Inspiring

Unusual only perhaps because when I studied at University, I used to frequent the same Sunday morning cafe that that the inventor Trevor Baylis ate at. Not that I ever spoke to the chap, but we would occasionally be eating our post hang-over fry, when Mr Windup Radio inventor also took a well earned break. Little did I know at the time, that I would be one day sat here writing about inventors who ...
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At Startacus the whole concept of sharing skills and knowledge is something that we are pretty passionate about and we love nothing more than hearing about people and places who are just the same. So, when we first heard about The Amazings, we knew that we’d just have to let you guys know about it too... The Amazings is an online platform where people who have retired, or are about to retir...
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The hashtag is a way of signposting a topic, person or theme, so that other interested parties can find your 140 character tweet. In a world of millions of tweets per day, the hashtag works, as it helps you find the stuff you care about (or at least have a wee nosey at) But where did the #hashtag come from? So for you inquisitive types the answer is Chris Messina. Chris Messina is a User Designe...
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With a population of 79, how did the Swiss village of Obermutten, get a global Facebook following of over 18,000? It is simple concept, the ‘like’ button on Facebook. But the village of Obermutton took the concept that one step further, promising each ‘like’ that their profile pics, would appear on the town's bulletin board! Within months the whole village, and every spac...
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There can be no escaping the fact that our high streets aren’t the places they once were. Whether through local economic factors or the mass move to out of town shopping, there is hardly a town or city that isn’t affected by the blight of closed down shops and shuttered buildings.  At Startacus we love hearing about people that are doing their best, bit by bit to turn this around ...
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Fed up with our throwaway culture? You’re not alone. At Startacus we long for the days of fixing and mending and repairing and whatnot. After all, old stuff made better can be much more interesting...which is why when we first heard about the Repair Café, we couldn’t possibly keep it to ourselves , we wanted you all to know about it too.London’s very first Repair Caf&eacut...
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Startacus is all about people doing things for the greater good and with Tribewanted entering its' third series, we thought it was only fair to let everyone know about this hands-on project, that takes ‘doing some good’, half way around the world.. In essence, Tribewanted is a social project that builds a ‘tribe’ of local communities, partners and members (from all over th...
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This story has been doing the rounds (pardon the pun) for the last couple of months and Startacus thought it was time to highlight this wonderful invention. Faced with a “this can’t be done” back story, this invention is close to Startacus’ heart, as we believe that you do not necessarily have to be an expert in a subject to have a great idea! Israeli Inventor Izhar Gafni ...
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Startacus loves hearing stories of people doing their own thing. Tom Davenport, now a successful Journalist, raised £25,000 to start a free community recording studio, fresh from university. This is his inspirational story..."This is a story about music. It is also a call to arms for anyone interested in recording. Forward it to anyone it might help. A lot is said about DIY music, and plent...
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'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...'Yes... Jack wasn't fibbing when Wendy found these words typed in his typewriter. But you could avoid having a meltdown in a secluded hotel if you just took some time out to have a quick break and wind down with our Top 5 Games for your smartphone. 1. Any of the 'Angry Birds' series. Everybody the world over has heard of this little bird-catapulted ga...
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Some years back, I sat at the Edinburgh Book Festival listening to an acclaimed novelist and short story writer as he told the audience that anyone who wanted to become a writer must give up the day job and devote themselves totally to the craft. Those who were too timid or afraid to do so would never achieve their goal; it had to be ‘all or nothing’. I did harbour a desire to write, b...
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Passionate about sustainable living, international development, technology and social enterprise - the “Small is” Festival, occurring 31st August to 1st September, might be worth a look. Set six miles from Rugby in Warwickshire, the “Small is” Festival, is a small annual festival to celebrate the ideas of the distinguished philosopher E. F. Schumacher. Mostly famous for hi...
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