2023-12-31-accounts

Young Climate Warriors

Annual Report January 2023 – December 2023

Charity Reg No: 1192440

Registered address: Fishers, Shepherds Green, Henley-on-Thames, OXON RG9 4QL www.youngclimatewarriors.org

Our Vision (expanded following Trustee Strategy meeting):

• To inspire a nationwide team of thousands of ‘young climate warriors’, doing the same challenges, in the same week – a virtual team.

• For every child in the UK to feel empowered to reflect, discuss and choose their own informed path of action in relation to climate change.

• To provide Climate Change related resources to teachers reaching children in all UK Primary Schools.

• For every family in the UK to be practicing carbon-cutting actions and making sustainable living choices.

Our Goals/Objectives:

• 1) To increase children’s awareness and understanding of climate change - to inspire learning, increase knowledge and understanding, encourage values-led discussion and cultivate cross-curricular thinking.

• 2) To inspire behavioural change by the use of positive messaging and a ‘that’s doable’ mindset. Encourage awareness of the impact on climate change of daily activities, alongside normalising carbon-emissions cutting actions. ‘Little by little, a little becomes a lot’.

• 3) To encourage an appreciation and respect for nature and a shared responsibility for our planet and the values of social justice, inspiring empathy for others.

Our ethos:

• Promoting a ‘stubborn optimistic’ outlook to help counter eco-anxiety.

• Taking positive action today to protect what we love.

• Being involved enables children to feel they can take small actions to help make a difference .

• Joining wider national campaigns can show the power of public action, and that much of society cares about the same things .

• Encouraging school, class and family conversations, and action, about climate change and related topics helps to shape new ‘social norms’.

Our activities:

• 1) Weekly challenges - YCW sets fun, age-appropriate, weekly term-time challenges to help children learn about living sustainably and tackling climate change. Weekly

challenges are shared via our blog, social media, email, and teachers receive a related weekly ‘schools pack’. Simple resources introduce the weekly theme with contextual information, images and video links, as well as suggested text for communicating the topic to parents.

• 2) Climate Change Assemblies Young Climate Warriors Ambassadors deliver inperson, discussion-based, interactive, animated climate change assemblies to their local schools. Helping pupils understand and engage with climate change, and our 'choices' for daily sustainable living in a positive, age-appropriate way.

• 3) Climate Change Club in a Box - A series of 10 ready-to-use, off-the-shelf, zero-cost ‘climate change club’ sessions – to encourage curiosity and discussion - for use as an after-school club, or with an ‘eco-club’. Links to these materials are emailed to teachers who request them.

• 4) ‘Climate Change Skills Challenges’ for Duke of Edinburgh Award participants – 12 weekly challenges to boost sustainable living practices, inspire wider learning and encourage critical thinking.

• 5) ‘Inspirational’ resources - Our website provides additional YCW materials – topicbased curated links to video clips, webpages and news articles.

Overview of 2023

• April – Earth Day – launch of YCW Duke of Edinburgh Award ‘climate change skills’.

• May – redesigned schools ‘ inspirational resources’ webpage - by topic.

• May – ‘3-challenge award’ successfully trialled in Nelson School, London.

• June – appointed 4 new Trustees to our YCW Board.

• July – shared YCW physical resources with 8 community hubs across UK.

• September – Trustees strategy workshop

• November – Free participation in DofE marketing campaign

• November – Successful Aviva crowdfunder

• November – YCW Ambassadors attended a Climate Fresk workshop (alongside Volunteers for Future)

• November – created ‘About us’ video

• December – YCW Ambassador relayed her thoughts from COP28

Engaging with schools and families

• Schools – weekly ‘schools pack’ email - 135 teachers signed up in 2023. 518 current total. Open rate of 32%

• Schools - Climate Change Club in a Box - Requested by 50 teachers in 2023. 165 teachers received link since launch.

• Schools – Assemblies – 30 assemblies held in 2023. Sharing the topic of climate change with over 5,600 children.

• Families – Mailchimp – 288 new subscribers in 2023. 929 families in total receiving weekly email. Open rate high –39%

• Children - Hit the red button (HTRB). 458 HTRB’s in 2023. 38 certificates awarded in July 2022 (outside of the 3-challenge award)

• Young people – Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. 43 sign-ups in 2023. 8 completed, 20 currently active.

• Young people – 11 active YCW Ambassadors (majority young people/students)

‘Getting us out there’

• YCW weblink/resources shared by complementary organisations – Transform our World (Global Action Plan), Global Dimension (Reboot the future), Let’s Go Zero, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, CountUsIn, Curiosity Connections, , Educational Resources Agency.

• Building ‘partnerships’ – collaborative social media posts with Just One Tree, shared Climate Fresk workshop with Volunteers for Future. Attended events organised by the Climate Coalition, National Climate Education Action Plan, XR Educators and Our Shared World.

