I would like to help build drinking fountains around the borough of Hackney so that our community can easily engage with green sustainable values without really even trying. Each fountain will be planned and executed by local teams (we can engage with undergraduate and postgraduate architecture students from local universities) and delve into our communities to find artists and local people (school children, elderly groups and everyone in between) to help decorate the fountains once they have been installed. The fountains will hopefully bring people together enhancing community spirit, health as well as our local and global environment.
What we'll deliver:
- Local artists, Hackney school children, local groups and the elderly within our community can help
- Build beautiful water fountains in Hackney
- Have local people and organisations within the community build them
Why it's a great idea:
The idea took hold after a visit to London Zoo with my children. One of the exhibits within the aquarium was a tank full of plastic. The statistics were alarming and my 6 year old was particularly shocked by them.
The project Hydrate Hackney will not only help alleviate the problems excessive production of plastic brings to our world but the project will also help the people in our community drink good water whenever they need to.
This project does not only help us become more green by not buying plastic water bottles, it will also unite our communities as there is a clear agenda to build these fountains together. Schools, universities and local groups will get together to 'decorate' them and take pride in the work produced. I would hope to engage our local artists and architects to help realise this project and help promote a community-based sustainable and green agenda for the wonderfully diverse borough of Hackney.
Steps to get it done:
It would be a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the local and global green agenda whilst bringing the people of our borough together. We will be giving the community the most basic of resources around the streets and leisure spaces. Water is an essential source of life - it does not need to be encased in plastic - it just needs to flow (when needed) from decorative fountains built and designed by locals. Now, that would definitely help quench the thirst of our thriving and diverse community.
