economy that helps our planet and protects our future,” The Repurpose Project is a US not-for-profit community initiative that saves and diverts useful items and products from landfill, whilst raising awareness about reducing waste and the circular economy solutions, through educational workshops.

Such projects include a Reuse Shop, which is known as a ‘junk shop’, since it sells a variety of random and overlooked items; a Zero Waste Initiative, which supports schools and businesses to rethink – and reuse – waste; and a Community Centre to host spaces focused on community and planet’s wellbeing.

7. GroCycle

Aiming to teach people how to grow mushrooms in an easy, fun and low-tech way, GroCycle is a UK social enterprise that among a number of techniques uses coffee grounds to grow gourmet oyster mushrooms in a way that is more straightforward than traditional mushroom cultivation, whilst affecting a considerable waste stream.

Bearing in mind that more than 9 billion kilos of coffee beans are produced each year globally, the initiative uses coffee waste generated by British coffeehouse chains as the main material to cultivate mushrooms. 

The figures are impressive: Since 2011, when they started, the project has recycled more than 75,000kg of coffee grounds and turned them into more than 20 tonnes of mushrooms, always having simplicity and efficiency at the core of the processes used. 

Click here for further resources, and here to watch a step-by-step video on how to grow mushrooms in coffee grounds.

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It’s also a great way to help make the world more sustainable.

In fact, neighborhood-building projects with a focus on sustainability are emerging all around the world. Let’s visit five distinct examples of how people are working to strengthen the health of their neighborhood, as well as the planet. 

1. Tomorrow Today Streets

Based in London, Tomorrow Today Streets is an initiative that offers 24 practical kits to help members of a street “make everyday wonderful.” Each kit includes materials, equipment, training , and helpful tips, and are free when at least three members of the same street apply for it. Each kit helps neighbors to grow and cook food (whilest supporting healthier eating and waste reduction), repair clothes as well as bicycles, organize community events, and much more.    

Its parent organization, Every One. Every Day, is distributed over five High Street shops, and one large public makerspace called The Warehouse in Thames, where the project’s organizers host regular inspiring and practical events, such as workshops and skillshares, to help people to start something exciting on their street to make life better for everyone.

Click here for further resources and ways to get involved.

2. Transition Streets

Originally set up as an experiment in Totnes, England, the Transition Streets initiative aims to change behavior on the street so as to “to cut energy use, reduce carbon emissions, save money and strengthen your neighborhood.” 

What’s more, these changes all require little or no financial investment to move forward. 

Focusing on addressing the climate emergency in a fun and friendly way, the program brings neighbors together to connect, collaborate, and care about what matters to them, in their own context, on their own street. 

The program encourages seven regular meetings among a group of households, and is guided by a workbook, which offers simple tips on how to review our relationship to food packaging, transport, water, and energy in a more efficient and sustainable way.  

Participants report that, at the end of the program, they feel more connected with their neighbors — and on average saved around $760 per year, and 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide per year, for each household. 

Click here to learn how to set up a similar project in your area.

3. Cool Block

According to a 2015 report, one-third of all Americans have never interacted with their neighbor. Cool Block is keen to change all that — and, by doing so, improve the well-being of the planet. 

The Cool Block strategy is to use grassroots organizing, and starts with individuals who are making changes in their own lives. Cool Block shows them how to extend their impact to their household, neighborhood, city — and beyond. 

Project founder David Gershon says that communities can start their Cool Block project after staging nine meetings together over a period of about four-and-a-half months. The meetings, he says, “help people learn about carbon reduction, water stewardship, disaster resiliency, livability, and empowering others.” 

Want to get a Cool Block project started where you live? It all begins with an individual block leader — a volunteer who is committed to make change right on their block.

4. Instituto Ecobairro

First launched in Sao Paulo, Brazil, one of the biggest cities in the world, Instituto Ecobairro — the Eco-Borough Institute, for English speakers — envisions setting up “cooperation networks where creativity, harmony and diversity inspire our actions, in a continuous movement of reconciliation.” 

Aiming to help Brazilian towns and cities to become more sustainable and peaceful, this initiative runs programs and events, and provides free online resources. For instance, the project has developed a Portuguese-language manual, “Seeds for a Sustainable and Peaceful Neighborhood,” to help individuals transform their lives, homes, streets, and blocks. 

