Climate Changers by the OVO Foundation will invest £1 million in climate action that engages children.
Georgina Wilson-Powell
Mon 3 Aug 2020
Did you know that according to recent research 13% of children and 5% of young people typically never spend any of their leisure time outdoors?
To combat this, and the wider Climate Emergency, OVO Energy's charitable foundation, OVO Foundation, will invest £1 million into Climate Changers.
This three year programme will support projects that empower children and young people from around the UK to help fight the climate crisis and create greener, more sustainable communities. It aims to engage 100,000 children and young people all over the UK with climate issues, that range from improving biodiversity to renewable energy.
OVO Foundation will invest £1 million in three children's climate programmes in the next three years
Gaby Sethi, Head of OVO Foundation, said: “The climate crisis is urgent, and whilst it’s up to all of us to do our bit, we know that not all children and young people are taught how important it is – or even given the skills to help. There are feelings of helplessness, but not hopelessness, as they search for ways to take action.
This is where our projects come in. It’s our mission to not only help children understand why they should care about the environment, but connect them with opportunities to have a meaningful difference and show them how they can protect it for future generations.”
Climate Changers will focus on three organisations, where the investment will help engage children and young people. The projects support OVO's sustainability strategy, Plan Zero, by educating the younger generation on how to reduce their carbon footprint, protect the physical environment and to limit their impact on the planet.
Action For Conservation has a WildED programme that it runs in schools with high levels of deprivation, inspiring young people to create greener, more sustainable schools and communities. WildED will support young people to design and deliver 400 projects that boost biodiversity, build key skills and knowledge and cut carbon emissions.
Climate Changers will help fund some of the UK’s first Tiny Forests - a densely packed native forest built into urban spaces which fit into the size of a tennis court.
Creating 12 Tiny Forests with schools will benefit 9,000 children across 24 schools in some of the least advantaged areas of the UK, connecting them to nature and helping them understand more about environmental sustainability. By 2023, once the 12 Tiny Forests are established, they will collectively have an average annual uptake of up to 7.2 tonnes of CO2.
This programme will also support Energy Sparks’ online school energy management tool and activity programme that teaches pupils how to improve energy efficiency at school. Energy Sparks will provide students from 350 schools across the UK with targeted advice on how to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, whilst equipping them with energy saving skills to take home to their families.
Earthwatch Europe is creating 12 Tiny Forests across the UK
Maria Pontes, Programmes and Partnership Director at Earthwatch, said: “Young people all over the world are taking action to protect their future and that of our planet. Earthwatch is committed to helping the next generation to build the knowledge and skills to do this, and thanks to the support of the OVO Foundation, we are delighted to be able to expand our exciting new Tiny Forests initiative and involve 24 schools.
We are looking forward to connecting children and teachers with nature outside the classroom, and, as the saying goes, seeing mighty oaks from little acorns grow.”
