DNC 2016: The One Campaign set up a White House bouncy castle to teach people about poverty

The One Campaign is urging people to challenge politicians to end extreme poverty

Serious things party conventions. No time for messing about, or bouncing around. People are there to work, to get things done.

But the people at the One Campaign, the anti-poverty campaign group that was set up by the singer Bono, came up with the clever idea of erecting a bouncy castle in the shape of the White House at the centre where many Democratic delegates in Philadelphia spend their mornings.

Delegates and others were invited to spend a few minutes bouncing around while thinking about the many pressing issues confronting the world. Politically non-partisan, the campaign urges young people to back candidates who support its anti-poverty and healthcare promotion policies.

The Independent was also invited to inspect the bouncy interior of the castle, and it did so with glee. The castle was making its debut; over the next three months, the One Campaign will take it to several of the political swing states, including Florida, Virginia, and Ohio, where the campaign battle will be fought the hardest.

“Basically, we want voters to communicate to their candidates that fighting extreme poverty all around the world is important to them,” said Ian Koski, the campaign’s spokesman.

The Independent's Chief North America correspondent David Usborne tried out the castle (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)

“We will be taking this to the swing states over the next three months so that people can tell their candidates these things are important to them.”

He added: “We need the candidates to take these issues seriously so that they can enact policies seriously.”

He said the campaign had sought to erect the castle at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week but could not obtain a permit.

He said that as of Wednesday, around 200 people had taken a bounce on the castle while double that had signed the campaign’s petition.