Amid the current global pandemic, Instituto Ecobairro has also released free online resources, such as “A Sustainable Guide to Staying Home” (in Portuguese), providing inspiration and ideas for becoming more sustainable and resilient in times of social distancing and self-isolation.

5. Social Streets

It all started in 2013 with a Facebook group for residents of Fondazza Street in Bologna, Italy, but soon grew to include other Facebook groups for neighbors in other regions. 

Social Streets has since become a simple, powerful, and free means for neighbors to build relationships, identify common needs, share expertise and knowledge, and work together on projects that benefit everyone living in the same region. 

By knowing each other, neighbors are helping each other out, ranging from organizing children’s playdates to item swaps and movie sessions; independent businesses have created discount programs for local residents to support the local economy; and people are sharing more — things, skills, resources, and time.

Social Streets has proven to be a powerful tool for change, especially when the connections transcend the virtual world, and become face-to-face as a natural next step from online interactions. 

It just takes four steps to set up your own Social Street, including contacting info@socialstreet.it to report your initiative and get further support.

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With the mission to bring thriving orchards into the heart of urban communities, The Orchard Project has been restoring orchards in U.K. cities and towns for the past 10 years. In the process, it has revived orchard management skills like grafting, pruning, and planting.

Last year, the organization planted or rejuvenated more than 2,000 trees in 70 community orchards. The organization relies on thousands of volunteers, a team of leaders (trained by the project), community group partners, funders, and other supporters. 

The Orchard Project Communication Manager Joanne Hooper said: “Our vision is that every person living in a town or a city in the U.K. is within a walking distance from a community orchard. And we try to achieve that through working with community groups to plant the orchards, and supporting them to maintain them.”

Funded by grants, the nonprofit is creative in how it generates funds while being a value-driven community organization. It offers a variety of skills training, consulting, and sells apple juice and cider from its orchards which is processed with the help of community members. The project created an orchard design kit, which can be bought with consulting services, and it also welcomes donations. 

Recently, the Orchard Project restored 30 neglected and at-risk London orchards, some of which were on land belonging to hospitals, schools and monasteries. With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which considered those orchards part of the U.K.’s heritage, the project brought the neglected orchards back to life with support from local communities.

As the project creates a sustainable source of fresh fruit in urban areas, it also helps participants appreciate the process of growing food, increasing their awareness about nature, community resilience and food systems.

“We’re also in the middle of a project to improve biodiversity in orchards in Manchester and Edinburgh by implementing certain features, such as ponds, dry-stone walls, leaving decaying trees standing, which create fantastic habitats for many creatures, adding green roofs on any buildings or sheds, creating bug hotels, all of which attracts wildlife,” Hooper said.

“In the meantime, we’re trying to raise awareness, since orchards are key habitats for wildlife as stated in the U.K. Biodiversity Action Plan, and tend to attract more species when compared to parks and gardens, partially due to the fact fruit trees develop rot woods, cracked bark and spaces for bugs and birds to nest in whilst its blossoms attract lots of pollinators.”

Between planting and restoring, the organization has supported more than 420 orchards. Since 2016, it has rescued 13 tonnes of unwanted apples and pears and turned them into juice and a hand-crafted cider called Local Fox, made with traditional pressing methods.

The Orchard Project has partnered with Scottish churches with an organization called Eco-congregration, which repurposes churchyards to grow fruit. The project leverages parishioners who want to help improve the local area.

“A lot of what we do is about engaging people to help tackle the climate crisis, since by getting involved with their community orchards, they are planting trees, taking ownership of at least one of their food sources,supporting wildlife, and sharing skills,” Hooper said. 

The Orchard Project has a vast collection of free online resources, including lesson plans for those involved in schools and tips on how to prune old fruit trees.

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They were presented with the opportunity to apply for The People’s Projects Fund provided by The National Lottery Community Fund in partnership with the TV channel ITV, to fund the world’s first mobile library of things, which would travel to these communities, making it easier and more accessible for all.

Share Shed manager Mark Jefferys says, “Everybody we meet seems to understand the concept of ‘borrow, don’t buy’, and it’s a great feeling when we can help somebody out with the things they need to complete a task, be it putting up a shelf, or getting a house ready for a sale. Expanding this possibility to other villages, and facilitating even more sharing seems like a great and exciting next step for us.”

