Fran Monks is a photographer in search of inspiring people and projects that make an impact on the local community or the world at large.
This unique film, subtitled 'Stories through Photography', profiles four people - Jamie Wallace, Julie Brown, Ruti S and Victor Adebowale. It tells their stories of how they set up innovative projects, what motivated them and their view of the best way to change the world.
Jamie Wallace - Walkit.com Jamie came up with the idea of providing an online walking route planner called walkit.com to encourage people to walk more in Central London.
He was struck by the contrast between the underground and overground journeys from Waterloo to Bank - one expensive, crowded and unreliable, the other in daylight with views, sights, and opportunities to shop along the way, get fitter and do something for the environment. Jamie describes it as a 'win, win, win' situation. There are now online walking route planners for at least 12 cities in the UK, proving that a simple idea can take off and improve everyone's way of life.
Jamie Wallace, Ruti S, Victor Adebowale, Julie Brown
Julie Brown - Growing Communities Julie Brown founded Growing Communities which has turned three disused sites in Hackney parks into organically accredited land, and has set up a hugely successful organic farmers' market in Hackney. Trailer bikes deliver vegetable boxes of organic, seasonal, local food to up to 3,000 people each week.
And the market has links with more than 40 farmers whose businesses have thrived through being involved with Growing Communities. Julie is not only passionate about changing consuming and farming habits in Hackney but wants to extend her idea to other communities across the UK... and believes it's an idea whose time has come.
Ruti S - Fruto del Espiritu The idea behindFruto del Espíritu is to introduce and develop a market in the UK for exotic fruit purees from Colombia and by so doing support and invest in people caught up in or displaced by Colombia's cocaine trade.
The founder of the company has created a market for fruits such as lulo and maracuya which farmers in Colombia can grow instead of coca bushes, the basis for the production of cocaine. It’s a simple and practical antidote to a massive and complex social problem. Find out how the idea came to fruition and how the project is now developing new ideas.
Victor Adebowale Lord Victor Adebowale is in his own words 'a 6ft black guy from Wakefield' who without any establishment qualifications has become chief executive of Turning Point, a leading social care organisation in the UK, and one of the people's peers in the House of Lords.
He talks about the increasing need to build bespoke packages of care for individuals with a multiplicity of challenges, be it alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues, learning disabilities or a mix of all of these. To those critical of him taking up the ermin robe, he says they should be spending their time fighting poverty and bigotry rather than whether he puts on a robe or not.
Competition
Our competition to find the best small project that makes a difference in the local community closed on 14 October 2009. Find out about the winners here.
Fran Monks - making the world a better place
About Fran Monks
Fran Monks is a portrait photographer based in Hackney. She'screated a project called Howtomakeadifference.net which profiles entrepreneurial individuals who are making the world a better place. She photographs and writes about their innovative and inspiring projects which benefit their community or society at large. More about Fran Monks.
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