One wish actioned, every 24 hours, for 2 years.
Our app Crowdwish celebrates its second birthday this week. It’s a place where people can post — anonymously — their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future; whatever they may be. These might be products people want, experiences they’d like, causes they believe in, advice they need — anything at all.
If that was all Crowdwish offered, it would be maybe kind of fine, but a bit facile — kind of like an online ‘dream-catcher’, and no one needs one of those.
Our point of difference is this — at 6pm GMT each day, the most up-voted wish each day is chosen and an action is taken against it in the real world.
These actions can be anything, depending on the nature of the wish made; they might involve the creation of a product, an experience, a public gesture or a simple act of kindness. Anything. We simply believe than any action is better than none, so do one thing every 24 hours.
So in 2015, we sent out books to help people lead happier lives, tried to help people with self-esteem issues, taken the piss out of Nigel Farage, taken some donuts to hospital staff, composed a theme tune for a guy called Mike, helped people learn to play the drums, sent out plus size clothing, held treasure hunts, sent out hundreds of personalised prints, sent an envelope full of glitter to a far right leader, mailed people with the secret to a happy life, written ridiculous letters on your behalf to David Cameron and Donald Trump, sent a map of his constituency to Ed Miliband, raised the money for a disabled girl to get a specially adapted trike, provided funeral flowers for a young man, helped people get over break-ups, sent a dog some mince pies, left flowers at the Israeli embassy, given out warm hats and gloves to those living on the streets, sent sensory toys to children living with autism, given away make-up, iphone chargers, Christmas decorations, maca powder, jewellery, bedding, hot water bottles, interior design books, healthy snacks, peace charms, anti-racism stickers and sewing equipment, organised a competition for budding psychics, left a tree to be planted in a run down area, laid flowers at a memorial to those killed in the Paris attacks of November 13, provided career advice and guidance to those writing their first novels, helped a left-handed child feel more confident, given away prints and T shirts to those living with ME, visited those living alone, sent a tampon in a luxury box to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, helped people thank those who they owed a debt of gratitude to, made and sent out some anti-bullying stickers, given away charms to support victims of domestic violence, made donations to Save the Children, offered discounts on iPhones and MacBooks, helped people travel the world by paying for tickets, sent out dozens of cleansing lotions for people worried about their skin, distributed signs telling people to clear up after their dogs, set people up on blind dates, sent people on training courses to get a better work/life balance, helped someone get closer to her dream of returning her boyfriend’s ashes to their final resting place in the Sahara desert, re-written people’s CVs for them, delivered hamburgers to someone’s office as a lunchtime surprise, paid for someone to have a decent haircut, smartened up Jeremy Corbyn, sent a care package to the migrant camp in Calais, helped people renting flats who were being abused by their landlords, provided discounted personal training, helped people with anxiety issues and problems with fluctuating self-esteem, sent out tooth-whitening powder to those who felt self-conscious about their smiles, left lottery tickets all over London, bought a guy in South Africa a ticket to see Russell Brand, provided a flight to see the Northern Lights, provided a special offer on a yoga retreat, sent someone called Gabby a very cool, waterproof HD camera, helped people set up their own websites, paid for someone to have a one night honeymoon, created bumper stickers to encourage safer driving, left flowers and chocolates anonymously outside the flat of an elderly person who lived alone, visited a beautiful 12 year old dog called Bella, who lives with her homeless owner on the street in central London and took her a variety of treats and some dog food, helped with college tuition fees, arranged for someone to have a back stage tour of the Royal Ballet in London, helped make a back garden safe for someone living with a severe disability, sent out care packages to those living with chronic pain, sent out books to help people with depression, randomly handed out bunches of flowers to NHS nurses, donated food to homeless shelters and food-banks, sent someone a kit for the perfect day off including a bottle of good red wine, some upscale muscle soak for a relaxing bath, two novels, a DVD featuring Manchester United’s best ever goals and some chocolates, offered entertainment at an old people’s home, sent out a herbal sleeping remedy to dozens of insomniacs, paid for a little girl called Lily to have two riding lessons, helped acknowledge a bunch of amazing volunteers, got someone a pass to Disneyworld Florida, helped someone meet a Beatle, sent a cinema voucher and a bunch of sweets to take with them, dispatched Stoic philosophy, mailed those who asked a poster of Caitlyn Jenner, sent a little boy called Tommy a bunch of Star Wars toys, sent feminist badges to those who asked, sent someone’s parents fifty handwritten cards to thank them for all they had done for her, organised a personal finance seminar, gave out Hot Cross Buns to homeless people, helped children with dyslexia, helped out an impatient father, mailed people portable ashtrays, given away tickets to the completely amazing Secret Garden Party, helped a little boy see the sea for the first time, left daffodils around the place for people to find and take home to their loved ones, arranged for someone to hug a baby elephant, given away tickets for the finale of The Voice in America, handed out umbrellas in the rain, given away beautiful temporary tattoos, helped a very sick boy called Denver receive an amazing number of birthday cards, sent someone flowers to boost their confidence after a difficult period, offered to de-clutter someone’s house, left a cheeky sign in Harrods taking a stance against condescending women on make-up counters, paid for two weeks car hire so someone could enjoy a road trip, sent someone called Pete a Polaroid picture autographed by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, and dozens of other things that you’re now too tired to read about.
You can follow us here, see the site here, and download the app here.
Have a great 2016.
