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A proud day for Streetbank…and for social innovation. Meet the New Radicals

For the third year running, the UK’s innovation foundation Nesta has joined forces with The Observer to compile a list of the fifty people and organisations changing society for the better.  It goes without saying that we are absolutely delighted to be amongst the social entrepreneurs and innovators identified by Nesta and The Observer as this year’s 50 New Radicals.  

The eclectic list includes organisations converting coffee waste into energy, finding gig buddies for disabled people and running computer coding clubs for kids. From Mazi Mas to the DoNation, Rootless Garden to the Casserole Club, it’s a list of brilliance and inspiration, and we’re chuffed to be on it.  

Although we’re all doing pretty diverse things, we’re united in our goal to meet the needs of our communities.. Each of us uses technology, science, design, and spades of imagination and determination to help people to do good. 

In other words, to help people help people; the title of a revealing Nesta report that was launched last week.  The report, People Helping People: The Future of Public Services, shows that the value of what the government calls ‘social action’ – of the volunteering efforts that the 50 New Radicals encourage and support – is estimated at £34billion per year. 

The report highlights the enormous value of people giving their time to help others. This is music to our ears here at Streetbank, as we too see the powerful impact that generosity can have, with people benefitting from sharing things and skills with neighbours every day.

Our ambition is to help create strong communities across the globe, and to make sharing as normal as shopping. Another exciting report from Nesta shows that we are getting closer and closer to making this vision a reality as the number of people using technology to exchange goods and services grows by the day. 

So today we raise a glass to our 55,399 Streetbank members sharing 54,441 things in 81 countries, as well as to fellow New Radicals and the countless organisations encouraging change for good worldwide.  

Kate and the Streetbank team