A mobile application designed to organise thousands of volunteers around Australia has taken first prize at the WApp Awards ceremony, held at the Burswood Convention Centre, yesterday.
Tim Kenworthy of youth volunteer organisation, Big Help Mob, said the app would assist not-for-profit organisations to reach thousands of ‘super keen’ young people willing to lend a helping hand around Australia.
“Seventy-six per cent of Australian non-profit organisations are saying they need more volunteers to help them carry out their community work and initiatives,” Mr Kenworthy said.
“This app will help to bring those volunteers to the organisations when they need them through a number of features, including a core social function.
“Young people want to know what their friends are doing to help and by having access to those networks through this app, they can choose to join in or make their own suggestions.
“It will also allow people to plan their volunteering activities, as well as receiving instant notification of opportunities as they become available.”
Curtin Director of IP Commercialisation, Rohan McDougall, said the judges were extremely impressed with the quality of applicants at this year’s WApp Awards.
“Many people at the Awards also said the Big Help Mob presentation was one of the best they had ever seen,” he said.
“Mr Kenworthy’s app is a fine example of the quality of innovation coming out of Western Australia. This app has the potential to mobilise hundreds of thousands of volunteers, not only within Australia but internationally as well.”
This year’s WApp Award competition received 95 applications from staff, students and alumni of Curtin University, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia.
Six of the best mobile app concepts were chosen by world leading ICT investors and entrepreneurs, headed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Bill Tai, of Charles River Ventures, to share in prize money and resources valued at over $200,000, to help build and launch their app.
Selected finalists included, Dane McKnight, for his MyWishList gift register concept, Martin Masek, for a foetal heart monitor tool, Jason Brooks, for his InteriAR interior design tool and David Glance for a diagnostic pathology pathways tool.
Sponsors at this year’s WApp Awards were NEXTDC, Bankwest, Griffith Hack, the WA State Government and Intel.
For further details about the Univation conference, please visit: www.univation.com.au
Contacts:
Rohan McDougall, Director IP Commercialisation, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 3370, Email: r.mcdougall@curtin.edu.au
Andrea Barnard, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 4241, Mobile: 0401 103 755, Email: andrea.barnard@curtin.edu.au
