Features
May’s top 10 green crowdfunding projects
Crowdfunding by entrepreneurs and small businesses is becoming an ever-more popular way of securing funds to kickstart exciting and innovative ideas.
In April, we brought you the 10 best green crowdfunding projects that we could find (a few of which are still accepting investment) and we’ve done the same again this month. Here are some of our favourites.
This new renewable energy company conducts research that looks into the feasibility of growing energy crops in areas of land that are unsuited to producing food. By using a technique called root grafting, it investigates which species hosts the quickest and hardest growth yield. The Biomass Project is looking to produce a website whilst purchasing more tree cuttings.
River of Flowers is seeking £1,000 to work with communities to develop ‘rivers’ of wildflowers across cities – an essential resource for pollinators including bees and butterflies. By raising awareness of the role and need for wildflowers in the urban environment, the project aims to introduce greenery into stations on the London Underground.
Vicky and Simon Lacey, who recently opened a sustainability centre on an organic farm in Cambridge, are asking for £1,600 to build a tipi. When finished, the aim is to use it for school visits to teach the next generation about the environment, whilst making it available for sustainable weekends away.
4. Songbound: Emma Hocknell has developed Songbound – an educational outreach initiative designed to teach impoverished children in India about music and singing within a safe environment.
5. Badger cull direct action fund: With badger culls due to begin in the UK later this year, campaign group Animal Rights UK is asking for people to pledge money to prevent it from happening by using non-violent direction action.
6. Ghana Beach Community School Build: Make a Difference Foundation (MAD) is asking for £9,900 to develop a permanent classroom for Maranatha community school in Ada, west Africa, to permanently repair damages caused by storms.
7. Ropewalk community garden: Craig Rye wants to repair damage caused by vandalism at a Hampshire community garden – a green public space in the heart of Southampton.
8. Stop child labour project: Acro Inn and Properties is asking for £2,500 to strengthen its entrepreneurial programme designed to provide decent jobs for parents in order to eliminate child labour operations in the Philippines.
9. The Community Recycling Centre: Mike Green is setting up a community recycling centre to help recycle unwanted electrical goods and wood. He is asking for £400 to fund the tools needed to deconstruct and recycle objects.
10. The Bristol Cycling Manifesto: This project aims to set up the Bristol Cycling Manifesto and Cycling Strategy to make the most of the large number of cyclists in Bristol – more than any other major UK city.
Further reading:
April’s top 10 green crowdfunding projects
The wisdom (and cash) of crowds: an introduction to crowdfunding
Sharing the responsibility of a green future
Community finance platform launches first renewables project