WBIG - Empowering Community Focused People

by Weyforward in Weymouth, England, United Kingdom

We did it
On 18th March 2019 we successfully raised £848 with 46 supporters in 28 days

Fuelling Ideas For Good - The WBIG (Weymouth Basic Income Grant) pays you to make the difference you want to see in the world around you.

by Weyforward in Weymouth, England, United Kingdom

What Is The WBIG?

It is a viable version of a Universal Basic Income. The Weymouth Basic Income Grant (WBIG) is paid to people who have an idea for a project or a business that delivers a social benefit to the local community. The only condition is that the people and projects must give something back to the community.

The process is as follows;

Step 1 - Have an idea that would help both you and the community.

Step 2 - Tell us about it by submitting it to the Ideas League and we will give you £100 to go and investigate your idea further and fill out a start up template.

Step 3 - Come back to us with a plan that shows a benefit to the community and we will invest £500 per month in YOU to make it happen.

Step 4 - When you are successful all we ask is that 50% of any profit you generate is reinvested into the Weymouth Basic Income Scheme to allow us to support more community ideas.

After 5 years our model becomes self sustaining and will deliver a profound improvement in quality of life to a wide section of the community.

Fuelling Ideas For Good...

The WBIG (Weymouth Basic Income Grant) will bring self worth, reward and recognition to an undervalued Community. It can also be used as a model to help other struggling parts of the country. Join Our supporters group here Supporters of WBIG Group

Why The Weymouth Basic Income Grant (WBIG)?

According to government data Weymouth & Portland borough is one of the most deprived in the whole of the UK and has officially been classed as having the lowest Social Mobility in the country (if writing is in blue you can click on it and follow the link for more info). So, we are on a mission to improve things through the introduction of a Weymouth Basic Income Grant (WBIG) of £500 per month. We want to be the first place in the UK to get something like this up and running within our local community. 

Weymouth & Portland Are The Start of The Line

In order to begin this virtuous cycle we need to raise £60,000 which is £1 for everyone in the Borough. This will allow us to fund our second wave of community focused initiatives. The first wave of projects are already flourishing so we know what we are doing works.

How Do We Deliver The Positive Social Change?

The Ideas League founded in 2016, this is the place where anyone in the community can submit their ideas for a community vote and begin the process of being granted the Weymouth Basic Income. You can join the Ideas League now by following this link and logging your ideas for the community to vote on. We have also held ongoing events with local schools and would like to commit funds to bring the children's and other members of the wider communities ideas to life. 

Here is Baron one of the founders of Ideas League and Weyforward explaining more...

The Weyforward Community Interest Company

Will view the start up template for the business and where necessary seek the input of an industry expert if one is not already present at the startup meeting. A successful vote at this stage would see the start up business gain entry to the Weyforward CIC Community Incubator. The idea originator and up to 2 team members qualify for the WBI which is £500 per month and a 1 off payment of £1000 to kick start the business. Here are Jason and Baron Co-founders of the Weyforward CIC and community Idea Incubator explaining more about the WBIG.

Active Projects

We have a number of new and ongoing projects that we would like to progress that support the community. These are outlined below. Please contact us directly for more details. 

Community Seaweed

Weymouth is a coastal town, home to a variety of local seaweed species in abundant quantities, a resource that to date is under utilised in Dorset. Currently a level 1 action group and originally posted on Ideas League. This idea is currently undergoing research to identify key local seaweed species and locations for their growth. The next steps of this project will include a pilot scale harvesting and production plan and will aim to supply products for agricultural and later pharmaceutical markets.

Direct Democracy

After a successful pilot on a matter of huge importance to the borough and its community using a hosted version of a purpose built platform used by the local government of Reykjavik, work will commence on our own bespoke version for Weymouth & Portland. This will enable the community to share important information and vote to crystallise local opinion into clearly actionable policies whilst complementing the new town and unitary councils.

Community ISP

(originally posted on the Ideas League) - Currently Level 1 - Early stage with local technology experts involved. BT must make their technology and ducting available to community fibre optic initiatives and creating a local ISP with a potential speed of 1GB for considerably less cost per home/business than is currently available will enable businesses and residents (especially the less well off) to access the Internet at the fastest possible speed affordable. This will be crucial for the economic development of the borough in the coming years and really cannot come soon enough.

Zzipp Media

Currently at idea stage as a level 1 action group and originally posted on Ideas League, is a New Media Voice on the Jurassic Coast of the UK. Community News and Views from a Different Angle, Worldwide 24/7/365... Live Streaming Council Meetings, an exclusive YouTube channel, Podcasts and more to bring  you closer to the Community in which you live.

