Give Back, Shift Forward

Project 2016-01-20 10:57:33 +1300

Give back, Shift forward

Give back, Shift forward is a new Wellington social enterprise¹ that aims to raise funds to remove the financial barrier to participation in physical activity and wellbeing opportunities for young Wellington women aged 12-20.

¹ A social enterprise is a revenue-generating business with a twist! Its one major goal is to earn revenue which is invested into achieving social, cultural and/or environmental outcomes.

Problem

Local and national research confirms that one of the biggest barriers to participation for young people is cost (registration fees, uniforms, equipment, transport etc.). Evidence also shows that the number of young women taking part in physical activity and sport is decreasing.

Solution

To raise funds by offering luxe drink bottles and a tote bag as rewards for those who support this worthy cause. All profit made from the sale of the rewards below will go into a fund that young Wellington women can apply to in order to cover the cost of physical activity fees, equipment, uniforms and transport. If we exceed our target, a portion of the extra profit will go towards additional social media marketing of the Shift project to young Wellington women - our thoughts are that there is no point in having a fund and opportunities for growth available if young women don't know about them!

Give back, Shift forward was born during a four-week prototyping sprint programme called 'Te Koanga' held in November 2015 by Lifehack and Enspiral. Katie and Fran from Wellington City Council's Parks, Sport and Recreation team and Chloe from the Boys and Girls Institute (BGI) developed the social enterprise concept. Charlotte, Natalie and Fern, Massey University Design students, gave the project wings (with the help of their mentor, Designer Rachel Knight) and produced the three 'Give back, Shift forward' products and video campaign.

Products

Shift Ninja drink bottle: The ultimate food grade stainless steel drink bottle. Tough and durable - just like a ninja! This black 700ml bottle is a healthy and safe alternative to plastic, being reusable and BPA free. It fits in a bike bottle cage and doesn't leak (trust us - we've put it through its paces!)

Totes gotta have that bag: This black modern and stylish 42cm² tote bag is great for carrying your activewear, library books or fresh market produce. This gorgeous tote is made of 320GSM cotton canvas and is printed on both sides.

Classy Glassy drink bottle: The water bottle you've been waiting for! It can hold both hot and cold liquid and will be a fabulous accessory for your work desk. Being made from borosillicate glass means it is BPA free and reusable. Classy Glassy holds 500mls and has a screw top.

*Please note all products have the text 'I support the wellbeing of young Wellington women' printed on them. We have also chosen to use local Wellington suppliers and deliverers for ethical and health & safety reasons. All national delivery charges are included in the pledge amount - sorry, no international delivery options available.

Goals

By creating products and selling them to compassionate people we hope to meet (even exceed) our PledgeMe target. We aim to support a minimum of 100 young Wellington women in 2016, allowing them to get moving in their chosen physical activity. Together we can ensure that young women from all backgrounds can access the life changing benefits of participating in physical activity and wellbeing opportunities.

Partners & Supporters

We would like to acknowledge all the support we have recieved from Lifehack, Enspiral and Designer Rachel Knight.

We would also like to thank the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) for their support with kickstarting Give back, Shift forward and the social enterprise production development workshops for young women that will follow on from this PledgeMe campaign.

A recent edition to our partners is Russell from Nocar Cargo. Russell will pedal your products to you if your delivery address is in the Wellington CBD (check out the map of Russell's delivery area). This local, sustainable and active transport delivery method is available to the buyer at a small additional cost... but will make you feel even better about your purchase!

Lastly, but most importantly, we would like to thank the young women who starred in the campaign video. Special mention to the staff and Break Out dance crew from Eastern Southern Youth Trust (ESYT) we couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you from us for reading and hopefully pledging. Collectively we can make a Shift for young Wellington women!

 From left: Chloe, Fern, Fran, Natalie, Katie & Charlotte - some of the Shift Sisterhood.

Shift: shift your body, shift your mind

Shift is the name of an overarching pilot project being delivered in Wellington City and funded by Sport Wellington and MSD. Shift aims to improve young women's wellbeing through increasing physical activity and wellbeing opportunities. It has five key components:

1. To engage with four groups of less active young women and co-design a 10 week programme around physical activity and wellbeing in secondary education settings.
2. To develop and support five groups of young female leaders who champion physical activity and wellbeing in their schools and communities.
3. To increase the number of young women aged 12-20 engaging in fun, social, low cost movement opportunities based in their communities.
4. Give back, Shift Forward - the opportunity for those passionate about young women's wellbeing to help support a fund that will remove the financial barrier to participation for those who need it most.
5. To provide the opportunity for young women to practice leadership, empathy and co-design through two Give back, Shift forward social enterprise weekend workshops in 2016.

Whilst the Shift project does have funding, it doesn't allow for individual financial support. Local research shows that the cost of physical activity to young people and their families is a real barrier to getting moving.

To find out how you can be involved visit the Give back, Shift forward Facebook page or to sign up for the Shift monthly eNewsletter.

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