• Volunteering bureaux – YCW registered with over 55 universities, 12 volunteering hubs, and a further 150+ university organisations.

• Website – 3,220 clicks from Google in 2023. 71% of visitors are ‘new’.

• Social media. Instagram – 505 followers. Last 2 months reached 2,437 accounts Facebook – 276 followers. Twitter – 571 followers. YCW LinkedIn page established.

• Marketing / resources – shared with 10 Community Hubs/local partnerships etc – include: posters, trifold, quotes, snakes and ladders, bunting, hexagon seed cards.

Some quotes from 2023

3-challenge award trial at Nelson School, London E6

‘There is a real buzz around school. I am so proud of our pupils that have been committed to the challenges. I’m sure there are a lot more Nelson pupils who would like to be Young Climate Warriors in the future. We would definitely like to do the challenges next year’. Jackie, Teacher @ Nelson Primary School.

‘I really loved this week’s challenge because we had to find out what the object was and it was really fun. It took me a day to think about it but I finally realised what I had to do. This was actually the best challenge I've ever done’ . Nelson pupil

‘Doing this challenge hasn’t only helped to reduce carbon emissions but also your bills. I am very happy that I did this challenge and will do the next challenge’ Nelson pupil

‘I really liked this challenge. This made me think of the toys and the Amazon river. This is because I order things in Amazon and I learnt about the Amazon river at school. Right now I am doing my 4th one. I hope there will be more fun ones next week!’ Nelson pupil

‘Today I sat all day in my garden for about 2 hours and I watched and listened to all the different types of birds. I found about 5 - 10 of them and they were so beautiful. I felt so peaceful and calmed. This is one of my favourite challenge. Thank you so much.’ Nelson pupil

Assemblies – teachers feedback

‘It was a pleasure to meet Rachel yesterday. It’s so important for the children to meet great role models especially when it comes to environmental issues. Rachel's assembly was brilliant - she was clear and engaging. The children loved the session and listened carefully and interacted well. The message was really clear, it was suitable and relevant for our school community. We would love to work with you again on different local projects if possible’. Rachael @ Christchurch Primary School, Weston-super-mare BS23. March 2023

‘Iona without doubt was inspiring and brilliant and full of passion - just what we needed on our Sustainable School Journey. I could tell they were involved by the way they were putting their hands up to answer questions and listening intently. Teachers enjoyed the assembly and one teacher said when she got back to class she was held to account by her class for driving to work and the children said the teachers had to show their beliefs with actions’. Anne @ Marner School, London E3. March 2023

‘We really enjoyed Cath coming to talk to us about YCW. Thank you so much! Cath was well prepared and knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She engaged the children with the interactive section, using real objects for them to hold up and discuss. Our eco team loved being involved and coming up to the front for that part’. Helen @ St Nicolas’s CE Combined School, Taplow. SL6. May 2023

‘We all loved Chris’ message - If we love our planet we all need to make changes. Little by little, a little becomes a lot! This really resonated with us as that is our philosophy for ECO work in our school. “Maybe we can’t change the world, but we can make a difference.’ Alison @ Cultercullen Primary School, Aberdeen, AB41. May 2023

‘My class liked the use of lots of visuals - videos, demonstrations etc, in the assembly and they thought the explanations were clear and they understood them. Everyone really liked the way Amelie interacted with the children and how she demonstrated the problem.’ Kate @ St Nicolas Primary School, Newbury RG14. June 2023

‘We really enjoyed James' visit to KS2. We already had Eco Warriors in place as a school but the assembly helped the children to understand why these changes are important and how the changes in our environment occur. James was engaging with the pupils and they enjoyed picking the items out the bag’. Cara @ Butlers Court School, Bucks, HP9. Sept 2023

‘An informative and interactive lesson which fulfilled with curiosity and wonder’. Mark @ Greenleaf Primary School, London E17. Dec 2023

Other general feedback from teachers

'I think the resources you provide are really Brilliant The combination of education and challenges is really Inspiring our pupils’. Kate @ St Mary’s CE Primary School, Bridport, DT6

'I love your site and your charity and the Climate Change Club Resources look fantastic!' Carrie @ Park Hill Junior School, Surrey CR0

'Thank you so much – the resources are terrific!' Cathryn Andrews @ Pennoweth Primary School, Cornwall TR15

'Thanks so much (as always!) for this… just to let you know, we repost your thoughts, ideas, links etc. every week in the “Eco-Ambassadors” section of our school bulletin. It is a brilliant service, which you provide!' Alex @ Ballard School, New Milton, BH25

‘What a great initiative and such supportive resources for schools and families to use!' Nicky @ St John’s Primary School, Wallingford OX10

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