Innovation is part of our DNA at Orange Sky and continues to be the driving force behind our five year strategy; to triple our impact by 2025 whilst exploring new and improved ways to help more people in the community doing it tough.
Orange Sky was founded in a Brisbane garage in 2014 by 20-year-old mates, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett. The duo pushed the limits and hatched a world-first idea to provide a simple, yet essential service to support people doing it tough.
They threw two washing machines and two dryers in the back of an old van, with a plan to visit parks around Brisbane and provide access to free laundry services. Eight years on, Orange Sky now operates in 36 locations across Australia, providing over 300 shifts every week, and is supported by over 2,500 incredible volunteers.
In everything we do, we’ve strived to think outside the box; from our expansion into mobile showers, to building a software platform that supports other not-for-profits to manage their volunteer operations, and most recently, innovative engineering to upgrade our entire van fleet across Australia to significantly reduce environmental impact and maximise service reliability.
Two key features included in the upgrade project have been the removal of diesel generators that have now been replaced with solar-powered equipment and battery banks. In addition, all vans have been fitted out with the innovative Orange Sky ‘Waru Dryer’ – the world’s first clothes dryer to use fuel-powered air heaters and solar-powered batteries. Gary, one of our long-standing volunteers in Townsville, is just one of many who is already seeing great impacts from the vehicle upgrade project.
“I love using the upgraded van. It is easier to use, and more reliable for everyone. The vans now have brand new washing machines and dryers that work more efficiently. They are solar powered as well, which is great for the environment and without the noisy diesel generators, the new vans are wonderfully quiet.” – Gary, Townsville Volunteer.
With innovation at the forefront, backed by the continued support of our volunteers, friends and partners, the vehicle upgrades will reduce Orange Sky’s electrical consumption by up to 90%. Additionally, we can help an estimated 1,000 additional friends across Australia every year, and continue our mission to provide the best experience for our friends and volunteers.
“Every organisation can take little steps to reduce their impact on the environment, and this vehicle upgrade is just one small step in our journey to be better for the environment” – Nic, Orange Sky Co-Founder.
Dreaming about new and better ways to do what we do, and then making it happen speaks volumes to us at Orange Sky, and continues to be the fuel that powers our impact. We see innovation as an opportunity to create impactful change, and with the rising cost of living making it harder for everyone to get by, Orange Sky wants to be there to support the growing number of people doing it tough by creating a safe space for connection -our mission since day one.
Learn more about innovation at Orange Sky
