Young Manchester provides outstanding opportunities for the city’s young people to thrive.  Youth social action is embedded in our approach, so children and young people are at the heart of communities and decision making.  In the last two years Young Manchester’s Youth and Play Fund has reached over 25,000 children and young people, nearly 9,000 of whom have engaged in high quality social action. Many of the Youth Social Action activities undertaken have been led by children and young people wanting to undertake action to support their communities, environment and tackle the climate crisis.   Examples are included here;  

• Groundwork MSST have been working with their youth club in Crumpsall, North Manchester to create local change in their communities particularly in relation to Climate Change and becoming a Carbon Neutral Youth Club.  They are proud of the young people’s motivation and enthusiasm - making steps to reducing energy, reducing their own Carbon Footprints, through work with Best Foot Forward resources and tools, whilst coming up with ways to reduce electric light wastage, using solar panels.

• Manchester Environmental Education Network supported a group of young people to link (virtually ) with a group of young people in Brazil, to map and compare the risks and vulnerabilities and assets of their communities.
 
• Barlow Moor Community Association supported young people to lead change in their immediate community – making a significant difference to improve their surroundings.  With support this could be progressed to support young people to tackle wider environmental issues. 
 
Environmental social action has also featured in other funded activity supported by Young Manchester including in outdoor learning and summer schemes.  One partner reported supporting children and young people to undertake social action in a holiday playscheme – young children attending a summer scheme in North Manchester were supported to learn about climate throughout their week of fun activities.

Visit their website here to see some more of the great things they are doing for Manchesters youths.