FareShare has been operating since 2004 and today has 12 locations around the UK. Established in 1994 as a project within the homelessness charity Crisis, FareShare aims to help vulnerable groups, whether they are homeless, elderly, children, or other groups in food poverty within our communities.

FareShare helps to improve lives:

In 2008/09, the food redistributed by FareShare contributed towards more than 7.4 million meals.
The FareShare Community Food Network has over 530 Community Members across the UK receiving food, training and advice.
Every day an average of 29,000 people benefit from the service FareShare provides.
As well as redistributing food, FareShare provides a programme of education and vocational training opportunities – the Eat Well Live Well programme.

FareShare Helps The Environment:

The redistribution of food by FareShare minimises surplus food going to landfill.
This redistribution of food helped businesses reduce CO2 emissions by 13,950 tonnes in 2008/09.

FareShare’s New Vision:

Open a further 18 depots, bringing the total number to 30.
Provide nutritious food to 2,500 community organisations and charities.
Redistribute 20,000 tonnes of food per year.
Everyday support 100,000 vulnerable people through food provision; as well as provide training and education through our Eat Well Live Well programme.
Offer 6,000 volunteer opportunities.

http://www.fareshare.org.uk/

RockCorps was launched as a social business in the United States in 2005 by 7 friends: Stephen Greene (CEO), Grady Lee (COO), Haley Moffett (Head of Production), Chris Robinson (Creative Director), Toby Garrett (Producer), Paul Hunter and Noel Eisenberg. Volunteers have earned their tickets to RockCorps gigs in cities across the US including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Oakland, Houston, Chicago, Portland OR, Baltimore, Washington DC and Miami.

In 2008 RockCorps partnered with Orange and Sony Ericsson to bring RockCorps to the UK. The first concert took place on September 26th at the Royal Albert Hall featuring Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and John Legend. In 2009, RockCorps has grown in the UK with gigs at the Manchester Apollo and again at the Royal Albert Hall. 2009 also saw the the first RockCorps show in France at Le Zenith theatre in Paris.

RockCorps has over 450 charity and non-profit partners in the US and Europe. All of the volunteering events are done in partnership with and for the benefit of local charities.

All of RockCorps funding comes from its brand partners. Orange is RockCorps’ lead partner in the UK and France, both supporting the programme directly and also delivering communications campaigns to help spread the word and inspire a new generation of volunteers. Young people have to give 4 hours of their time to put back into the community, and for their hard work they get given a ticket to a music gig with big name artists playing – the idea is as simple as that.

I was at the Royal Albert Hall for this year’s RockCorps and the atmosphere was amazing, everyone having a good time and feeling good about helping out with the community.

As the idea of RockCorps has already spread from America to the UK and now to Paris, it’s surely only a matter of time before it starts heading to Asia? Japan for instance, where the elderly make up a big part of the population could easily be the type of place where RockCorps works its magic, with the young helping the old.

Give, Get Given.

http://www.rockcorps.com/

http://www.orangerockcorps.co.uk/

Back in January 2008, the UK’s first outdoor playground for the elderly was opened in Manchester adjacent to an existing children’s playground. First thing, fantastic stuff! “You might say I’m being daft but it gives you a real buzz and afterwards you feel fantastic,” Peggy Yuill, 74, told Reuters by telephone from the bustling post-launch lunch. “We can’t believe how it has taken off.”

The playground consisted of a cycling machine, and machines that give the feeling you are skiing or using your wheelchair. Children need to stay fit and healthy and have fun which is why their playgrounds are created, so why not for the elderly as well, who have a much greater need to stay active. Just the thought of children and the elderly side by side exercising gives you such a positive feeling. Offering elderly people free access to equipment like this, can only be of a benefit and this is exactly what Adidas thought as they launched their take on the idea, ‘adiZones’ – outdoor fitness gyms which are free. To tie in with the London 2012 Olympics, Adidas built the first adiZone in Wennington Green, Tower Hamlets. The area includes, bike and ski machines, a cross trainer, treadmill and even a tennis wall. Providing the public with free access to exercise facilities, both ideas can improve the well being of local residents in areas where people usually wouldn’t be able to gain access to them.

I can easily see this working in countries like the US, where obesity is problem, and where just putting up another sports pitch (see Nike ReUSE A SHOE) may not always be the solution. Free outdoor gyms and exercise facilities tailored to the needs of local communities would surely be more beneficial than another football pitch or tennis court?

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL3081924620080130

http://www.outdoorgymblog.com/adizones/