We Are What We Do

Action 086: Avoid Waste

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:26:00 +0000

Next week is National Zero Waste Week and this year the theme is 'Cooking for Victory' with a focus on food waste. Each year we throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink, which costs the average UK family £50 a month.

Loads more info on our friend, Mrs Green's site here:

http://myzerowaste.com/zero-waste-week/

Action 139: Recycle your charger

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:44:00 +0000

We've teamed up with Sainsbury's to collect and recycle all the unused chargers lurking in cupboards and under beds across the country.

You can take yours into your local store and deposit in the collection box until 28 August. Sainsbury's will still be collecting them throughout September too - just take them up to customer services.

More info on our website here, plus a tally to keep track of how many have been found:

http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/recycleyourcharger/

Introducing Jacques le Trash

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:58:00 +0000

Last week we unleashed a huge 12 meter long, 3 metre high, pink and purple dragon on picnicers at Victoria Embankment.

Jacques le Trash, is our brand new rubbish guzzling recycling dragon and he was there to help lunchers recycle their rubbish.

Paper plates, plastic bottles, tin cans and cigarette butts were collected from passersby and “fed” to Jacques, who apparently has a penchant for all things trashy. All rubbish was later recycled.

A team of mustachioed waiters accompanied the dragon, asking the crowd for donations to feed the beast and all donors marked with a dragon’s bitemark stamped onto their skin.

Kids, office workers, builders and even a traffic warden came over to gawp.

Jacques le Trash was on a sneak preview before his appearance at Bestival next month, where he will be helping festival goers recycle their rubbish. He will be collecting paper, cans and plastic bottles in different sections of his belly, plus cigarette butts will be stuffed up his bum.

Read his exclusive interview on the Bestival blog here.

We Are What We Do in South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:54:00 +0000

Introducing the Letsema Centre in South Africa:

They've been doing some brilliant work, to engage people in the We Are What We Do actions and we're really pleased to have them on board. You can read more about their activities here.

Action 132: Share a piece of your history

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:46:00 +0000

Thanks again to our new best buds at BBC click for the mention.

Back in March they featured our site, and at the weekend, our brand new venture with Google got some air time... click here to watch the clip. We start at 20 mins and 25 seconds.

And get involved here: www.historypin.com

What do old and young people look like?

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:19:00 +0000

Young people picture old people with sticks, and beards and think old people find all children too noisy.

As part of our new campaign to get people from different generations hanging out we have been running some events in schools exploring and challenging stereotypical views of young and old people.

First stop was Shacklewell school and Hampton Community College.

Our education team started by asking children to draw what they thought old people were like in order to reveal existing preconceptions.

Charlie drew a picture of a granny saying 'I want grandchildren' and 'I miss Nigeria'

Orlando's picture of a grandpa shows him saying 'I must catch the next bus.'

7 year old Remi's drawing (top) showed an old man saying 'I wish I was 17 again'

Nicole Van Den Eijnde, Head of Education at We Are What We Do said: "These drawing are an insight into the fact that even very young children are aware of the cultural divide between generations and the loneliness that faces many older people."
When asked to draw what they think old people thought of young people, there were drawings of young people carrying knives, guns and graffiti spray cans.
There were a lot of pictures of young people speaking in slang and text speak that older people wouldn't understand including this one by Shefali.

The most common perception of young people was that they were noisy: There were lots of bleeping mobile phones, noisy ipods, and even a very 80s ghetto blaster. Ryanne drew this picture:

The groups then went on to a range of activities to break down barriers to intergenerational relationships and explore our ten actions that we're suggesting to get young and old people spending more time together and getting to know each other better.

You can read Hampton Community College's blog about the day here.

Article about our Newham Walk Your Dad campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:35:00 +0000

There's just been an article about us in the glamorous Stratford and Newham Recorder about our campaign in Newham to get children and adults more fit and healthy and spending more time with their families.

We've got a few events on the go, based around Action 102: Walk your Dad (which we've extended to the succinctly titled "Walk your Dad, Gran, Lazy Aunty Jan or anyone else you find lying around on the sofa").

Read the article here.

Spangly new sections on the site

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:41:00 +0000

We've been adding lots of new bits to our website recently.

On our team page you can see what we all look like with our mugs stuck on various odd-shaped bods.

In our working with us section we've got pics and info on the projects we've been working on.

We've divided out actions into categories to help you get around.

We've put our old press articles up.

And on each of the action pages we've added a load more useful links and stats as well as working out the environmental or social impact from all the actions tracked.

