Our Planet Your Path

Our Planet Your Path is a campaign to open one the UK's first city centre Climate Hubs right in the heart of Plymouth. We will provide a high street venue for all environmental organisations from across Devon and Cornwall, to come together and engage with learners of all ages.    

Founders Antony, Megan and Martin have a vision of a network of Climate Hubs in high streets across the UK to help people and businesses understand and engage with the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced - the climate crisis. 

Help them do this as they aim to raise £65,000 to run a pilot Climate Hub in the heart of Plymouth City Centre and in turn, help the city of Plymouth become greener, happier and hit its climate change targets. As a hub we will look to work with other environmental organisations and develop a program of workshops, activities and events for the people of Plymouth to engage with. 

What is “Our Planet, Your Path”?

Our Planet, Your Path is organising a pilot climate hub that merges art, science, and sustainability, with the aim to set up a community-based climate change learning centre for further exploration.

We want to challenge the misconceptions that art is frivolous, science is perplexing and environmental issues can be ignored, through combining face to face and virtual learning.  

Our Planet, Your Path aims to empower our next generation by showing and demonstrating how they can help solve the climate crisis through their choice of future career and lifestyle. Combining art and science exhibitions with practical workshops and activities, we will work in collaboration with other local environmental organisations and local green employers, to create a fun and engaging learning environment for schools and the public to visit. By joining environmental issues with art and science, we aim to engage audiences that usually might not be interested or concerned about environmental issues. 

The Covid pandemic has changed the way we teach and share knowledge, demonstrating that digital outreach can dramatically increase our audience size and the number of meaningful engagements achieved with learners. Our Planet, Your Path will run and deliver a digital outreach program, which will include a series of green career events, promoting careers and organisations within Plymouth and the Southwest which are helping to tackle the climate crisis. 

Through this blended learning approach, we aim to help raise young people’s aspirations, promote environmental issues, and empower young people to help solve the climate crisis. 

Who is it for?

For over a decade, our founder Antony Jinman and our team of young environmental scientists, have been visiting a delivering workshops in schools and universities throughout the UK. We have now visited over 1000 schools and have an exciting and inspiring program of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) workshops, which we have already delivered to over 120,000 children so far. 

Building on our school visit program, together we can provide an affordable and valuable resource for our community which will help empower our next generation to help solve the climate crisis. Our Planet, Your Path will be particularly appealing to local families with children aged 3-16, especially those families who wish to engage with sustainable citizenship. However, we are keen to create a resource that people of all age groups can draw inspiration and we will be careful to design the exhibition area with this as a key goal. We will also ensure that the exhibition is not only wheelchair accessible but that the centre is inclusive for members of our community with different needs.

For 16 - 25 years we have also had experience delivering a personal skill development module for Environmental Science students at the University of Plymouth, which include leadership and science communication material to help enrich aspiring environmental researchers personal experience and CV's. Our courses will offer a range a wide range of qualifications and awards which will focus on expedition planning, fundraising, health and safety, leadership, communication, teamwork and much more. 

Nature and the environment play’s such an important role in our own health and wellbeing. This will be core to our centre and helping to connect learners of all ages to our local environment. We aim to offer activities and mini expeditions to discover and explore how the environment helps our own mental health and wellbeing. 

For local businesses

As well as working with students, schools and the wider public, we will also be developing a series of corporate workshops, events and courses to help engage organisations with their employees, and their business network. 

We give organisations the space, knowledge, contacts and tools to accelerate their sustainability journey and progress towards carbon neutrality. 

What will it look like?

Our Planet, Your Path pilot will include:

• There are a large number of closed high street shops that would make a great location for our centre and in turn, would act as a visitor attraction whilst creating jobs.

• A workshop and exhibit area where we will host exhibits from leading local artists, scientists and environmental groups as well as a space for running talks and hands on messy workshops for children!

• A pop up shop and café will also be a place were parents can enjoy a drink and a bit to eat whilst the children participate in our learning activities, and take a game or activity home to complete later.

• A virtual educational campaign, which will include a regular green podcast and online events via LikeToBe.org. LikeToBe.org is a safe learning environment to connect our growing young audience, supporters and ambassadors together ensuring that we can continue sharing knowledge and raising aspirations both in the learning centre and online. 

Where and how long will the exhibition be on for?

We are looking for a suitable location in Plymouth City Centre, we have two possible venues that have agreed to let us hire for 6 months, although we are still exploring other venues that may be more suitable. We are planning to have 2 months to build, set up and pack down and 4 months to showcase the exhibition between 1st April 2022 to 30 September 2022.

Although this is a 6 month pilot, we aim to secure additional grant funding and with your support move into a sustainable business model so we can continue to build and expand. 

How much are we trying to raise?

We have set the main target of £65,000, once we reach £30,000 we can apply for additional match funding, bringing us closer to our target. Anything we raise over this, will allow us to work with more artists, scientists and environmental groups, to make more exhibits and enable us to put on a much more impressive experience for you to enjoy.

Please consider making a donation, or purchasing a reward. Together we can make this happen!

What will my money be spent on? 

Setting up the exhibition and creating jobs for young science communicators and artists. 

In order to achieve this we will need funding to:

• Administrate and coordinate the set up
• Materials for workshops and activities
• Exhibit
• Website and virtual activities.  
• Covid19 measures
• Booking System
• Marketing