With the support from their parent organization, the nonprofit Network of Wellbeing, Share Shed decided to start the application process by creating a proposal with a budget of £48,599 (US$63,539). If successful, as well as continue to serve Totnes, the project would also work with three neighbouring towns: Ashburton, Buckfastleigh and South Brent, which have a combined population of 25,000 people. 

Pam Barrett, former Mayor of Buckfastleigh, says, “As soon as I heard of the Share Shed, I wanted to bring it to Buckfastleigh. We’re a small town and lack many facilities. Our inhabitants are often isolated or on low incomes. Sharing tools and other equipment is a natural response to empower people and to build connections, and I’m keen to support the Share Shed in any way I can.” 

Sue Ifould from Sustainable South Brent adds, “We’ve thought for some time about how we could set up a library of things in a small community like South Brent. The Mobile Share Shed is the answer. By working with towns and villages around, we could develop a service that meets all our needs, and build connections between our communities.”

After three phases of the grant process requiring detailed information about the project’s journey up to that point, budgets, marketing strategy, and further aspirations, Share Shed was shortlisted to the final phase of the competition: A 15-day public campaign to get as many votes for the project as possible. The projects with the most votes would be the winners, and be granted their asked-for amount, with the outcome being broadcast live on ITV. 

Being one of five finalists for a particular geographical area the fund provider works with — and not being allowed to invest in paid advertising of any kind — required a great deal of creativity from the Share Shed team, as well as focus to spread the word about the venture, while converting the interest into votes. Jefferys came up with a song explaining how the project had been developed and the ambitious plans for the future. With support from the project’s volunteers, a video was made and shared on social media, which became a great asset in the campaign. 

The Share Shed team and supporters were pleased to receive the news, live on ITV, that the project was indeed awarded the grant. Since then, Share Shed staff have been working to develop this audacious initiative, hoping to inspire and further support a much-needed change; one that is based on sharing and collaboration.

The team is currently working on converting a vehicle to start supporting nearby villages beginning in April 2020. There has already been a great amount of interest from similar projects worldwide on how this venture is evolving, and hopefully this model will be replicated globally, fulfilling the needs of those who want access to, rather than to own, things. Such a shift is supporting people and communities to become much more resourceful and sustainable.

If you’re interested in setting up a similar initiative in your community, you can find some helpful resources here.

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This post is part of our 2020 editorial series on libraries of things. Download the free ebook from the series here.

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If so, you’ve experienced some of the troubles modernity has offered: A “buy, use, and throwaway” model of producing and consuming goods — especially electronics. This framework is exemplified by the fact that, on average, we replace our smartphones every 25 months, and the amount of household appliances that died within five years of their purchase has considerably increased over time.

On top of that, the “repair monopoly” by some manufacturers has created major limitations on the possibility of repairing devices. They’re either too expensive, require very specific tools to do the job, or are so complex that fixing it is not realistic.

Meanwhile, grassroots initiatives such as repair cafés and restart parties have become very popular, using a “do it together” model, in which volunteer menders support the owners of broken items.

Products that are not built to last or be repaired when they break are being challenged by the global Right to Repair movement. Right to Repair campaigns seek to require that manufacturers provide repair resources and diagnostic tools to both professionals as well as DIY repairers (repair café volunteers and individuals), so that repair is accessible to as many people as possible.

Chloé Mikolajczak, coordinator of the recently launched Right to Repair European campaign says, “This campaign aims to maintain pressure on European policy makers to adopt ambitious legislative measures supporting and encouraging repair.”

This fast-growing movement pushes for a radical shift away from one where manufacturers deliberately design products that are hard to disassemble, limit access to spare parts, price the parts in a way that discourages repair, do not make repair manuals easily available, and limit the length of software support and updates. All of these actions lead to products becoming obsolete sooner than they should. Changing these practices will dramatically reduce the production of unnecessary waste and altering our relationship with electronic devices.

While this cause is getting growing support from governments, concerns around potential breaches by laypeople without suitable knowledge or certifications — along with the potential for safety risks involved when opening up and dismantling a device — are also being discussed and taken into consideration in the process.

The Right to Repair campaign demands include, “…ecodesign for all products including smartphones, national registers for independent repairers, and the development of a repairability index to inform consumers,” Mikolajczak adds.

