I started by doing a lot of research into green gentrification and how, as green spaces develop, they're often not accessible to a large proportion of the local population. This led me down the road of looking at community engagement and how that could be used to tackle a lot of issues such as social isolation and antisocial behaviour. 

I collaborated with council stakeholders throughout the design process to help shape my project’s direction and define where the biggest opportunities for real impact lie. 

The result is a digital platform that I’ve called Locally – a play on ‘local’ and ‘ally’. What it does at its core is partner with local councils to identify hyperlocal needs and prioritise target groups or areas. It then takes that data and develops a tailored engagement strategy. 

Residents can easily connect with community groups and volunteering opportunities via the app I’m developing. They can input things that they're interested in and skills that they might have, and they're matched to convenient opportunities within their neighbourhood. 

It also enables community groups to collaborate with other similar groups, in ways such as sharing resources and potentially co-hosting events. All these different streams then help to create resilient and more self-sufficient neighbourhoods, essentially taking pressure off statutory services within the council.