Local projects
Start a local project that only begins once enough neighbours are in
A community orchard, a street mural, a new bench for the green. Local projects need a minimum number of hands and sometimes a minimum pot of money. Crowd tells you whether you've got them before you lift a spade.
The problem
Local projects die in the gap between enthusiasm and commitment. A parish council meeting where 20 people say 'what a lovely idea' becomes three people digging a hole on a wet Saturday. Without a threshold, the keenest few end up doing all the work and carrying all the cost, and the project quietly stalls.
Why a threshold fixes it
- Set the target at the number of volunteers or contributors the project needs to be viable. The project only starts once that number is reached.
- A deadline gives you a clear go or no-go date, so you can book materials, apply for grants or confirm the landowner's permission.
- Yellow cards let neighbours raise concerns early: the mural design, the orchard location, the bench placement, before work begins.
- The link works in any local channel: the residents' association, the parish newsletter, the village Facebook group, a note through the door.
- No accounts, no email lists. Anyone with the link can tap in, which matters in a village where not everyone is online.
Examples
Tap one to start →- If 15 people say yes……we'll plant a community orchard on the green on the 19th, ten trees and stakes provided.15 to plant the orchard. Use as template
- If 8 people say yes……we'll paint the play-area mural over the bank holiday weekend, paint and brushes provided.8 to paint the mural. Use as template
- If 25 people say yes……we'll each contribute £20 towards the new bench and help install it on the 5th.25 contributing £20 for the bench. Use as template
How to do it
- 1
Work out what the project needs: a number of volunteers, a pot of money, or both. That is your target.
- 2
Create the action with that number, the project date, and a deadline that leaves time to buy materials or confirm permissions.
- 3
Share the link in every local channel. A note through doors reaches the people who aren't on the village Facebook group.
- 4
When the target is hit, buy the materials, confirm the date and get started. If it doesn't fill, you've lost nothing and can try a smaller scope.
Questions
- Can we use this for a project that needs money as well as volunteers?
- Yes. Set the target to the number of contributors you need, and put the amount per person in the description. Crowd counts the commitments; you collect the money separately once the target is reached.
- We need permission from the council or the landowner. When should we ask?
- Gather the commitments first. Going to the council with '25 neighbours have already signed up' is far more persuasive than 'we think people would like this'. Use the Crowd count as proof of support.
- What if we don't reach the target?
- The action expires and nobody has committed to anything. You can try again with a smaller target, a longer deadline, or a narrower scope. Sometimes a project just needs more time.
- Can we run more than one project at once?
- Yes. Each action has its own link. Creation is limited to five per hour from the same connection, which is plenty for a residents' association or a community group.
Also used for
Ready to set a number?
One link. Anonymous. No accounts. If the number doesn't fill before the deadline, nothing happens and nobody is on the hook.