Launched in 2009 by the then mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, Cities of Service has made a significant difference for millions of people across America, helping volunteers in urban areas engage in campaigns to - amongst other things - improve child literacy, clean up neighbourhoods and tackle social isolation.

Nesta, the innovation foundation, was interested in exploring the Cities of Service model for its potential to achieve impact across the UK and in 2013 teamed up with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Office for Civil Society and the Cities of Service Organisation to test whether the success of the model could be replicated in the UK.