From 15th October to 19th December 2007, the global social change movement We Are What We Do is inviting every child and young person in the UK to answer the question:
What would you ask one million people to do to change the world?
This national competition is scouring the UK for the next generation of simple, small actions that have the power to bring about big change.
We Are What We Do, the organization behind the Anya Hindmarch "I’m NOT a Plastic Bag" and the international best seller, Change the World for a Fiver, >will turn the winning entry into a massive national campaign in 2008 to inspire as many as one million to action.
Eugenie Harvey, co-founder and Director of We Are What We Do, says: "We’re asking young people to let us know in no uncertain terms what THEY think we should all be doing to make the world a better place.
"We know from the pilot we ran with 100 schools earlier in the year that young people have loads of brilliant ideas for things we can do - some of them hilarious, some of them controversial, some incredibly moving and some of them just plain good sense.
"We also know that they care about a really wide range of issues - the environment, domestic violence, gun crime, culture, poverty - you name it, most kids have not only a view, but a really refreshing “take” on how we approach it."
Since its launch in 2004, We Are What We Do has inspired millions of people across the world to use their simple, everyday actions for good. The books, Change the World for a Fiver and Change the World 9 to 5, feature 100 simple actions that will make a big difference if lots of people do them (e.g. turn the tap off whilst brushing your teeth, give blood, have more meals together, find out where your lunch comes from) and have sold over 900,000 copies worldwide. They continue to sell strongly and are tipped to reach the one million sales mark early in 2008.
Other projects have included a community programme launched in the London borough of Newham, a website - www.wearewhatwedo.org, many corporate partnerships (e.g. Virgin Atlantic, Sainsbury’s, Accenture etc) and the growth of a global base of supporters taking part in a myriad of local projects and initiatives. The recent collaboration with Anya Hindmarch which was based on the first action in Change the World for a Fiver - ‘decline plastic bags’, has made it one of the most influential and engaging social change brands in the world.
The competition, which runs from 15th October until the 19th December, is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: “I am pleased to be working with We Are What We Do on this project which is a part of our Sustainable Schools’ Year of Action. They are in a unique position to involve children and young people in sustainability issues on a new scale and in a way which is fresh and engaging. This is a real opportunity for children to have their voices heard and start to make a difference.”
To enter, participants need to submit their actions to the competition website (www.smallactionsBIGCHANGE.org.uk) and bring it to life with a photo either of themselves and their friends doing the action, the impact of the action if lots of people do it, or an artistic interpretation of the action. Entries will then feature on a Google map which will allow people to see what else is going on in their area and all around the country. They will also be able to take part in the regional judging out of which the best entries will be presented to a high profile national judging panel.
The finalists will feature in the third project in the Change the World series, which will be made available for free to every school in England, thanks to the DCSF, and which will build on the success of the first two books.
The winning entries will be announced and featured in The Times in 2008.
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For more information about the competition, to obtain artwork or images or to organise interviews (including with young participants in the competition) please contact Nick Stanhope (Project Manager), nick.stanhope@wearewhatwedo.org or on +44 (0)207 936 1353 / +44 (0)7967 364991 OR Sandra Deeble (Press Manager), sandra.deeble@wearewhatwedo.org.uk or on +44 (0)207 936 7411
Editor’s notes
We Are What We Do is a global social change movement which aims to inspire people to use simple, everyday actions to change the world. It began life as a project of the East London charity Community links (www.community-links.org). Further information can be found at www.wearewhatwedo.org and about the competition at www.smallactionsBIGCHANGE.org.uk
More information about the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (dcsf.gov.uk) Sustainable Schools initiative can be found at www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
The competition website was designed and created by one of the UK’s leading digital agencies, glue London (www.gluelondon.com)