The idea
We've been working on a project called the Kettle Companion in Crosby which is all about connecting loved ones and building community in an easy non-intrusive manner.
With people alone and shielding in these worrying covid19 times it's even more important than ever that we find ways to connect with each other.
The idea behind the Kettle Companion is very simple. When a member of community boils their kettle for a cuppa in the morning it sends a signal to our Internet Cloud platform.
You have a miniature kettle in your home which glows in different colours. Blue means they've not had their cuppa yet, Green means all is well and they are OK. After 10am the kettle glows red to alert you you might want to give them a call to check up, and you get an SMS on your phone too if you wish.
It's that simple, and it's a surprisingly lovely feeling to walk past a "green" kettle during the day and know your loved ones are OK, wherever they are in the world!
What we'll deliver
- Give 100 kettle companion kits to individuals in Sefton
Why it's a great idea
The mental health of individuals who are cut off and/or shielding during these covid times is deeply concerning to us all.
The gift of our Kettle Companion to people in Sefton will provide a link between people and their loved ones, and others in the community they are looking our for, helping everybody feel a little bit more connected, and thus alleviating mental health problems.
In addition knowing that parents, children and neighbours are OK on a day to day basis this enables people to check in if there are any potential problems and thus has the potential to flag up issues and protect individuals in the community (falls, collapse, etc.).
It gives that little extra push for us to connect to, engage with, and look after people down the road who otherwise might be alone.
Steps to get it done
- Finalise Kit Contents (Smart Plug + 3D Printed Kettle)
- Crowdsource team of volunteers and testers
- Begin initial delivery to local community (5-10 units)
- Scale up delivery (100 units)
- Finish delivery (250 units)
- Maintain system
- Review successes / challenges
We see a key value in this exercise of building communities and connecting people together in an easy manner. What could be more important now that we have so many in our communities shielding, alone and suffering?