Have a look.

Action 131: Add your own action

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:38:00 +0000

We've been working with Sainsbury's on a big "colleague engagement programme" and have recently spent the day with 50 Sainsbury's colleagues from around the country, having a huge powwow and workshop.

Back in January we launched a campaign asking everyone who works at Sainsbury's what simple action they would ask all 150,000 colleagues and 19 million customers to do to change the world.

The authors of the best ideas were invited down to the Sainsbury's head office in London where we worked together to develop their initial thoughts into fully fledged actions.

We spent the day brainstorming in groups, deciding what made a good action (simple, everyday, easy for anyone to do...) and drinking tea.

We discussed the pros and cons of starting carpools, going vegetarian for the day, and playing tiddlywinks.

We left with loads of ideas and will be developing each of these into activity days that will be held throughout the year in all Sainsbury's stores, depots and offices across the country.

Get tracking

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:21:00 +0000

We have created a series of beautiful action tracking posters.

Stick them on your fridge, in your classroom or next to the watercooler at work. You colour in a smiley face every time you've done an action. Enjoyed a fairtrade brew? Smiled when you answered the phone? Given blood? Then get out your pen and mark it up.

Each poster has a different theme. We've grouped together our actions that help you Save Energy and Water, Look After Where You Live, or Change things at Work for example.

You can download them for free here:

Think about what you eat and drink

Recycle more, waste less

Use your money for good

Travel better

Save energy and water

Have a healthy body and mind

Think globally

Change things at the office

Include everyone

Look after where you live

Make someone's day

We Are What We Do on telly!

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:01:00 +0000

We Are What We Do reached the dizzy heights of television this weekend. Horrah! Thank you BBC Click for featuring our site. We are honoured, and just this once we're happy for you to ignore Action 017: Try watching less TV.

Click here to see the film (our bit starts at 1 min 25)

Action 074: Turn away from your screen and... blink

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:28:00 +0000

Phew! So far, 2010 has been a busy year for us and we can hardly believe we've already sent our valentine's and consumed our pancakes.

Time to do Action 066: Take a break, and tell you what we've been up to.

To kick off the year, we launched our brand new stationery range that will help us do Action 098: Spread the word, and get some of you lot in on the action too. We exhibited at Top Drawer and Spring Fair with our brightly-coloured and ethically-sourced range, full of little tips to help you change the world.

The new range includes notebooks, pencils, diaries, calendars and bookmarks, all with an extra quirk to remind you to do a small, easy action.

Our refillable notepad will help you do Action 046: Use both sides of every piece of paper - once you've finished with our off-cuts, insert your own. And these diaries come in week to view with a simple action to tick off your to do list each week.

"Very handy," Samuel Pepys.

All printed with soya inks on FSC paper and proceeds go to doing good.

For more information or if you want to stock the range in your own shop, contact ella.wiggans@wearewhatwedo.org for trade prices and to place an advance order.

For all the rest of you, keep your eye on the high street - it will be available in the shops and on our website from May.

Small actions x lots of people = big change

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:42:00 +0000

We have just discovered a lovely example of simple every day action creating big change. We love it when that happens.

Francesca Saunders in Edinburgh, fed up with discarded crisp packets and pizza boxes littering her walk to work, has taken action by asking others to pledge to pick up one piece of litter in their local community every week.

http://www.peopleagainstlitter.org/

You can sign up here to be a PAL (person against litter). All they ask is that you tell a friend.

Among famous PALs are Bill Bryson and Lorraine Kelly so you could be rubbing litter-picking shoulders with the stars.

Action 131: Add your own action

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:20:00 +0000

If you've done all our actions to death and are looking for some new ideas, check out this wonderful blog with love from Sweden...

http://www.365thingsyoucando.com/

Last year Navid posted an idea every day and this year has launched an English version which grows daily.

Our faves are:

Eavesdrop

Treat books like birds

Give away your body parts

Save your relationship and the planet...

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:18:00 +0000

From Bangladesh to South Africa...

A brand communications school in South Africa gave their students a brief to create a campaign for We Are What We Do and Megan Rowe sent us this picture of her finished product...

Megan designed product packaging to go with four actions to inspire people to help the environment and their relationship at the same time. Two birds with one stone, if you will.

She created packaging for an organic soap, to encourage the action 'take a bath with your partner', in order to save water. An envelope holds a road map to encourage couples to take a road trip instead of holidaying by plane. And to save electricity Megan created condom packaging, for the action, 'have sex with the lights off', and a candle, for 'have a candle lit dinner'.

