My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions
1
First Name
Last Name
Pronouns
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Initiative Title
Architects of the Future: Greener Pathways
Lead Organization Name
Pledgeball
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2021
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://pledgeball.org/ @pledge_ball
Initiative Stage
Pilot-Stage (The first activities have happened, and you have proof of concept)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Environment & Sustainability
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
We use the power of football to transform climate vulnerability into agency for disadvantaged London youth, building equitable pathways into the green economy through co-designed workshops and direct employer engagement.
Challenge Focus: What topic does your initiative most directly relate to?
Climate action through awareness and engagement
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Young people in London's most disadvantaged communities face a dual crisis: they experience hyperlocal climate vulnerability yet remain systematically excluded from climate action and green careers. CDP research confirms low-income households and youth face the greatest risk. In London, deprived boroughs suffer disproportionate exposure to air pollution and urban heat. A 2023 Trust for London report found 37% of London's children live in poverty, bearing climate precarity daily. Despite 272,178 new green jobs emerging in three years, the sector remains 98% white and middle-class. Young Londoners are excluded by absent networks and a lack of tailored pathways—widening the environmental justice gap. Climate education fails this cohort when it is abstract and disconnected from their experience, rarely creating pathways into the green economy or policy change. Football Beyond Borders (FBB) has worked with 3,000+ young people since 2013, achieving 93% exclusion prevention. Pledgeball has mobilised sports communities for climate action since 2021. Collaborating since 2023, we use football to transform climate precarity into agency. Using football, we will unlock their potential as climate leaders and open pathways into the sector that currently excludes them, ensuring those bearing the greatest burden are the ones also given opportunity to shape the solutions.
Your approach: How are you addressing the problem outlined above? How are you using the power of sport and physical activity to build awareness, shift behavior, and enable sustainable participation for all in response to the climate crisis? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
Our "aha" moment occurred in 2025 when Yr 8 students reimagined football kits through sustainable design. Watching them interview peers, create with upcycled materials, and present to designers, we witnessed their passion ignited. They experienced their own "aha" moments and natural shock at the environmental impact of kit production. The workshop proved three things: football unlocks engagement where classrooms fail; climate becomes real when connected to something students love; and these young people don't lack capacity-they lack access. Pledgeball founder Katie Cross, a biology teacher who witnessed the disconnect between youth climate anxiety & their agency to act. Having worked with vulnerable youth at Kids Company, she recognised that traditional environmental education failed those facing socioeconomic pressures. FBB supports young people at risk of exclusion using football to build relationships. Combined, we build an equitable foundation for the UK's green transition via 3 means: Workshops: Integrating sustainability into FBB's "Architects of the Future" Yr 9 module. Football is woven through the pedagogy. Exemplar sessions include Kit & Fashion (connecting circular economy careers to kit lifecycles), Food & Travel (linking match-day nutrition to sustainable agriculture), and Green Spaces (mapping heat islands to placemaking careers). Green Jobs Fair: Exposing 40 Yr 9 students to relatable role models, building transparent pathways into green careers. Industry Events: Students attend summits like Sport Positive as advocates, bringing lived experience to green business. Subject to funding, we will convert employer relationships from the Fair into hands-on placements and internships for students in Yr10—providing access where none currently exists.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Young people begin as co-creators, developing into decision-makers and advocates. Students (Year 9s) shape programme design through focus groups exploring their interests, neighbourhoods, and careers. Any chosen theme must connect to: (a) tangible behaviour change, (b) green sector careers, and (c) community impact. Within that framework, choices are theirs. Active Participation Workshop Co-Development: An 8-10 student Co-Design Working Group co-develops workshop themes. Green Jobs Fair Co-Design: Students identify employers and develop questions for the event. Industry Events: Students interview professionals and challenge who dominates sport-sustainability spaces. Community-Embedded Approach Workshops happen within FBB's existing infrastructure in underserved boroughs. We partner with hyperlocal organisations like Grow to Know, ensuring facilitators reflect students' backgrounds. Workshops anchor climate in their immediate reality. Student-Led Advocacy The April 2025 workshop proved this: students presented to industry professionals and articulated "protecting the planet means protecting our ability to play." They become climate advocates influencing families, schools, and communities. Feedback Loops Students shape what comes next after every session through recorded feedback which will be integrated throughout the programme. Subject to additional funding: work experience and internships with 4-6 green partners, providing hands-on experience for young people who lack any equivalent access through current networks.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in raising climate awareness, shifting behaviors, or reducing environmental impact or harm? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had¡, and/or what impact do you envision having in the future?
