It’s simple really:
- PlymTwest is a day to raise money and awareness for a charity and is part of the Twestival movement
- Twestival is a global festival organised by people using Twitter to use social media for social good
The names might have been made up in the recent past – but it really is that easy.
Twestivals might be organised by people who Tweet – but you certainly don’t have to use Twitter to join in. Each Twestival happens in a real venue with real activities – as the jargon goes, Twestival takes online offline.
If you want to know more, read more about…
A potted history
In early 2009 some people who use Twitter were sitting in a pub considering how they could create an event to do some good using Twitter. They decided they could use Twitter to organise and promote an event in London that spring to raise money for Charity: Water. Twestival was born.
The idea caught on, and other cities joined in. All held their events on the same day, all raised money for the same charity, all did it without spending any cash themselves, and all did it using Twitter as a key communication tool.
Twestival became a global movement of volunteers. Each city working within the same rules and using this framework to create something that works locally.
Inspired by Cornwall in 2009, Plymouth became part of Twestival in 2010 – and we raised over £6,100 for Concern’s work educating children in the poorest countries of the world. Our success meant that we were the 3rd most successful UK Twestival and ranked us 13th in the world.
Twestivals now alternate between all the cities raising money for the same global charity, and each city raising money for their own local charity. In spring 2010, we’re being local and raising money for the Chestnut Appeal.
Plymouth Twestival is a bit of a mouthful to say – and we were saying it a lot, so it quickly became shortened to PlymTwest.
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The Twestival challenge:
So what does getting PlymTwest look like in reality? It’s a series of challenges – the biggest of which is doing it all in a timeframe that, from start to finish, is less than 12 weeks
- Inspire a team to come together and make it happen
- Set a fundraising target
- Choose a charity – and involve the local community in doing this
- Work out how you’re going to raise the cash
- Persuade others to buy into the idea and help make it happen
- Create a buzz
- Sell lots of tickets and get lots of donations
- Do the deed
- And relax – life returns to normal (until next time!)
What next?
If you’ve read this far, you must be interested. You can join in the fun. We look forward to meeting you.