Megan wanted to convey the message that it's easy to take small steps towards improving both the environment and your personal life, by taking a fun and light hearted approach. Lovely!

Action 001: Decline plastic bags wherever possible

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:42:00 +0000

Since the launch of the infamous 'I'm not a plastic bag', created in 2007 in collaboration with Anya Hindmarch, fake copies have been cropping up all over place.

This is our first spot in Bangladesh!

Action 16: Give your change to charity

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:59:00 +0000

A cause worthy of support we think...

Streetbite - a university group who organise daily soup runs for homeless people in Cambridge - are having a sponsored sleep out to raise awareness and money for their cause on Saturday November 28. All funds raised will go to five local homeless charities.

Have a look at their website where you can sign up to sleep out, or sponsor the sleepers:

http://www.streetbitesleepout.com/

Change the World at Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0000

This one's for all you green crafters out there!

Sue Ryder Care are organising a fundraising competition with Folksy, an online crafts community.

Read all about it here:

http://blog.folksy.com/2009/10/14/upcycle-christmas-competition

The competition involves taking old items from a charity shop and upcycling them into something saleable. These upcycled items will be displayed and sold in an online auction between 7 and 13 December at Folksy.com.

Would-be designers and crafters can download a voucher from the Folksy website which entitles them to 5 pieces of stock from Sue Ryder Care shops across the country. They then have two months to make the item and post photos of it on the Folksy website.

The winners will have their work displayed in the flagship Sue Ryder Care shop in Camden.

Good luck!

Action 86: Avoid Waste

noreply@blogger.com (Ella Wiggans) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:52:00 +0000

From one blogger to another... we have recently discovered this great site:

http://myzerowaste.com

Mrs Green and family blog their daily happenings in a household attempting to achieve a zero waste lifestyle.

Truly inspired, we love what they're doing! Take a peek for top tips.

Nice clip. Shame about the profile.

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:37:00 +0000

616 people have enjoyed this little clip on YouTube. We hope you will too. The hunk in the background is Mike Daley our web manager.

Here's one for you crafters out there!

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:11:00 +0000

We love this review of Change the World for Ten Bucks (US edition) on etsy.com the fabulous crafters website. Thanks to the 98 people (at last count) who chipped in with comments!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/10-everyday-tips-to-change-the-world-4568/.

My Fifth and final day

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:55:00 +0000

This is the moment when I’d like everyone to join me in taking a deep breath, slowly breathe out with eyes closed, and calmly reflect on the week’s busy activities together.

For me, this week as an intern at the WAWWD office has exceeded my expectations a million times over, has been eye-opening and truly inspiring. I have taken part in creative ideas meetings across the city (including at Topshop HQ!), visited graphic designers, screen-printers and exclusive museum exhibitions. I have been warmly welcomed with open arms by some of the loveliest, most friendly people you could meet and no I’m not just sucking up, although I did just complete Action 59: ‘praise people’! I have felt greatly valued with my involvement in the current projects (some of which I have not mentioned but are set to be international) and have loved every minute working here. I’m not sure how much help I have given WAWWD but personally I feel a sense of job satisfaction that I have made a small difference to them, which is, after all, what WAWWD is about: small actions x lots of people= BIG change! I hope I can continue to help WAWWD grow and inspire others to take part in such a fabulous organisation! Next time you take a break from your own schedule (Action 66) I encourage you to get involved with WAWWD, firstly by taking a look at the main website www.wearewhatwedo.org and getting some actions going!

BFN (Bye for now, NOT big fat nose as commonly misinterpreted)

Rosie :O)

Grannies and Teatowels by Rosie Helson

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Before I begin my final blog of the week I will quickly do a ‘letting you in on a little secret’ blog. This is in regard to possibly the next biggest project since the ‘I’m NOT a plastic bag’ phenomenon and is named, by those in the know (in National-Lottery-voice-over style)… ‘the granny tea towel’. Unfortunately this is not a code for ‘WAWWD sexy lingerie range’ (although you should keep your eyes peeled for that), but is in fact so much more.

This item, brought to you by the people of WAWWD, will serve several functions, not the least of which is brightening up your grandma’s day-to-day life, looking beautiful in the kitchen, amusing old and young people alike, and of course helping your dishes dry. Just to keep you in the loop, this tea towel stems from the ‘Teach Your Granny To Text’ Action featured in the book of the same name. I am just going to side-track for a second and reassure you that if you ever overhear ‘where’s the battered granny gone?’ from the WAWWD office, it is in reference to a particularly worn office copy of the TYGTT book and not a beaten up old lady. Anyway, having cleared that up, the tea towel design will be unique (the image above is from the book) and will feature amazing suggestions for text-language granny-speak, for example:

AB- Ah bless!
NE14T?- Any one for tea?
And, my favourite: IVKTDUSMLUVLISOX- I’ve knitted you some lovely socks!

