Young Changemakers
We don’t just talk-the-talk about … cue violins … young people are our future … we run with it. In fact, 40% of the T&D team are under 25.
We work with young people across all our projects, and this diverse, energetic and ambitious group is called ‘Young Changemakers’.
Meet Hafiz Onitolo … Hafiz is our Young Changemakers Director with a remit to ensure that youth opportunities are key to our mission.
Want to know more about some of our young changemakers projects …? Read on below.
KOKO Foundation Foresters
Over the past few years, we’ve trained up and paid over 40 young KOKO Foresters to get greening (not ‘screening’) around Camden. Our Foresters care for our Communi-trees, Beeline boxes, and pop-up wildflower meadows.
The Re-Cyclists
We love training young changemakers to become bike savvy. Watch out for news on our new Recyclists project where bikes will be upcycled (every pun intended) customised, then turned into fleets of FREE young changemakers bikes.
Sharing Space
From woodworking skills to repair and artivism, our Sharing Spaces are packed full of ideas and opportunities for young changemakers to deliver workshops and learn new skills… plus have a good laugh.
InstaGramps
Yes, you read the title right! Our InstaGramps project is all about tackling e-waste and repair – it’s also about repairing our relationships.
At a series of ‘Mining your mobile’ workshops in secondary schools, libraries etc, young changemakers will learn about the inside of their phones, the right to repair movement, and design for obsolescence. After the workshop, which will also be attended by older people, the young changemakers will teach older folk SM skills, Insta etc…whilst the older gen will talk about life before the internet. Intergenerational-Instagramps in action!
We think every Young Changemaker across London should become critical mineral aware, and adopt an InstaGramp!
Love Your Climate & Sustainers-Fest
Over the years, we’ve hosted several events for secondary schools. We think nothing is more important than listening to, and actioning the ideas of young changemakers. Check out these pics from our Valentine’s special – Love Your Climate
Green Dragon’s Den
Our Young Changemakers’ Green Dragons’ Den competition is always a favourite in the calendar.
Each year in collaboration with the CCA, we invite primary schools to come and pitch their ideas for a circularity or green project to a panel of fiery judges. Each school wins a budget to get them going, sponsored by a local business. We’d like to see this project right across London.
Green Shadows
Last, but far from least … our new Green Shadows Project seeks to promote and create green skills opportunities and career pathways for young changemakers.
Are you a business or organisation who can help offer a shadow opportunity for a young changemaker to learn about green careers?
Love Your Climate event
We love working with secondary schools. As part of the 2024/25 Climate Connectors programme on behalf of the Council, on Valentine’s Day 14th February 2025 we held a climate event at Samsung KX, inviting all of Camden’s secondary schools to participate.
We were joined by 80 students from 7 schools which was a great turnout. The half-day event was fun, and lively, with young people addressing the topics with care and thought. The participating schools were:
- Camden School for Girls
- William Ellis School
- Parliament Hill School
- La Sainte Union Catholic School
- UCL Academy
- Acland Burghley School
- Regent High School School
Love Your Climate invited young people to discuss neighbourhood-based climate solutions. We asked them to gather in groups and mix between the schools. There was one facilitator per table who asked them questions like:
– ‘What climate solutions in their area did they know of?’
– ‘What did they think?’
– Was anything missing?
– What would they like to see?
We then asked them about the 17 recommendations that the Council developed with the Citizens’ Assembly. The event helped Camden Council get a true representation of the youth voice in their next five-year Climate Action Plan.
“One of the highlights of the event was the enthusiastic participation of the students. Despite the fact that the environment was new for most of them, they engaged in various activities and discussions. From interactive workshops to insightful presentations, the event provided a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experiences that captivated the students’ attention” – La Santé Union staff.