My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
Moshood
Last Name
Oshinaike
Pronouns
He/Him
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Lead Organisation Name
Made By Purple
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2022
Initiative Title
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA - Reimagining Public Space After 6pm
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seun-oshinaike-6aa28145/
Initiative Stage
Idea (You have a solid concept and are hoping to get started in the future)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA transforms underused space inside Barking Learning Centre into an immersive, structured after-hours activity arena that increases access to inclusive physical activity for young people and families in Barking and Dagenham.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
In Barking and Dagenham, many young people face limited access to safe, affordable and engaging spaces for physical activity outside school hours. While the borough has strong community assets, much public building space sits underused in the evenings, and many young people disengage from traditional sport due to cost, confidence, cultural barriers or lack of appealing local options. The result is rising sedentary behaviour, reduced incidental movement and increased idle time during after-school, evenings and weekends. Barking Learning Centre is a well-used daytime civic building, yet internal spaces are inactive after closing hours. At the same time, parents, schools and community groups consistently express that there is “nothing to do” locally that feels structured, safe and exciting. Children and young people aged 5-18, with structured, age-appropriate sessions designed for different groups, particularly those not involved in organised sport, will benefit most from this initiative, alongside families seeking affordable evening activities. As a London-based social enterprise working in partnership with Barking Learning Centre and local stakeholders, Made By Purple is directly embedded in this community. Through conversations with local residents, youth workers and council teams, we have seen first-hand the gap between available buildings and accessible activity. This project emerges from that proximity, not from theory, but from lived local reality.
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA reimagines a currently underused internal space inside Barking Learning Centre as a modular, immersive activity arena operating after standard library hours. Rather than building new facilities, we unlock existing civic infrastructure and extend its function into the evening. Our approach focuses on three structural shifts: 1. Unlocking underused public space In partnership with Barking Learning Centre (operated by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham), we repurpose internal space for structured physical activity without disrupting daytime learning functions. 2. Redesigning participation The arena blends immersive play, light competition and repeatable short sessions that increase heart rate and movement without feeling like formal sport. This removes barriers for young people who feel excluded from traditional formats. 3. Building cross-sector collaboration Made By Purple leads delivery as a social enterprise. Barking Learning Centre provides the physical space and governance framework. Street Tag supports engagement and light gamification through digital participation tracking, encouraging repeat attendance and long-term habit formation. The idea originated from a simple observation: the building closes at 6pm, yet demand for safe youth activity rises in the evening. The “aha” moment came from recognising that the solution was not building something new, but activating what already exists. By piloting a phased, low-risk model, beginning with community validation and lean installation, we demonstrate how civic buildings can operate as dual-purpose learning and activity hubs. If successful, this model can be replicated in other learning centres and public buildings across London.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA has already been shaped through early consultation with children and young people, parents, youth workers and local stakeholders connected to Barking Learning Centre. Conversations have also taken place with Zoinul Abidin, Head of Universal Services at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, who oversees Barking Learning Centre, ensuring alignment with safeguarding, operational and community priorities from the outset. Feedback from young people and families has directly informed the initial activity mix, which includes immersive arena play (laser-tag style), BLASTER WARS (fun with nerf guns) sessions, badminton, table tennis, archery tag, mini crazy golf and a team-based escape room experience. These activities were selected specifically because young people described wanting something “competitive but fun”, “different from school sport” and suitable for both friends and family participation. Young people will continue to shape the initiative through structured co-design workshops, pilot testing sessions and regular feedback loops embedded into operations. Early sessions will operate as learning labs, with participants influencing arena layout, themes, pricing and scheduling. The collaboration model is ongoing, not one-off. Youth voice, parental input and building leadership will remain built into quarterly reviews and programming decisions. In addition, part-time facilitation roles will prioritise local young people, positioning them not just as users, but as leaders within the space. This ensures the arena is not delivered to the community, but built with it.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