This project is in development, thus I am lucky enough to see how such an idea is patched together. Tori Flower from WAWWD lovingly hand cross-stitched a mock-up tea towel (which apparently took approximately 300 cups of tea and 500 biscuits) based on the original artwork by Beth Aves from the book. It just shows what you can achieve when you are really passionate about a great cause like helping grannies to be less lonely and encouraging intergenerational timeshare. Photographs were taken of this impressive ‘prototype’, which were sent to printers for a sample. This morning we visited Hatley Print LTD by London Bridge to see about getting each one screen-printed. It was an honour to be in such a beautiful creative space: we all agreed we would like to be let loose upon the reams of gorgeously patterned fabric there! The tea towel will be made of Fair Trade organic cotton and will be on sale in time for your granny’s Christmas present.

My peachy fourth day by Rosie Helson

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:07:00 +0000

This morning I unplugged my mobile phone charger after charging up the phone (Action 58), had a fair trade cup of tea to wake me up (Action 57) and headed off to work where I took the stairs up to the office (Action 91), and started the working day ‘aspiring to be more not earn more’ (Action 82).

That’s right, I am wolfing my way through the ‘Change The World 9 to 5’ actions! I practiced good workplace manners (Action 63) and made tea for three colleagues (Action 84). Everyone said thanks to me (Action 97). Later, I sourced my lunch from an Italian café aptly named ‘Eataly’, although I am not sure that counts as Action 51: ‘find out where your lunch has come from’, however amusing it may seem. I ate my lunch with Ella and Tori in the park (Action 67), which was delightful.

Throughout the day I became aware of how I am ‘fitting into the bigger picture’ (Action 99). The work I am currently doing for the wonderful organisation that is WAWWD will help to spread positive social and environmental messages. The phrase ‘We Are What We Do’ implies that our actions make us who we are; I took a break this afternoon (Action 66) and ate a peach, so that makes me a peach? No, that can’t be right. It means I am making small changes in my life that will positively affect the wider world. By eating that peach on my break, you won’t hear me moaning about an empty stomach and I will be less grumpy to others! I also brought a smile to others’ faces by struggling to maintain ladylike and graceful appearances whilst slurping its succulent juiciness.

On that note, until tomorrow blog-readers…

My Third Day (Topshop HQ exclusive!) by Rosie

noreply@blogger.com (Eugenie) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:05:00 +0000

I stand corrected. There are currently 131 WAWWD actions, not 130, and in fact, we are working on a whole bunch of new ones! I have to say, I have come to work for WAWWD at a really happenin’ time; there are just so many thrilling projects in the pipeline. Only today I ventured out into the wild outdoors (the park opposite) to take photographs of WAWWD products for the new website which will be launched in September. I have also begun a research project for the new interactive Young Speakers section of the website and have been to a WAWWD product design meeting (which was held in a large and modern creativity-inspiring room with complimentary football, perhaps to prompt the ‘kicking around’ of ideas).

I know this blog is told from the perspective of a young intern, not yet accustomed to the buzzing and enthralling daily life of a WAWWD worker, but I am still basking in the aftermath of the awesome moment that took place this afternoon in the very stylish Topshop Head Quarters. I will briefly (and exclusively) describe to you that Topshop is engaging with WAWWD for the selling of a product that will be part of a social project promoting intergenerational time-share, in the form of a trendy knitting kit. The kit itself will of course be sourced sustainably and will contain wool, needles, and a knitting pattern designed by a very famous international fashion designer whose name will be kept secret for now ;)

We went along to Topshop to pitch the idea, which aims to bring together young people, grannies, and anything in between. Tori, Eugenie and I waited nervously in the large and comfortable reception area of the Arcadia Group, brushing shoulders with media execs, moguls and models. We were warmly greeted by Emily Dypka form the marketing department and had a 20 minute meeting in the (glamorous) canteen as there were no meeting rooms spare- it seems everyone is trying to pitch an idea to this high street brandscape. I soon learnt that meetings with Topshop are fast and furious, it pays to be punctual, precise and punchy with your statements. We left the meeting exhausted, but with a happy feeling that we had planted the knitting-kit acorn, which will no doubt grow to be a mighty oak.