Plymouth City Council has stated that it wants Plymouth to be net zero by 2030. That is an amazing target to aim for and THINQTANQ is in a perfect position to not just contribute to this effort, but to showcase how much a small business can do to cut its Carbon output and actually make the world a better, healthier, more inclusive place!
By completely reimagining the way we work, we will make it possible for small businesses to offset their carbon and make a contribution to the planet in a way that has not been possible before.
If we can get to 25% of our total, we may be considered for match funding by Plymouth City Council which would take us a huge way towards our ambitious target. Please consider helping in any way you can.
WE WILL:
- Reduce our Carbon emissions by 50% by the end of 2022 (against our 2021 baseline year). We will do this by installing solar panels, switching to low energy lighting and appliances, reducing our waste output and recycling/reducing our consumption.
- Fund the planting of 4000 trees and offset a minimum of 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide by the end of 2022. This amount is equivalent to a car driving 754,000 miles, the energy use of 36 homes for a year or charging 36,492,794 mobile phones!
- Provide support and facilities for at least 20 new Plymouth businesses to get started and grow.
- Improve the facilities at THINQTANQ for the good of everyone who uses it (and the planet).
By shifting our focus from being simply a provider of desk space, to being a pro active conduit for nurturing inclusive, sustainable business (and the planet) we will prove that it is possible to increase economic impact and sustainable growth whilst reducing carbon output and harm to the planet.
We need your help to make this a reality!
WHO WE ARE:
THINQTANQ was the first true coworking space set up in Plymouth. It was founded over 8 years ago by Rob Wick at a time when people weren’t familiar with the idea of coworking or shared facilities. It has come a long way in those 8 years and now it will continue the theme of being the first by becoming the first Planet Positive, Carbon negative workspace in Plymouth, possibly even the whole country. Since 2014 THINQTANQ has spawned and supported ideas and businesses such as Borrow Don’t Buy, Digital Plymouth and the Getting Everyone Online Project and contributed hugely to the local economy and small business landscape in Plymouth. It is family owned and run and THINQTANQ prides itself on being caring and accommodating to its members needs.
OUR PLAN:
We are hoping to do an awful lot with the money if we are successful with this campaign, in fact, far too much to list here but if you want to read the detail, then download this document which has a lot more information.
We are at the start of our journey to make this idea a reality but we are committed to making it happen. Here are the headlines:
Planet Positive
If we are successful in our campaign, we are going to make positive environmental impact a priority for everyone who uses THINQTANQ. It doesn't matter if they consider themselves eco warriors, or climate change deniers, we are going to make a positive impact on their behalf and frankly, if they don't like it, there are other places they can go (but good luck breathing without a hospitable atmosphere).
We describe our plan as Planet Positive because people are an integral part of that system and whilst they are the cause of many problems, they can also be the solution. With that in mind we want to support those who seek to make a positive impact through their business ideas and activities, especially in those early days when money is tight and the struggle is real. We have been there and we want to make it easier for others. We will work with local organisations and experts to make our desk spaces and support package available to those who really need it, and can really make use of it.
THINQTANQ is a home away from home for many of our members and we hope to attract even more people as a result of this campaign, so it seems only fitting that part of the money is going to go towards improving our facilities and the area that we are based in.
And finally, to encourage others to look at the way they impact the planet and its population, we are going to share our data with the world.
ABOUT OUR REWARDS
We thought it would be good to include some images of the sort of things that you can expect when you pledge to our campaign, but that brings a problem. We don't want to buy loads of bags and t-shirts and socks and stuff without knowing what we need, so here are some examples. The rewards you receive will be at least 14% better than these ones :)
YOUR NAME ON OUR WALL OF SUPPORTERS
We are planning to put everyone who helps on our wall of supporters. We have been experimenting with some 3d printed designs (using recycled, biodegradable filaments) that will turn the wall of supporters into a forest. Have a look at one of our mock-ups below!
BAMBOO SOCKS
We love bamboo socks (in fact, they are the only type we wear), and thanks to them we can offer some as a reward. Feast your eyes on this smorgasbord of sustainable awesomeness for inspiration.
T-SHIRTS and TOTES
We haven't finalised the designs yet, but we have finalised our supplier and we are using sustainably sourced, fairly purchased products, printed by local companies to ensure that you get great quality with minimum negative impact on the planet. BEHOLD!
We are using a maxi tote as our bag of choice, slightly larger than a normal tote but loads more useful for those random shopping trips and bringing files home from the office!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We will list common questions below as they come in. If you have a question about the campaign, please contacts us here or via [email protected]
Q: Can I put my membership to THINQTANQ through the campaign?
A: Yes, many of our members have already asked to put their memberships through the campaign. If you want to do this just let us know and we can adjust your membership dates etc to tie in nicely. You won't lose out on anything and you will help us in our goals to become the most sustainable place to do business.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU HELP?
Every pledge and contribution is really valuable to our project, but we know that people don’t always have money to spare. If this is the case, there are lots of other ways that you can help us to reach our targets...
- Your recommendation - If you like what we plan to do, be sure to tell your friends, family and colleagues about our work. If you can personally recommend this crowdfunder to just one or two people you know who would LOVE it, we'll get our message out to lots more people than we could ever reach by ourselves.
- Sharing our crowdfunder on social media - By sharing and recommending our project to your friends, followers & contacts you can help to boost the number of people our project reaches. Crowdfunder thinks that each share on social media can equate to around £20 in pledges, so your shares could make all the difference!! Be sure to include a personal message for the best results.
- Write / blog / shout about our work - If you are excited about our ideas, our workspace or how we plan to do our bit to tackle the climate crisis, please do tell the world! Blogging about our business helps to spread the word and support us by introducing new people to business and way of thinking. Make sure to share links with us so that we can retweet & share your writing with our networks too - you'll find us online at @thinqtanq on Instagram and @thethinqtanq on facebook.