ABOUT ECO REWARDS
Eco Rewards (Ecological Rewards Ltd), is an independent, family-run UK business, founded by Erika Vincent MBA and Kevin Farquharson MA. It is run as a not for profit scheme supported by Bracknell Forest Council and Thames Valley Berkshire Smart City Cluster.
WHY CROWDFUNDER?
The goal of this crowdfunder is to raise money to help support and grow the scheme, offer the scheme to other areas in the UK, and develop a mobile App to make it easier and more fun for everyone to participate.
OUR VISION
At Eco Rewards we are passionate about promoting and sustaining green travel and healthy behaviours. Our unique reward scheme offers incentives to achieve long-term behavioural shift to greener and more sustainable forms of transport.
We also believe in building back better: helping society to bounce back from the pandemic by addressing health and wellbeing, and impacts on communities and individuals, by improving the environment.
Eco Rewards offers rewards and incentives for schools, businesses and communities to encourage greener travel, healthy lifestyle choices and reduce local congestion.
MOTIVATION
As a climate change emergency is declared in Westminster, people are increasingly asking what measure can be taken to accelerate the reduction in green-house gas emissions. Transport comes close behind businesses and domestic use as the greatest source of CO2. We are hearing louder warnings about the urgent need to tackle the causes of climate change:
Greta Thonberg said in October 2018 "I want you to act as if the house was on fire — because it is". She also said: "We're facing an immediate unprecedented crisis that has never been treated as a crisis.”
Prof Sir David King (former UK chief scientist) says he's been scared by the number of extreme events, and he called for the UK to advance its climate targets by 10 years.
The need and opportunity is to encourage individuals and families to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint. With Eco Rewards, participants receive incentives and encouragement to choose green and active travel choices. They will be more motivated to respond to the climate change challenge and reduce their carbon footprint. Eco Rewards harnesses innovative technology, processes and incentives which encourages more people to choose walking, cycling, public transport and other forms of greener transport. We can also demonstrate additional benefits in health, wellbeing and community spirit.
HOW IT WORKS
Cycling, walking and green travel journeys can be reported by tapping smart tags on blue readers (in LA funded areas like Bracknell Forest), scanning QR codes or self-reporting using online form.
League tables, prize draws, medals and carbon savings calculator keep motivation high. Participants can log their routes, achieve goals, and help to save the planet. Collectively participants could save on fuel costs and reduce their CO2 emissions by 1000s of tonnes.
Points are calculated together with carbon savings and green miles. Over time, participants will see their carbon savings grow, both as an individual and as a community. Participants can take part in special challenges, be entered into prize draws and access discounts and cash-back from thousands of well- known online retailers.
PROVEN RESULTS!
We started with a small pilot in Surrey and then established a full scale trial in Bracknell working with the council, schools and businesses. This enabled residents to register and record their green journeys choices by scanning a QR code on a sign or touching RFID tag/card on a IOT reader. In Bracknell Forest alone we already have over 10 schools involved together with their families, staff as well as over 1000 residents participating who have reported over 100k green miles and saved 30 tonnes of CO2 compared to driving.
So far the Eco Rewards scheme in total (including other pilot areas) has already reported over 667,000 green miles and saved nearly 200 tonnes of CO2!
Imagine what we could achieve if we could roll this out across the UK!
FEEDBACK
We think Eco Rewards is a great idea, but don't just take our word for it. Here are some recent comments from our early adopters:
“Hi eco-rewards, Many thanks - the voucher arrived ok - this scheme really gets me walking and active. Kind regards, Andrew”
"Love getting involved walking to town and lowering my carbon footprint" Sam
"Thanks so much for starting this scheme. It's a great idea!" Sue
And a few more from our recent survey:
Help us make a difference
The main reason for supporting this campaign is to help us get the word out about Eco Rewards and expand it throughout the UK. That's our mission. The more you can give the more people we can reach, to try to incentivise people to take up greener and more active forms of travel to help to save the planet. You will be supporting the development and promotion of the scheme.
This is your chance to support our crowdfunder to bring Eco Rewards to a bigger audience, by becoming a member, reporting your active travel and being rewarded with special offers, discounts and cash back from thousands of online retailers. For community groups or businesses, we have the option of joining the scheme as an organisation.
Depending on the level you pick, we have a number of rewards you can claim. These include:
A certificate and acknowledgement of support - For £10, every pound you donate can make a difference.
An exclusive Eco Rewards T-shirt - Back our crowdfunding campaign and you could get one with certificate and acknowledgement of support for only £20.
Personal Membership of Scheme (Outside of Bracknell), Back us for £50 or more with the option to upload green miles through self-reporting, see your own carbon savings calculator, plus have early access to our app and full access to cash-back discounts and special offers. You could be able to re-coup more than you donate!
Are you a small community group or micro business? Chip-in £100 and we can give you full membership for up to 5 people, plus your name printed on the supporters’ page of our website.
Small business or organisation? Are you particularly wishing to promote ethical/environment initiatives? Or a fitter healthier workforce? For £250 we can include membership for up to 20 staff/members including your logo on our website.
Larger organisations – Back us for £500 or more and we can offer membership for up to 100 people. Includes your logo on our website, plus dedicated webpage for organisation participants and leader boards. Please contact us if you require more membership accounts.
Your logo on our thank you page
Group or organisation that shares our aims and values? Make a contribution at the right level and we'll add your logo on our website. Not open to businesses who are not operating in the UK or those involved in gambling, fossil fuel or pornography.