Weymouth Bay Sea Swimmers CIC 

Centre for fitness and well-being on Weymouth Bay (originally posted on the Ideas League) - Currently Level 3 - The community group secured an unused former lifeguards station from the council for a peppercorn rent and are improving the facility which is in operation. They recently secured £2000 of funding for more improvements from Tesco Bags of Help and posted their first surplus with more than 60 regular local swimmers and swimmers from all over the country using the facility. The facility deploys an innovative use of an internet-enabled lock so that anyone can buy timed access PINs automatically via their website.

Action Facilitate

Exist to help people solve problems and explore their ideas, currently a level 2 action group they will also support and manage the Ideas League and Weyforward CIC pipeline and process. Ensuring that people with ideas get the support they need to bring them to life.

Is There A Proper Financial Plan?

Ethex.org are a sustainable investment company and have agreed to help us develop this project to a point where we can raise funds from conscientious investors in their network. Like us they believe that our plan will work but they would like to see the funds they are willing to help us raise contributed to by supporters in the local community and beyond. You can download the very first draft of our plan HERE. We are busy creating the second draft for Ethex right now!

From the start two ethical finance company CEOs saw our original plan and thought it had a lot of potential.  Ed Rowberry of Bristol & Bath Regional Capital told us,

"Your plan is laudable, and it is the type of initiative that we would normally support.  However, we only operate in the Bristol and Bath region, so this would be outside of our ‘patch’. Wishing you all the best with this..."

The CEO of Abundance Investment, Karl Harder, offered to mentor us and we gratefully accepted. What Ed and Karl both realised is that what we are doing is unique and doesn't easily fit most funding models. So it took us a little while to find Ethex and then to give them time to look into our proposal in more detail.

Partying Our Way To Prosperity

We have decided on a unique and unlikely yet some how fitting approach to resolving part of our funding conundrum. We are going to party in epic fashion. Tickets are available in the reward section although we are also asking for donations and support from all those who can not make it in person. 

The party date & venue will be confirmed following the completion of this campaign.

Dressing The Part

Of course if you want to be prosperous and successful you have to look the part. That is why we have developed our executive clothing range (T-Shirts) and are able to offer this high end apparel, at fundraising rates, to all those who want to help support their community.

Please Give What You Can To Help Seed Fund Positive Social Change... 


Thank You From All Of Us At Weyforward, We Look Forward To Greeting You At The Party


Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£15 or more

3 of 500 claimed

Party Ticket

This is your ticket to party like it is the 90's. Join us in revelry and help to save the world.

£1 or more

Your Slice Of The Dream

£1 from everyone in the Borough would allow us to provide support to the community and a future in which the children have a chance to explore their ideas and dreams.

£5 or more

Enhanced Sense Of Wellbeing

By pledging this amount in support of the WBIG you can experience a sense of increased well being in the knowledge you have helped kickstart a number of businesses that will support the local community.

£25 or more

"Keep Portland Weird" T-shirt

No description required really, although some may say the risk of Portland ever not being weird is a small one. Fly the flag and show your support of diversity in all its forms.

£25 or more

WBIG Massive "Weymouth Is The Start Of The Line"

Official Weymouth Basic Income Grant T-Shirt. A high quality T-shirt aimed at the optimists among you. From our perspective Weymouth is the start of the line rather than the end of it. So let's get that message out to those who think otherwise... wear this stunning body covering with pride.

£30 or more

0 of 35 claimed

Invite To The Seaweed Picnic

A day out at the seaside where you will spend time with the founders of the Community Seaweed Company and learn a bit about a day in the life of a Bladder Wrack Wrestler. A picnic based on the treasures of the deep combined with a seaweed social. Come and join us for a great day out.

£50 or more

0 of 15 claimed

Insight Hike - Weymouth and Portland UK

Are you looking for your big idea, or maybe wondering how to come up with a way to really help those around you? Action Facilitate will take you on a tour of Weymouth & Portland whilst sharing with you a systematic innovation framework which will aid you in arriving at the Insight which leads to positive change. Wander with us for a while and see the town through a different lens...

£50 or more

0 of 1 claimed

Play the role of "Walter White, ‎Heisenberg‎"

You get to act and star as Walter (egg) White aka Battenberg, in Peter Lythgoe's Community TV production of Baking Bad... £50 is a small price to pay to have the chance of your own lead performance in what will undoubtedly be a cult classic and blockbuster hit.

£200 or more

Super Boosted Post

You can get your message across to our strong local network (between 5 -10k people)) with a boosted post. Get the local traction and awareness you need for your Brand (£10 boost included).

£300 or more

0 of 10 claimed

Premium Banner Space

Get your advertising banner on our website for 2 weeks and spread the message. If you share our values then show us and everyone else your support and get involved.

Got an idea like this?

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