Knee High Design Challenge: Our three funded finalists

After 12 months of development through the Knee High Design Challenge, we now have six robust teams ready to launch their new products and services across Lambeth and Southwark.

All six teams are aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of children under five, and all in very different ways.   Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity have decided to give further investment to three of these teams, to develop them to a point where they are really able to last, to embed them into Southwark and Lambeth, and to help them get more evidence on the impact they are making. They will each receive around £100k. 

Our three funded finalists

The teams receiving additional investment from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity are:

KidsConnect 

KidsConnect is a new web application supporting parents and carers to make use of the activities that are available for free in their local area. It aims to reduce the number of parents being stuck on their own at home. Run by three very talented Lambeth based parents who are now born-again designers, KidsConnect hopes to become part of the tool-kit for every parent in Southwark and Lambeth. 

Follow @KidsConnectApp

Pop up Parks 

Pop up Parks is creating vibrant spaces in urban environments that encourage children and families to spend more time being playful, creative and active outside the home. It also influences permanent change of outdoor spaces. Run by Tom Doust, an enthusiastic entrepreneur with a team of designers and architects around him. Pop up Parks is working hard to become part of a strategic shift in how the city is planned to support play and interaction. They are already receiving commissions from local developers and the local authorities.
Visit Pop up Parks' website

Creative Homes

A home visiting service that brings artists into families homes to help them solve day-to-day triggers of stress. Run by Sally-Anne Donaldson, with a team of artists who believe every home visiting service should have this non-judgmental, open and responsive approach. Creative Homes has an opportunity to form part of a wider movement that brings health and housing commissioners closer together.
Visit Creative Homes' website

The remaining three teams - Crafty Explorers, EasyPeasy and The Good Enough Mums Club are all receiving further support through the Knee High Design Challenge, and are looking for other investors to continue their work.

True innovation requires the belief that change is possible but also the confidence to commit to a process even though you have no idea how it’s going to turn out.

Mat Hunter - Chief Design Officer, Design Council

Mat Hunter, Design Council's Chief Design Officer said: "True innovation requires the belief that change is possible but also the confidence to commit to a process even though you have no idea how it’s going to turn out. The success of this programme is due not only to the creativity and determination of ventures involved, but also to Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity and Lambeth and Southwark Councils who recognised that these pressing issues of public health demanded a new approach.”

What happens next

For all six teams, this is by no means the end of their journey. This is very much only the beginning. The last 12 months have given people the time and the cushioning they needed to turn a fragile idea into an investable enterprise. For some of the teams, they would never have dreamt themselves able to build and run a business. But they can, and they will, be really good at it. 

The best enterprises are formed by the people who are bold enough to try something that’s not been tried before.

This programme has taught us that the best ideas come from the people who care and the people who genuinely understand what needs to change. The best enterprises are formed by the people who are bold enough to try something that’s not been tried before, open enough to share and collaborate, and courageous enough to keep going even when it feels really hard.

We can’t wait to see how they all develop. 

Find out more:

Meet the six teams and learn about their ideas by watching these films.

Find out more about the Knee High Design Challenge.

Download and read the latest report – Knee High Design Challenge: Making great things happen.