After several years of scoping and development, Ethical Consumer and the Permaculture Association are excited to share the first, very basic version, of the Tools For The Future platform (previously known as the Ethical Lifestyle Toolkit).
Many people are concerned about the pressures their lifestyle and work activities are putting on people and the planet. Feedback from project focus groups and surveys identified the need for a toolkit that highlights realistic changes people can take to improve their lifestyle impacts.
We have thus created toolsforthefuture.org
It is currently a minimum viable product (MVP). It intends to illustrate the concept, and we now want to test it. All feedback received will shape how it develops and what else it covers in the future.
To support us in gathering a wide range of feedback, Ethical Consumer is hosting a series of workshops and focus groups over the next three months. We invite you to register for one of the following events, and we encourage you to invite others in your networks to also join us.
21st October 2022 10:00 - 12:00: Focus group for supporters. This is for people and organisations that have supported the crowdfunder campaign or have attended project meetings. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tools-for-the-future-feedback-tickets-431938588947
1st November 2022 17:00 - 19:00: Tools For The Future focus group. This will be held as part of Ethical Consumer Week and is open for anyone to join. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tools-for-the-future-feedback-tickets-425772837017
If you can’t make the focus groups, don’t worry. You can still provide valuable feedback by exploring the test platform and completing the online feedback form. We welcome feedback of all kinds - positive and critical.
All feedback will then be integrated into the Tools For The Future design - informing how it evolves in the future to support change for good.
We recognise that ‘good’ will mean something different for each of us. We thus support you to decide the changes you’d like to make and aim to provide the tools you need to make them.
Who is behind Tools For The Future?
Ethical Consumer Research Association, Permaculture Association (Britain) and the International Permaculture Education Network came together in 2019 to start shaping the Tools For The Future pilot project.
An amazing group of supporters crowdfunded over £28,000 to launch the project, with sponsors including The Crafty Pickle Co, One-A, Ecology Building Society, Sustainable Food Cities, ethical.net, Ethical Revolution, Rainbow Wholefoods, Billinge & Orrell Transition Group and the Ecological Land Cooperative.
Feedback from focus groups, an Equity Working Group, a behavior change consultant and crowdfunder supporters shaped its development during the COVID-19 pandemic. This feedback has shaped this pilot product.
Every single user of the toolbox will shape it going forwards - by exploring the platform and sharing feedback.