Although at idea stage, ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA is designed with clear measurable outputs and long-term outcomes. Short-term outputs (Year 1 pilot): • Activation of previously underused evening space (up to 20+ additional operating hours per week) • 1,500-3,000 participant visits in the first 12 months • 40-60% repeat participation rate • Creation of 4-8 part-time youth roles • Structured partnerships with at least 3 local schools or youth organisations Short-term impact: • Increased weekly physical activity among participants • Reduced evening idle time • Improved confidence and social connection • Increased perception of safety in the local area through supervised activity Long-term outcomes: • Establishment of Barking Learning Centre as a dual-purpose learning and physical activity hub • Replicable model for other underused public buildings • Sustainable revenue model reinvesting into community programming • Cultural shift from “nothing to do” to structured, accessible evening engagement Impact will be tracked through attendance data, repeat booking rates, participant surveys, school feedback and digital engagement (supported by Street Tag where appropriate). The initiative’s strength lies not only in physical activity delivery, but in demonstrating how civic infrastructure can be reimagined to unlock long-term access to sport and play.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA is innovative not because it introduces a new sport, but because it redefines how civic infrastructure is used. Rather than building a new facility, we activate underused internal space within an existing public learning centre and extend its function into structured evening physical activity. Most youth activity solutions focus on creating new buildings, expanding traditional sport, or delivering short-term programmes. Our approach instead shifts norms by: 1. Reimagining public space - transforming an inactive internal room into a modular, immersive activity arena without disrupting daytime operations. 2. Redesigning participation - blending immersive play, competition and short repeatable sessions that increase heart rate without feeling like formal sport, removing confidence and cultural barriers. 3. Embedding cross-sector collaboration - aligning a social enterprise (Made By Purple), a local authority building (Barking Learning Centre) and a behaviour-change platform (Street Tag) within one operational model. The innovation lies in the systems shift: demonstrating that public buildings can operate as dual-purpose learning and activity hubs, unlocking access without large capital build. If successful, this model challenges the assumption that new participation requires new construction, instead proving that reprogramming existing civic assets can deliver scalable impact.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
The initiative is designed around phased, low-risk delivery. Phase 1 focuses on community validation and lean installation within an existing space, reducing capital overhead. The use of Barking Learning Centre infrastructure significantly lowers property and facility costs, strengthening operational sustainability. Revenue will be generated through affordable: • Individual and family bookings • School and youth group sessions • Birthday and group events • Structured evening programming • Subscription-based repeat access • Corporate/off-peak bookings Surplus income will be reinvested into programming and widening access. Operational sustainability is strengthened through partnership with Barking Learning Centre, ensuring governance alignment and safeguarding compliance, and through Street Tag, which supports repeat engagement and habit formation. Scalability lies in the model rather than the venue. The blueprint can be replicated across other underused civic buildings such as libraries, community centres and learning hubs across London. The long-term goal is to develop a replicable activation framework that local authorities can adopt to increase evening use of public buildings while maintaining community benefit.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Made By Purple (Lead Organisation) • Overall project leadership and delivery • Programme design and activity coordination • Financial management and reporting • Community engagement and partnerships • Staffing and operational oversight Barking Learning Centre (London Borough of Barking and Dagenham) • Provision of physical space • Safeguarding and governance framework • Operational alignment with building management • Integration with existing community programmes • Strategic oversight through Head of Universal Services Street Tag (Supporting Partner) • Digital engagement support • Participation tracking and gamification tools • Data insights to encourage repeat activity • Potential integration with local challenges and incentives Young People and Community Members • Co-design input • Pilot testing and feedback • Participation in leadership and part-time roles This shared responsibility model ensures the initiative is embedded within public infrastructure while benefiting from social enterprise agility and digital engagement expertise.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
ZONE Ø ZERO ARENA will be delivered through a phased, evidence-led approach aligned with the Challenge timeline. Phase 1 - Refinement & Design (April-July 2026) • Participation in 8-week capacity-building programme • Formalisation of agreement with Barking Learning Centre • Detailed risk assessments and safeguarding review • Another round of youth co-design workshops and activity testing • Finalisation of operational model and pricing • Equipment specification and procurement planning Phase 2 - Installation & Soft Launch (August-September 2026) • Installation of modular arena layout, lighting and equipment • Staff recruitment and youth facilitator training • Pilot sessions with invited youth groups and schools • Feedback-led refinement of session format Phase 3 - Public Launch & Pilot Operation (October 2026-March 2027. This can possibly take place a month or two early) • Official launch and marketing campaign • Structured weekly evening programming • School and group partnerships activated • Data collection (attendance, repeat visits, surveys) • Quarterly review with Barking Learning Centre Phase 4 - Evaluation & Scaling (Spring 2027 onwards) • Impact reporting and financial review • Model refinement • Exploration of replication opportunities across additional civic buildings This milestone approach ensures controlled growth, measurable outputs and sustainable delivery.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
Made By Purple is fully committed to participating in the 8-week capacity-building programme. While we can absorb core leadership time, limited grant support would strengthen participation. If awarded up to £10,000 support funding, costs would include: • Project management time (design refinement, safeguarding, operational planning) • Youth co-design workshops (venue setup, facilitation materials) • Technical consultation (health & safety and compliance review) • Early-stage equipment deposits to secure supplier timelines • Financial modelling and legal advisory support • Travel and attendance costs associated with programme participation Estimated breakdown (if full support accessed): Project development & management – £4,000 Youth co-design & consultation activities – £1,500 Health & safety / compliance advisory – £1,000 Equipment deposits / supplier reservations – £2,000 Programme participation & associated costs – £1,000 Total potential support: £9,500 All costs would be aligned with the Challenge T&Cs and focused on strengthening readiness, governance and delivery capacity rather than ongoing operational overhead.
