Newcastle University

Planning students in the School Mark Murphy and Amy Priestley have been recognised by the Vice Chancellor and invited to a special event to celebrate success in the University.

They are both part of the Student Community Action Newcastle (SCAN) Guerilla Gardening team and SCAN have been chosen by Orange to lead a national project designed to help transform neglected community spaces.

The Student Union's Guerrilla Gardeners have carried out ‘make-overs’ of neglected green spaces for many years, so manager Bob Milan was in an ideal position to suggest ideas about how to use mobile phones to promote volunteering.

The result – Guerrilla Gardening App – is the first app he ever wrote and is now being used by people across the UK after being voted mobile phone users’ firm favourite in a national competition.

It enables people to take pictures of unloved public spaces on their phones and send these through to SCAN, who will either come along and help them give it a make-over for local projects, or send it to someone else within the guerrilla gardening network for those outside of the area.

SCAN is one of just 12 national partners from the voluntary and community sector who are contributing to Orange’s Do Some Good campaign, which aims to increase and improve volunteering opportunities. Research by the mobile phone company showed that 25 per cent of people they surveyed said they would volunteer five minutes every day if they could do so via their phone.

Kate Hudson, Beacon NE senior project manager, said: “We’re proud to be supporting this initiative and believe that Guerrilla Gardening is a perfect opportunity for effective public engagement and promoting sustainability.

“Hopefully future ‘make-overs’ could showcase exciting research and new technology, feature innovative art installations or provide starting points for effective community engagement.”

In order to help make this project successful Beacon NE are looking for people:

• interested in volunteering, transforming green spaces or working on ‘team challenge’ events for bigger renovations
• with seeds, cuttings, plants or equipment to donate
• who have a research interest in technology that might contribute to or enhance green space renovations
• who are artists or creative practitioners interested in working outdoors

The project is being supported by Beacon NE and the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme.