It sounds too good to be true - but with the right idea and the right people, anything's possible!
This year's Make:Shift is all about finding new ideas and new ventures that communities can make happen for themselves. The ideas will come from - and be completely owned by - the community.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: "Make:Shift is the annual event designed to help communities develop and follow through ideas that will make life in Wolverhampton better.
"Getting involved in Make:Shift 2014 will give local people the chance to make a positive change in their city, their community or just in their own street. So if you've got any great ideas - or indeed the sort of skills and expertise that would help other people get their ideas off the ground - we'd love you to get involved."
Make:Shift 2013 generated a wide range of great ideas, including a self build housing initiative, book swap scheme and arts and crafts co-operative and the Social Steam Engine, a unique scheme enabling social care service users to pool their Direct Payments funding to purchase care and support.
Since pitching the idea last year, project lead Hiran Patel and his team have secured ongoing support for their idea and he will be outlining his future plans at next weekend's event.
He said: "Befriending and mentoring is at the heart of the Social Steam Engine which offers a very different service to the traditional route of hiring personal assistants. Ultimately this is about empowering service users and encouraging a higher take up of Direct Payments."
Make:Shift 2014 takes place on Saturday 8 November, 2014 at The Old School, Dudley Road, Blakenhall. Tickets to the event are free and can be reserved at Type=links;Linkid=4790;Title=Make:Shift 2014;Target=_blank;.
- released: Monday 3 November, 2014