TRVST Jun 8 Plastic straws are almost always used only once before being disposed of. Further, they really are non-essential (we can drink soda without right?). Plastic straws are single-use, lightweight, and made from Polypropylene, a material which isn’t easily recycled and degrades slowly. As a…

TRVST Jun 12 It is said that we get through a staggering 500 million straws a day in the US. These small plastic tubes of convenience pose a disproportionate impact on the environment due to their lightweight and the sheer volume that we get through. Unfortunately, they are not easily or always…

TRVST Jun 15 Many eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws now exist. In the US alone 500 million plastic straws are used a day. Their environmental impact is not nearly as insignificant as you might think exemplified by an estimated 7.5 million plastic straws being found washed up on America’s…

TRVST Jun 15 Staying motivated as a social entrepreneur or ambitious changemaker requires constant effort because all the great aspects of setting out and doing good in the world equally contribute to its downsides. Setting out on an entrepreneurial path requires focus and dedication. Here are 9…

TRVST Jun 13 Quora is the biggest online platform where you can find user-generated answers to questions about anything. People ask about work, DIY help, relationships, and personal life experiences. And there are usually people ready to give answers. This article lays out why you should pay…

TRVST Jun 8 Is your job about to be eaten by a robot? AI is developing faster than you can say ‘Blade Runner’ and automation is radically remodelling the way we work. Add the rising gig economy to this equation and you may be looking anxiously over your shoulder right now. Why is creativity and…

TRVST Jun 7 What soft skills do you need in the fast-paced world we live in to manage change projects? It’s tough out there and whereas doing good is very rewarding you are also going to need to manage people and relationships to grow and develop your social enterprise. What’s involved in people…

TRVST Jun 6 Do you motivate people to take action even after you leave the room? Changemakers setting out on a journey to grow a social enterprise or scale an impact project will in all but the smallest enterprises require hard working teams behind them to help bring their plans to life. The idea of…

TRVST Jun 7 Abuse scandals. Misappropriated funds. Toxic workplaces. Funding crises. Failed mergers. Closures. Layoffs. I’m talking there about charities, not profit-hungry corporations. It sometimes feels like chunks of the charity world have lost their way, becoming mired in their internal…

TRVST Jun 12 Are you starting a social enterprise or project? Or managing the next stages of growth, spinning plates with loads to organise? It can be pretty overwhelming. Having the right productivity tools and software in place can make all the difference in the quality of your work, your…

TRVST Jun 15 How does sugar impact your stress levels? Research studies have shown a diet full of fruit and vegetables can result in higher wellbeing . Why is it we crave sugar when stressed? But what really happens when we’re stressed — In stressful situations our body enters a ‘ flight or fight…

TRVST Jun 10 Here Dene Stuart, drawing from over 35 years experience in the commercial sector, shares his insight into how to go about leadership for change. What is leadership, how do you find your why and become an authentic leader. Dene has also uniquely developed 7 leadership qualities for…

TRVST Jun 11 Mindfulness has become quite the buzz word nowadays. Everywhere from offices to schools to hospitals are now offering mindfulness classes. So what is mindfulness and how can it help us in the context of our daily lives? What Is Mindfulness & How Does Mindfulness Help Us Seize the Day?…

TRVST Jun 10 In this article, John Turley shares his insight into how to build a collaborative culture, one that connects people meaningfully, motivates and encourages innovation. Culture is critical for any organisation, small or large, to drive change, He has also written about Innovative Cultures…

TRVST Jun 12 Microfinance enables people living in poverty to become financially independent. The benefits of ethical microloans really are striking. Simply put, they create jobs. Can blockchain transform microfinance? Bryony from DEKI explains more about their mission and the technological…

TRVST Jun 13 Our eighth SDG Network MeetUp , hosted by Global Action Plan, was an inspirational and engaging gathering with helpful advice and interesting Q&A around the theme of starting a social enterprise, as social female entrepreneurs Kathy Wong ( Moeloco and Crazy Dreamers TV show ), Sophie…

TRVST Mar 27, 2018 Nick Skenderian and his team from the Trauma Resource Institute , have developed an innovative, globally applicable model for mental health disorders treatments. Here’s a sneak preview of their Marmalade Festival session on 10th April! On a global scale, mental health services are…

TRVST Jun 11 Hiring a designer to build a brand from scratch can be an expense you don’t need when starting your social enterprise. Having a brand people can relate to, that appeals to your audience and that attracts interest is an important step to it all feeling real and something that you are…

TRVST Nov 8, 2017 We’re super excited about Tech for Good’s Blockchain- Hype or Hope? Event at Techspace, London, 14th November. Tech for Good’s Ellie and Dama say: “Blockchain has been heralded as the next big thing in the social sector and has fast risen from emerging trend to a disruptor in the…

TRVST Mar 27, 2018 An evening of challenging and empowering debate on 26th March at London Metropolitan University brought together students of London Metropolitan University, the Sustainable Development Goals Network, UK Africa Diaspora Forum, and the Let Toys Be Toys campaign. The debate was…

TRVST Jun 13 It can be hard work setting out on a journey to create change. Where do you start? How do you go about it? If you’re starting up a social enterprise, charity or change project, or growing one that exists being productive is key. Having a morning ritual for productivity can make all the…

