As 2018 begins, we’re pleased to announce the launch of the Norwich Sharing City campaign. This non-profit initiative aims to position our city as a national leader in using, building and collaborating with sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, TaskRabbit, and Ofo.

We recognise that Norwich faces enormous challenges as it looks to the future. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, but as it has increased in size it has failed to modernise the ways in which it addresses problems such as social inclusion, loneliness, air quality, and traffic and congestion. Cuts by national government will continue to negatively impact our local services. We believe the sharing economy offers a positive way to provide social good in our communities.

Ofo bikes have made the sharing economy more visible than ever in Norwich.

Before Christmas, local businesses, charities, universities and members of the city council came together at The Ideas Factory on St. Andrew’s Street to shape a new direction for Norwich’s economy. It was great to hear the support and enthusiasm that people have for the Norwich Sharing City campaign, but the best part was being inspired by the ideas that were discussed. We would very much like to say thank you to Huw Sayer and Hot Source for facilitating such a wonderful evening, and to Daniela Paiva and Cooknst for providing such amazing catering.

Norwich is already home to some amazing organisations that are pioneering sharing economy ideas. We’re excited to work with and learn from Liftshare, a social enterprise that has championed sustainable mobility for nearly two decades. Caroline Mayers, in particular, has been invaluable in shaping the vision for the campaign and bringing together key players who can make it happen. Over the course of this year, we’ll be doing our part to spearhead new collaborations and partnerships across the city.

These pastries from Bread Source shouldn’t be left to go to waste.

To kick things off, we’ll be hosting a Norwich Sharing City meetup at Hawthorn’s on St. Benedicts Street. On Wednesday 7th March, local organisations and partners will come together under the Norwich Sharing City banner to discuss ways of minimising food waste and overcoming food poverty here in Norwich. If you’d like to join us on the night or share an idea on this topic in advance please register your interest here.

Today, the people of Norwich are uniquely positioned to benefit from greater collaboration and sharing. If you’d like to hear more about the Norwich City Sharing campaign please follow us here on Medium, visit our website or sign up to our newsletter. Or if you’ve got your own ideas about how to promote the sharing economy, get in touch at info@norwichsharing.city.