On Thursday 5 July we were joined by Liftshare at our Norwich Business Breakfast at Sprowston Manor Hotel. Over 70 businesses joined us for the morning which including networking, a fun ice breaker activity, breakfast and of course our guest speaker.
Laura Watling is the Marketing and Membership Manager at Liftshare, which has been open for business for 20 years now. Laura told delegates how Liftshare Founder and CEO Ali Clabburn came up with the idea of Liftshare when he pinned a post-it note to a notice board asking if someone was able to give him a lift. After multiple responses to this, the idea for Liftshare was born and 20 years on they are campaigning and encouraging Norwich to become a global leader in Sharing City.
Laura said that by embracing Sharing City it will ‘put Norwich on the map’ as a global leader in the scheme. She encouraged attendees to get involved by using a scheme such as Liftshare, carpooling, using bike schemes, sharing lunches, or sharing skills, and then promoting all of this.
Why should businesses get involved? Well, Laura kindly answered that for us. By doing things such as carpooling, using sharing bikes such as Ofo, and more, it makes our daily lives more efficient and convenient. Norwich is the 5th fastest growing city in the UK meaning becoming a Sharing City would help greatly with sustainability in our area. It also aids economic growth and again, that global recognition. It also enables people of all age’s access to all of their needs; particularly when it comes to the elderly, and those that haven’t grown up with the digital skills we need to manage daily. Apps like Grabbit where you can put a call out for people to pick you things up from the shops, or ask others if they need anything, completely change the way we do things in our everyday lives.
Since Liftshare began, they have saved 500 million miles, £58 million, 116, 000 tonnes of C02 with Over 600,000 members and over 700 clients. This is proof of the ways becoming a sharing city could hugely benefit Norwich as a city, as well and those who live there.
After Laura’s insightful talk, the event ended with more networking and a great positivity towards Norwich becoming a Sharing City.
Find out more about…
Norwich Sharing City – find out more
Liftshare – find out more
Ofo – find out more
Grabbit – find out more
