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Windmill Hill City Farm has secured funding from the Nominet Trust to undertake an exciting new project called Active Citizens. The purpose of the project is to use the internet to help people to connect with local issues and each other; to take action to improve their lives and enhance their community.
The project is split into three main elements:
- The first element is to map local community facilities, services and natural resources and groups of people who are already ‘active' in their communities in some way (eg local residents group). This online map will help to build active citizenship and will strengthen community networks.
- The next element of the project is to use digital media to help people to become active citizens. Most of the ideas for ‘social action' will come from people themselves, but to get things started, we will initiate two of our own ideas:
- The first is to produce an online urban fruit map identifying readily accessible fruit trees in public spaces in order to harvest this free, but neglected resource to produce jams and pickles. Using a local, natural asset to create a social enterprise will provide both an income to sustain the activity, and equip participants with greater skills.
- The second involves establishing a digital media studio where young people can develop life, citizenship and work skills offering activities that are highly desirable to them. This will promote their own sense of worth and identity, reflect what they value and give them a greater voice to express and act on their concerns.
- The final element of the project will develop of an online toolkit that will help similar organisations to replicate the idea in their own context.
We have already held our first event "Get in a Pickle at the Farm". Keep up to date with all the Active Citizens activities on the Active Citizens blog.
As the project progresses, we will update the information on this page so do please check again.
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