GREEN GRADS fundraising campaign 2026

Aim

TARGET We are appealing for funds to raise up to £50,000 to preserve, consolidate, maintain and expand GREEN GRADS and take it forward.

GREEN GRADS: OUR APPEAL FOR FUNDING

The people of the world are facing unprecedented threats from climate change, diminishing resources, pollution, destruction of habitats, waste and sadly much more.

Our GREEN GRADS have ideas at the cutting edge to tackle some of these problems. Ideas generated, honed, developed and trialled at the best universities globally. They are not students,. They are graduates and ready to take their projects further.

Please donate to help us to support them and in so doing contribute to a better world.

Please donate to keep GREEN GRADS going and enable our GREEN GRADS, current and future, to deliver change. 

Because once at GREEN GRAD always a GREEN GRAD.

BUT WHAT IS GREEN GRADS?

GREEN GRADS, founded in 2021, is a platform to nurture and promote recent UK graduates in design, engineering, art and craft “with new ideas to heal the planet.”

It is a unique and innovatory enterprise.

We put on shows, seminars, and smaller intimate events. 

We get coverage for our GREEN GRADS in social and mainstream media. 

We run a regularly updated website.

We do not charge our graduates anything.

GREEN GRADS are makers, innovators and activists!

SO COULD YOU SUPPORT GREEN GRADS?

GREEN GRADS is five years old! 

www.greengrads.co.uk

@greengradsuk

Please help us to keep GREEN GRADS going.

We are appealing for funds (as already stated) to preserve, consolidate,maintain and expand our unique project.

HOW WE ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED

GREEN GRADS is run on a not-for-profit model. 

At a time when other shows charge hefty fees to exhibit with them, it is FREE for graduates to show with GREEN GRADS. Many of our graduates could not afford to exhibit elsewhere.

We have to date relied totally on donations and finance and support in kind from sponsors - an amazing band of British brands. Thank you!

We have raised all our funding ourselves for five years and launched the careers of 250 GREEN GRADS.

We have used our sponsors’ money:

* To deliver five major shows of our own, and to take our graduates into numerous other shows, such as Grand Design Live (three times) and the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Show in Manchester (four times). 

* We have hosted many smaller events offering inspiration, information and networking.

* We have appeared on numerous panels and in many sessions of discussion.

* We have given grants to graduates in need of funds for travel and/or accommodation. 

* We have financed a website.

SO WHO IS RUNNING GREEN GRADS?

Founder/curator is Barbara Chandler MBE, award-winning design writer and photographer. 

Barbara Chandler was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours June 2026, as founder of GREEN GRADS.

Michael Czerwinski of Studio Tucktite is co-director and show designer/producer, and co-founder of the Illustrators Fair.

“We are fuelling UK environmental action with new talent from UK Universities.”

AND WHO ARE THE GREEN GRADS?

We like to say that “today’s graduates are tomorrow’s planet.”

The GREEN GRADS, individually profiled on our website, are new graduates whose final projects have in some way addressed a wide range of eco-issues. These might include: 

* Nature and biophilia. 

* Regenerative design. 

* Natural materials, natural dyes, local production and traditional crafts. 

* Sustainability in design, manufacturing, administration, sales, transport and delivery and so on. 

* The circular economy. 

* Biomaterials/materials from waste. 

* Recycling/upcycling. 

* Diminishing resources/water usage.

* Destruction of habitats and depletion of species. 

* Durability, restoration and repair. 

* Energy reduction and alternative energy. 

* Land and water pollution, including plastics. 

Since 2021 we have worked with 250+ GREEN GRADS, and plan to add a minimum of 50 more in the cohort of 2026.

HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR GRADUATES (250 to date)?

At our shows and other events, and on our website, we help our graduates present their projects (in the best possible way) to industry, design studios, retailers, galleries, the media, and the general public. 

This provides them with an invaluable list of contacts, validates their work, accesses funding, increases confidence and powers of self-expression and inspires them to continue. They strengthen their skills and realise their potential... and fast track their careers.

HOW WE WILL SPEND YOUR MONEY

We will gratefully use your money to fund our 26/27 programme.

Money raised will consolidate and expand on our current activities and will pay for the help we so badly need for keeping GREEN GRADS going and making it even better.

Here are more details of what we have been doing. Your money will pay for more of the same – and then more!

* Putting on physical shows where graduates are present to demonstrate and explain. 

* Designing, installing, and in many cases physically building our exhibition spaces. 

* Funding supplementary charges at our shows, such as lighting and insurance (this could expand our possibilities).

* Hiring vans to bring graduates’ work to our shows.

* Assisting our graduates with bursaries for travel and accommodation. 

* Running a regularly updated website; writing biographies for each GREEN GRAD.

* Taking photographs of our GREEN GRADS for PR and for the website.

* Writing exhibition, PR and marketing material, gaining industry contacts and significant media coverage in national and industry pressand on web-based channels.

* Promoting our graduates on social media, notably Instagram and LinkedIn.

* Coordinating sophisticated talks programmes and hosting engaging demos and workshops. 

* Hosting informal “salons” and informative/fun networking events.

* Providing professional mentorship with individual guidance and support.

* Remunerate reasonably our directors for services hitherto rendered for free (if funds allow)..

AND WHAT DO OUR GREEN GRADS SAY ABOUT US?

This is really what keeps us going…

“Our generation is part of tomorrow’s solution.” 

“I am just so happy to be a GREEN GRAD – it’s joining me up with so many other like-minded creatives and I feel so much more effective!” 

“We graduates can work outside industry and show it’s urgent to act now.” 

“We makers must consider the impact of our design, and help others to do the same.” “I am a GREEN GRAD because design is a game changer for social and environmental injustice.” “We GREEN GRADS combine technology with activism.” 

WHAT HAVE OUR GREEN GRADS DONE SO FAR?

Once a GREEN GRAD, always a GREEN GRAD.

Here is a small taste of what our GREEN GRADS have done so far (and there are many more to explore on our website:

Our GREEN GRADS have launched in “the real world”:-

* A solar-charged heating mat for refugees and poorer communities(Siri Hollema, www.matzero.com)

* A biiomaterial from egg shells (Mobina Rajabimoghadam; @biorecursive)

* A bio replacement for polystyrene ((Elizabeth Lee, Ori Blich, and Eden Harrison; www.carboncell.co)

* Elegant tableware made from waste (Sara Howard; www.sarahowardstudio.com)

* A bicycle made from old bikes attached to a plywood frame (Alex Clark; @aepclark)

* Elegant furniture made from waste tennis balls (Mathilde Wittock; www.mwodesign.com)

* A long-lasting 3D printed tennis ball to dramatically reduce waste (Noé Chouraqui; @noe__ch) 

* Lighting made from waste ceramic and ash (Rosy Napper; www.rosynapper.com)

With your help we can launch so much more!

Because donating to GREEN GRADS is an inarguable double whammy you support the environment and new talent as the same time. And by investing in new ideas and attitudes, new systems, new inventions, new materials, new ways of making …and by fostering expertise, passion, commitment and activism, you help to change the world.

Thank you!

Barbara and Michael

Directors of GREEN GRADS

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Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 2nd September 2026 at 6:12pm