Addressing mental health issues starts with the words we speak. Recently, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, reported over 250 words used by young people to stigmatise mental health. For example, its unhelpful to use the words: Bipolar- to mean that someone changes their mind…

The more people talk about mental health, the more normal the conversation becomes. Sharing your story can be a great way to encourage others to think about and look after their own mental health and debunk the myths that still surround many mental health issues. Everyone has mental health and…

According to Mental Health First Aid US, ‘Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in your community.’ In the UK, missed work days due to mental ill-health cost the UK economy £8 billion and in the USA, in…

For the first time ever, renewable energy provided over 50% of the UK’s energy in June 2017. With the ever increasingly supply and improving technology of renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro and biomass), clean energy is fast becoming the new norm. Some energy suppliers offer contracts for…

Phoenix Cultural Centre CIC/Fiery Bird Live Music Venue is a local project to bring a non-profit live music/cultural/arts/training venue to Woking. Though specific to Woking its founders have connected up with other social and community businesses nationally to share practice. It is currently unique…

Erase All Kittens is a revolutionary, online game that’s changing how we approach teaching coding, especially for girls. Bringing creativity and engaging storytelling to the fore, equipping them with the coding skills essential for 21st Century degrees and careers. According to a recent nationwide…

ShowerBox was borne out of the human need to feel good and lead a safe life. Through funds raised, a trailer was bought at the end of 2018, servicing a winter shelter on Tottenham Court Road, London. Without this trailer, over twenty guests would not have had access to showering facilities. One…

Nuala Murphy is the founder and CEO of Moment Health, an organisation on a mission to support new families everywhere to take a moment, take care and take control of their mental health . Moment Health’s newly launch app is now available for download on the App Store and Google Play: What is Moment…

What happens when a leadership company take a couple of engineers to Kenya? That combination of vision and practical know how can make magic happen and that’s exactly what happened back in 2011 and WellBoring was, well, born. “Millions of people lack clean water. We can get it to them. Why wouldn’t…

Francis Zoet, Anne Marieke Eveleens and Saskia Studer are three women with a passion for sailing and water. This is their story about The Great Bubble Barrier. “For quite a few years we had been busy with sustainability issues when one evening we brainstormed about the plastic soup. On the river…

Plastic Whale is the first professional plastic fishing company in the world and they turn the collected plastics into stunning furniture. They aim to “create economic value from plastic waste, involving as many people as possible”. In the last year, they’ve launched a furniture range, have a fleet…

It’s been ten months since Hurricane Maria put Puerto Rico’s crumbling infrastructure in the international news. As life returns to normal for the locals, the headlines fade but the hard work of preventing another catastrophe has not yet begun. Humanitarian organizations were quick to focus on…

Daisy Ozim started this Resilient Wellness after working within public health where she experienced major barriers to addressing the root causes of health, inequities in a way that was equitable, efficient and relevant. Resilient wellness now supports public and private systems with addressing…

Iconic Steps supports young people aged 16-25 to overcome barriers and take their first steps towards a fulfilling career, through film production and training. Their mission is to develop a growth mindset in young people so they can overcome barriers and take their first steps towards a fulfilling…

Responsible 100 is a corporate responsibility management tool that enables any business or organisation to improve its responsibility performance – for its own benefit and for the benefit of society. It is also a community seeking to foment a ‘race to the top’ in business – where doing good…

Sanctus , the brainchild of James Routledge and George Bettany, is taking the mental health space by storm. Back in 2016, they got £20k off the back of a blog post . This is their story. Sanctus is a safe space and community to talk about your mental health & fitness. The team believe in treating…

BioSURE is bringing cost-effective, straightforward, fast and accurate testing technology for HIV to the mainstream via their self-testing HIV test kit. The aim is to get people talking and give people an alternative way to test, as part of a plan to eradicate HIV by 2030. BioSURE was founded by…

Ministry of Waste tackles ocean-bound and beach plastics in Indonesia. Connecting local disadvantaged communities to global leaders of sustainability and waste industry innovators to turn waste into revenue. Founded in 2018 by Samanta Skrivere , Ministry of Waste connects disadvantaged and polluted…

London is a much friendlier city when you have a Londoner by your side. At the time of the Grenfell Tower fire, Londoners of all creeds and colours got together. But why wait for a crisis? Anneke Elwes, the founder of HostNation, tells us how her life was transformed by befriending Abu from Sudan.…

Greater Change is a mobile donation system that enables members of the public to give directly to a homeless individual. It was founded by Alex McCallion in 2017. As a result of ground-level volunteering combined with research, Alex devised a solution that combines cashless technology, support for…

