*Results of the survey about Mersey Green Network Map with recommendations about the way forward.*
The Mersey green Network Map group asked Maddy Windred, a final year student from University of Liverpool re ask for your views on:
- how effectively the MGNM is achieving its goals of increasing engagement with Liverpool’s sustainability movement and
- positively impacting the organisations featured on the map
- and propose recommendations for its future development.
(Windred, May 2025: 8)
These are her recommendations based on your responses.
Primary recommendations:
➢ Financial investment into the MGNM to enable its development and long-term sustainability.
➢ Recruit a paid MGNM manager, proficient in promotion and outreach, website management, and securing funding.
Secondary recommendations:
Increasing engagement with the MGNM:
➢ Request that organisations promote the MGNM themselves at their events, on their websites, etc.
➢ Produce an embedded code for the MGNM, allowing organisations to embed a copy on their websites.
➢ Produce a hard copy of the MGNM to distribute to organisations and make it possible for people to print at home. These should be used sparingly to alleviate environmental and financial cost.
➢ Develop effective branding for the MGNM, including its own logo to make it more recognizable.
➢ Develop an ‘MGNM’ sticker that organisations can put on their buildings and websites.
➢ Development and distribution of MGNM branded items, e.g. beer matts, to MGNM affiliated organizations.
➢ An annual MGNM in-person event, where organisations are invited to showcase initiatives with the public and each other.
➢ Request that public institutions, such as libraries and tourist directories, promote the MGNM.
➢ Increase the MGNMs reach to a more diverse range of organizations.
➢ A monthly feature on the Transition Liverpool website/newsletter of different organisations on the MGNM.
Improving the MGNM’s interface:
➢ Switch from coloured pins to differentiated icons based on categories.
➢ Develop a differentiated highlighted versus resting icon state.
➢ Improve the information provided, including ensuring it is up to date and adding more information such as website link, upcoming events and hiring information.
➢ Improve the admin interface to make it easier to add and edit information, including allowing organizations to edit their own information.
(Windred, May 2025)
Our plans
- We have been in touch with Digital Commons, the organization who gave us this map. They will be giving us some costings for how much they will charge to make these changes to the map
- Once we have received this, we will use it as a basis for crowd funding the money to pay for this.
- Once the map has been updated, we will be applying for grant funding to recruit someone to take a lead on the map.
(Windred, May 2025: 27-28)
Reference
Windred M (May 2025) An impact report for the Mersey Green Network Map The University of Liverpool.
