Young people in Bristol will be inspired to follow in Greta Thunberg’s footsteps thanks to funding from educational charity The Ernest Cook Trust.

CSE has received funding to support the employment of a Green Mentor who will enable young people to lead the way as Green Influencers on social action projects in their communities.

The pioneering Green Influencers scheme is funded by the #Iwill Fund, which supports young people to access high-quality social action opportunities and is backed by £25m of seed funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

Green Influencers aged from 10 to 14-years-old will spring up across Bristol after CSE was among 36 host organisations awarded grants to support the employment of 40 Green Mentor posts.

Together they will turn words into action with a wide range of measures to protect and enhance the local environment and tackle climate change.

Kate Elliott-Rudder is the Green Mentor for CSE. Kate says, “The programme aims to equip young people with skills and knowledge they can carry with them as they grow older. While helping the environment is a primary goal for the Green Influencer programme, so is building confidence, agency and enthusiasm in the young people of our future. Who says learning can’t be fun?”

From 2021 to 2023, under the Green Influencers Scheme, The Ernest Cook Trust funded CSE to employ a Green Mentor to lead the programme, with further financial support provided to ensure they instigate lasting change right across their communities.

The Ernest Cook Trust has awarded grants worth a total of £720,000 to host organisations, and the young Green Influencers are at the forefront of nature connection, environmental awareness and social action in schools and communities across England.

Dr Victoria Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of The Ernest Cook Trust, said: “The Ernest Cook Trust’s new funding programme will empower young people in Bristol to follow in Greta’s footsteps and positively engage in environmental social action projects.

The scheme is being rolled out nationwide following successful pilot schemes at Action for Conservation in London, East Riding Voluntary Action Services in Hull, Groundwork Greater Manchester, Groundwork Northamptonshire and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

The initiative also gives participants a valuable opportunity to develop leadership skills. Nine people aged 14 to 20 are members of the Scheme’s Youth Advisory Board. They have steered strategic decision-making and will help select grant awards for Green Influencers projects.

What have our Green Influencers been up to?

Through the Green Influencer project, young Bristolians have learned about pollinators, litter, recycling, and renewable energy. They’ve used their new knowledge in their playgrounds and schools, improving biodiversity and encouraging behaviour change.

The Green Influencers have also influenced behaviour change in others. Students with City Academy’s eco team in Easton identified that their canteen ought to be more environmentally friendly to fit the ethos of the school, so they petitioned their canteen staff for less plastic waste and more vegan options. In Hartcliffe, a group of young people saw that plastic waste was a huge issue in their community. They tackled this creatively with craftivism making giant litter puppets, and even won a Global Goals Centre Groundbreaker Award for their work. Over in Lockleaze, some friends started a litter pick in their neighbourhood – watch the video here.

In place of the Green Influencers scheme, Ernest Cook launched the Blue Influencers scheme, focused on connecting young people with their local communities via blue spaces such as rivers, seas, and estuaries.

Young people in Bristol interested in joining the Green Influencers Scheme should contact megan.blyth@cse.org.uk or nick.stromberg@cse.org.uk

For information about the Green Influencers Scheme visit The Ernest Cook Trust.