A study conducted by the New Economics Foundation found that 81% of Britons believe that the Government should prioritise creating the greatest happiness, not the greatest wealth, which is why Happy City UK is raising money to launch a new campaign called #InvestInHappy.

#InvestInHappy aims to make us reconsider how we invest our time, money, skills and attention, and start valuing more interactions with communities, friends, family and our natural resources by facilitating at least 30,000 online conversations and 600 community workshops and workplace trainings in 2017. There’s been a huge swell of support for the campaign so far, with more than 125 backers donating almost £10,000 in 20 days through crowdfunder.co.uk/investinhappy.

Happy City UK Director Liz Zeidler said: “For too long progress has been defined in financial terms leaving the importance of belonging, community relationships and a healthy mind at the wayside. Happy city believes that everyone has the capability to incite positive change and therefore crowdfunding naturally seemed the best way to fund the project.”

The campaign has been backed by a number of businesses and organisations who have donated rewards including; National Trust, Pukka Herbs, Aardman Studios, Sawday’s Travel and BBC Natural History Unit. All backers get a reward and are in with a chance of winning a one-off ‘Shaun the Sheep’ sketch.

The campaign, if fully funded, will:

• Facilitate at least 30,000 action-focussed online conversations where people can share what they do to #InvestInHappy.

• Run 200 workshops and events to train up people with the skills to embed wellbeing and resilience in their lives and share them across their communities.

• Support 400 workplaces to prioritise staff wellbeing and invest in resilient and happy communities.

• Work with local and national policy makers across government to better measure, understand and prioritise the drivers of wellbeing for current and future generations.

Since its launch at the start of January, #InvestinHappy has reached over 80,000 people on social media and has gained champions from business, environmental and educational sectors. But with six days before the end of the crowdfunder, more backers are urgently needed.

Campaign coordinator, Katie Finnegan-Clarke, said: “We’re reaching out to the general public to say – please consider backing #InvestinHappy today. The campaign runs until Thursday 2nd February. We urgently need this national conversation about how we measure progress in UK. Now is the time for us all to reconsider what has value. Please become an  #InvestinHappy backer and help that shift to take place: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investinhappy”