Meet Bermondsey Street Bees! They’re championing artisan honey, beekeeping and sustainable food in the heart of London. Chatting with Sarah Wyndham Lewis about Bermondsey Street Bees was a joy; her commitment to creating a truly artisan product stands out and passion for bees is infectious. This is…

With homelessness in Oxford growing at an alarming rate, the team at Homes4all Oxfordshire pioneered a drop-in café run out of a local shop. They focus on offering friendship and genuine hospitality. So far, they’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from the homeless community and the…

By Letitia Florea Meet the Waste Free Oceans team! They’re fast becoming a global driver of collecting and transforming ocean plastic, achieving substantial reductions of ocean plastic that contribute to a circular economy . Here’s their story so far and their vision for the future. Q: What’s unique…

Our oceans need us more than ever. From ocean plastics , to coral reefs getting warmer to overfishing, they are being damaged at an alarming rate. Given the demand of fish as the main protein source for 1/5 of the world’s population and providing a livelihood to 260 million people globally, how can…

FabLittleBag aims to reduce aquatic pollution by providing a feel-good alternative to flushing tampons and pads – with the help of a FabLittleBag! The mission is to a) help to keep used sanitary items out of the rivers, seas and off our beaches and b) to make sanitary disposal a feel good, confident…

You Make It offers a creative and inspiring programme for young women to access tools, networks, experiences and the confidence to transform their lives through personal empowerment. Founder, Asma Shah, shares their vision and her story. Can you describe You Make It? What’s unique about it? You Make…

Having wet, cold feet is undeniably miserable. Yet for homeless people, it’s a daily reality, and one that left untreated can result in a number of nasty health conditions. Ex-serviceman Ian Northcott, also known as the busking bobby (check out the video on youtube !) knew he wanted to do something…

Sam Harris is a deep thinker. His Waking Up podcast has become a regular go-to place for me when I’m doing a long drive. And it was there I listened to Johann Hari talking about his new book, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions. The title says it…

To disrupt human consumptive behaviour globally, technology is a necessity – and that is the void VeganNation is filling. Rena Thomas and her brother, Isaac, became vegan on the same day. While their personal transformation was inspirational and magical, there were real challenges in choosing such a…

Every year, hundreds of children’s publishers produce millions of wonderful books for kids. But here’s the problem. Most people in the world can’t afford them. This is what Bushel and Peck Books are setting out to solve. Consider these facts: In low-income neighbourhoods, there’s an average of just…

Have you ever wondered, every time you buy a greetings card, what the cost is? Prices vary enormously but the half decent ones are upwards of a £2. But, what’s the real cost? Not to your pocket, but to the planet. Unless the card is recycled, or from sustainable sources, who is also paying for your…

We’ve all seen the devastating images of the wildfires in California: the U.S. Forest Service estimated that 1 million acres have been burned in California wildfires in 2018. These fires have been a call to action for Lasha Kvantalian, the founder of Treespond : an online platform for personalised…

Dan Barry is the founder of Marc Skid, LLC, a cheeky, eco-friendly underwear brand owner with a passion for giving back. Made with the finest cotton, Organic Pima, and with a recycled water bottle in each waistband, Marc Skid underwear is dedicated to the betterment of the world and its people. The…

“When the human being is your main point of focus, your main value, you feel alive.” This is Jeroen van Overbeek’s reason for being and the reason he founded Social Impakt . The story started in 2010, when he was Vice-President for EMEA, working in an international corporation, managing a US$260m…

How do you tackle plastic pollution, material waste and social isolation in one fell swoop? That’s a problem that Jordyn de Boer and Tania Potts are helping to solve with Boomerang Bags, fuelled by a burning desire to tackle plastic pollution at its source. Initially, they decided that, providing…

Chatterbox is building an online language learning service powered by refugee talent. Chatterbox connects the problem of underutilised refugee talent with an opportunity in the demand for their language skills. We train and employ displaced people to teach their native languages in the booming…

“I’m not leaving this toilet until we pre-sell $50,000 of product” So vowed Simon Griffiths, Co-founder of Who Gives A Crap on launching their IndieGoGo campaign. That gets attention. And the story has all the classic hallmarks of never giving up. It all started when Simon, and his Co-Founders,…

Clean water changes lives, especially for women & young girls. It saves hours of walking each day. It means better health and an increase in school attendance. Families can then invest time into earning money and creating small businesses. Opportunities for Life is a charity bringing clean water to…