Challenging our increasingly disposable times, the movement calls on governments to act now, pushing for systemic change around repair. Recently, new ground-breaking European laws have been adopted mandating that, starting in 2021, manufacturers of household appliances such as TVs, refrigerators and washing machines, make their products easier to take apart and fix.

With more repairability requirements being put into effect extending the lifetime of many electronic devices and embracing the principles of the Right to Repair movement, consumers and manufacturers are realizing the importance and urgency of such actions, and are increasingly on board with such changes.

Learn more about the U.S. movement and European movement.

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This post is part of our Winter 2019 editorial series on waste reduction. Get our free ebook on this series: “Beyond Waste: Community Solutions to Managing Our Resources.” Shareable is a partner of this project with Greenpeace. 

Take a look at the other articles in the series:

• Celebrate the radical power of DIY during MAKE SMTHNG Week
• Communities worldwide prepare to host MAKE SMTHNG Week events
• Fashion Detox Challenge invites people to pause, reflect and change
• How the MyMizu app is creating community and fostering sustainability in Japan
• Bring sustainability to the party with reusable party packs
• From Oakland to Utrecht, sustainability-focused maker villages unite artisans for creative exchange
• Using ancient values to solve modern problems at the Eunpyeong Sharing Center
• Community cupboards feed neighborhoods despite legal hurdles

The post Right to Repair movement invites us to review the way we produce and consume electronics appeared first on Shareable.

In a world where, on average, people tend to only wear 20% of their wardrobe regularly, this initiative invites the participants to abstain from buying any clothes for 10 weeks — breaking a habit that for some is a compulsion, and for many is a simple and mindless act of consumerism. Instead, they’re invited to explore a more sustainable lifestyle and share their journey.

The Fashion Detox Challenge is inspired by a research study carried out in the U.S. in 2012-13, which asked undergraduate fashion and marketing students not to buy clothes for a whole term and reflect on their experiences on a group blog. The change in perception and behavior of the students was significant, and quite illuminating.

In the current research, this model is repeated and expanded. The Fashion Detox Challenge is open to anyone who buys clothing regularly. It is a “gentle invitation” to stop buying clothes for 10 weeks and to reflect on that experience via a private online forum, where an individual’s “detox diary” is shared with other participants either through writing, videos or photos.

“I am blown away by the profound insights and changes that have taken place in response to such an apparently simple idea. All I have done is to ask the participants to stop doing something they normally do. But in the act of pausing, of stopping, it seems that we can see that aspect of life more clearly than before,” Kidd says.

The initiative has been getting a lot of attention, including from BBC Scotland, highlighting the fact that this idea is resonating with a lot of people. In the meantime, taking part in this process has helped participants save money, reduce clothes-related stress, be more creative, appreciate what they already have, and — perhaps most significantly — tackle clothing waste. The clothing industry has the 4th largest environmental impact in the U.K. after housing, transport and food.

Whilst the next steps of the program are still unclear, it’s evident the project is transforming people’s perceptions and behaviors around consumerism and waste. Kidd says that, “The Fashion Detox Challenge has taken on a life of its own and I believe it is showing an appetite for change.”

The shift proposed by the initiative supports the conscious consumerism, upcycling and zero-waste movements, which are globally evolving as environmental awareness and crises increase, and the power of systematic changes becomes more urgent.

“The Ph.D. journey so far has taught me that we should never underestimate the power of doing something that, to many, appears extremely ordinary. The ordinary and the extraordinary are related. It is simply a matter of perspective”, Kidd concludes.

##

This post is part of our Winter 2019 editorial series on waste reduction. Get our free ebook on this series: “Beyond Waste: Community Solutions to Managing Our Resources.” Shareable is a partner of this project with Greenpeace. 

Take a look at the other articles in the series:

• • Celebrate the radical power of DIY during MAKE SMTHNG Week
  • Communities worldwide prepare to host MAKE SMTHNG Week events
  • How the MyMizu app is creating community and fostering sustainability in Japan
  • Bring sustainability to the party with reusable party packs
  • Right to Repair movement invites us to review the way we produce and consume electronics
  • From Oakland to Utrecht, sustainability-focused maker villages unite artisans for creative exchange
  • Using ancient values to solve modern problems at the Eunpyeong Sharing Center
  • Community cupboards feed neighborhoods despite legal hurdles

The post Fashion Detox Challenge invites people to pause, reflect and change appeared first on Shareable.