TRVST Jun 15 Stories have an incredible power to inform, inspire and challenge us. The entrants of the Koreo Prize did just that. TRVST’s Louis went along to their event to marvel at their creativity and probe a little deeper on why storytelling matters and how turn hype into real action for the…

TRVST Nov 22, 2017 Once upon a time, as an 11-year-old I was enthused by OXFAM’s ‘Poverty Make History’ campaign. Once I believed that changing one life was enough. How often do you hear that story? And how often do we find a way to ignite that passion again? Well, for me, Tuesday evening at Tech…

TRVST Jan 12, 2018 As consumers we all know plastics are everywhere. We’ve produced more plastic in the last 10 years than in the whole of the 20th century and 50% of the plastics we use, we use only just once. From the Arctic where the majority of UK plastics end up to the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone…

TRVST Jun 10 Adam Leipzig’s The TEDx talk, Find Your Life Purpose In 5 Minutes has over 10 million views. I can bet that 90% of those viewers haven’t found their life’s purpose. At least this viewer and writer hasn’t. But what can we learn from this hunger for purpose? Can we corral it to make a…

TRVST Jun 7 For National Storytelling Week, Writer Katherine Wiseman explores how role models for young girls and children shape who they become. The recent BBC adaptation of Little Women reminded me of how much I’d loved the book, as a child. The thing I loved most about it was the characterisation…

TRVST Feb 16, 2018 Meet Alex McKenzie from Bounce Works . They’re leveraging gaming to tackle child bereavement and emotional resilience. The result is a groundbreaking solution supported by Stephen Fry, Jon Snow and the Nominet Trust. What is Bounce Works? It is a company dedicated to making…

TRVST Mar 28, 2018 CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) is posing exactly this question at a session at Marmalade Festival in Oxford on 12th April. They’re bringing people together to re-imagine their city around what really matters to them. Organiser, Ana-Julia Van Bilsen Irias, explains why she’s so…

TRVST Jun 6 A few weeks ago we received the wonderful news that our Ecoed app was granted a Social Impact award from the Techies SW via our partners and app developers ojo solutions. The Social Impact Award seeks to reward ‘a product or service driven by technology that is making a difference to its…

TRVST Jun 13 Richard Hardiman , the accidental environmentalist , speaks honestly about his entrepreneurial journey, discovering a passion for drones and plastic recycling he never dreamed of, and how the creative, entrepreneurial side lies in each of us- waiting to be unleashed. RanMarine…

TRVST Mar 22, 2018 Have we opened Pandora’s Box in terms of plastics? Can we close it again? Noelle Pisacano offers us a glimpse into her new blog , her childhood inspiration and how an insulated, reusable lunchbox and pasta e fajioli can change the world. Thinking back to the early 2000’s when I…

TRVST Jun 17 Good food and good eating shouldn’t be about diets, deprivation or turning foods into enemies. Food is joy, and should never induce feelings of guilt and shame. We should respect each others’ choices whether it’s vegetarian, vegan, or an omnivore. That’s why all are welcome at The Bear…

TRVST Feb 28, 2018 By Guest writer, Olivia Rosane 2018 has seen the United Kingdom join the fight against ocean plastics in a big way. On January 9th, the ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetics went into effect, and in February the Queen herself entered the fray, banning plastic bottles and straws…

TRVST Jun 17 Welcome to #TRVSTLOVES. We curate news, stories, ideas and inspiration from across the world which demonstrate how real action can accomplish positive social impact. In this edition, we’re focusing on great initiatives taking place to tackle homelessness. We hope you enjoy reading….…

TRVST Jun 17 The issue of ocean plastics hit our TV screens with the BBC’s Blue Planet II, a national debate was sparked, and now public pressure is accelerating policy change. On the surface, this issue appears to be a product of our ultra-modern obsession with plastics, but in reality, the issue…

TRVST Jun 17 David Smith is a father on a mission to reduce the dangerously high air pollution children breathe everyday whilst they travel to school. He’s campaigning for a change in traffic light phasing during the toxic school run, to reduce emissions from vehicles start-stop-idling in congested…

TRVST Jun 17 For National Storytelling Week, Writer Katherine Wiseman explores the importance of storytelling, and why storytelling is still essential today. My mum is a huge Tom Jones fan — always has been, always will be. She thinks he’s a musical genius. She used to have a poster of him pinned to…

TRVST Apr 20, 2018 What action can you take? This Sunday is World Earth Day ( 22nd April), dedicated to fundamentally changing people’s attitudes and behaviors about plastics.As a leader in education and inspiring young people, Brad Frankel at Flooglebinder unpicks how to actually change lasting…

TRVST Jun 19 I like change. It keeps us moving, growing and learning. We’ve certainly seen tons of it my adult life time. Yet at the moment a bunch of change feels far less than positive. Reporting on the record growth of FeverTree following a £103m payout the Guardian recently noted “We’re sipping…

TRVST Jun 19 When you’re dreaming about your travel plans, you’re probably thinking of the delicious food you’re going to eat, the sights you’re going to see, and the relaxing getaway you’re about to take to a beautiful place in the world. Chances are you’re not thinking of what you will be leaving…