Our initiative builds a credible pathway from climate engagement to green career access for systematically excluded young people. Theory of change draws on two proven models: FBB Programme results: 93% of at-risk students avoid exclusion; 43% pass English and Maths GCSEs - up to 9x higher than peers. Participation delivers wellbeing improvements equivalent to moving from unemployment to employment. Pledgeball: In a Premier League-supported workshop, 81% reported a positive mindset shift, 91% would join circular economy initiatives, and 100% found the theme engaging. Immediate Impact (Sept 2026-Mar 2027): 40 students complete 3 hands-on workshops delivering actionable next steps. Young people carry these conversations home and into their communities. Medium-term (June 2027): 40 students engage with 10-15 green employers at the Jobs Fair. Baseline and endline surveys measure green career literacy, co-designed with our evaluation partner. Expanding Reach: Up to 40 students attend industry events, building confidence and diversifying spaces where they are underrepresented. Long-Term Indicators (3 years): climate self-efficacy; community climate action; green career progression post-16; 2+ ongoing employer partnerships. Scale: Year 2 target 60-90 students; Years 3-5 reach 100-150 annually. Success Metrics: 40 students complete all 3 workshops (85%+ attendance) 25%+ improvement in green career literacy 40 students at Green Jobs Fair; 5-10 at industry events 2-3 trained FBB deliverers; 2-3 ongoing employer partnerships Open-source replicable model published Subject to additional funding: 10-15 young people completing green sector work experience or internships in Yr10 following workshop programme.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Most youth climate programmes end at education. We create employment infrastructure so young people's voices shape the green transition. Tackling the Root Problem Working-class young people face intersecting barriers: absent networks, no relatable role models, opaque pathways, and programmes assuming cultural capital they don't have. We create an access pipeline combining FBB's proven track record with Pledgeball's evidence-based climate engagement. Three Key Innovations Co-Design, Not Consultation: Students vote on workshop themes, select Jobs Fair employers, and shape facilitation - shifting power dynamics. Football as Climate Gateway: Climate education is typically abstract, reinforcing belief it isn't relevant under immediate pressures. Football is woven through our pedagogy - kit lifecycles, match-day food systems, pitch-based urban ecology - not simply the setting. Employment Infrastructure: Employers access diverse talent; students gain pathways. Subject to additional funding, work experience begins in Year 1. For these young people, a green sector placement is often the first time anyone in their network has worked there - transformative in a way it isn't for peers whose parents make that call. Evidence of Impact FBB: 93% exclusion prevention; GCSE pass rates up to 9x higher than peers; significant wellbeing improvements. Pledgeball: 91% would join circular initiatives; 81% reported positive mindset change. Shifting Norms Only 2% of environmental sector staff come from working-class backgrounds. When FBB students gain professional platforms, they bring lived experience the sector desperately needs. This is the structural transformation of who holds power in environmental decision-making. Every student we support shifts that pipeline.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Pledgeball (Lead Organisation) Brings climate engagement expertise, teaching expertise, and green sector networks, with clearly defined roles: CEO (Katie Cross): Programme leadership, workshop delivery, and strategic direction. Monitoring & Evaluation Management. Project Manager: Day-to-day logistics, workshop coordination, timeline management, and student liaison. Head of Commercial Operations: Funder accountability and partnership governance. Head of Communications: Marketing, social assets, impact documentation, and storytelling to amplify student voices. Pledgeball designs and delivers all three workshops (with industry lead, student co-developers and FBB co-facilitators), organises the Green Jobs Fair, and curates industry event opportunities. Football Beyond Borders (Delivery Partner) FBB brings unparalleled expertise working with disengaged young people and established school relationships: Programme Leads: Identify and recruit 40 students across London cohorts, manage pastoral support throughout Youth Engagement Team: Facilitate student co-design sessions, ensure workshops are age-appropriate and culturally relevant, co-deliver sessions, provide ongoing check-ins Safeguarding & Compliance: Oversee all legal requirements, insurance, parental consent, duty of care, and DBS checks for all adults School Liaison Officers: Coordinate with partner schools across London boroughs for scheduling, attendance tracking, and follow-up support FBB holds the existing Architects of the Future Year 10 module framework - a structured programme that uses football as a pedagogical tool to explore identity, aspiration, and community leadership with young people at risk of disengagement. Our climate integration adds sustainability content and green career exposure to this proven methodology, with 2-3 FBB programme deliverers receiving climate literacy training so the integration extends beyond this pilot. Shared Governance Monthly steering meetings between Pledgeball CEO and FBB Programme Lead. Shared project tracker with transparent timelines and accountability. When disagreements arise: student safeguarding and wellbeing take precedence, followed by FBB's pedagogical judgement on what serves young people, followed by Pledgeball's funder accountability obligations. Joint impact evaluation framework measuring quantitative outcomes and qualitative student experience, co-designed with an independent evaluator. Industry Workshop Contributors We will work with three industry leaders who specialise in green solutions for a specific sector. With each leader we will co-design a workshop and support on the day delivery. There is potential for workshop contributors to provide work experience pathways subject to additional funding and resources. M&E Lead: Establish a measurement framework to assess impact of workshops and programme. WEX Coordinator (Subject to additional funding) Acts as a liaison between educational institutions and employers to source, manage, support and monitor high-quality work placements for the students.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your organization up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
Building Long-Term Viability Documented Frameworks: We are creating open-source workshop templates, employer resources, and evaluation tools to establish a sector-wide resource for youth organisations. Training FBB Staff: Deliverers receive climate literacy training, embedding sustainability into FBB’s institutional knowledge beyond this pilot. Self-Sustaining Networks: We aim to convert 2-3 employers into ongoing partners. Employers gain diverse talent, while students gain career pathways, creating a pipeline independent of grant funding. Evidence-Based Iteration: This 18-month pilot includes formal evaluations (Months 4, 9, 16) led by an independent M&E Lead to measure cost-per-student and impact, beginning September 2026. Dual Value: We measure student progression (career literacy, agency) and employer diversity benefits to build cases for future corporate sponsorship. Growth Plan & Resources Year 1 (2026-27): London Pilot (40 students, 3 workshops, Green Jobs Fair). Year 2 (2027-28): Expansion to 60-90 students across London boroughs. Years 3-5: Consolidate to 100-150 students annually; potential national scaling. Support Needed: A dedicated Programmes Manager, an impact evaluation partner, and a Work Experience (WEX) coordinator to bridge the gap between raised aspirations and actual sector access.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
*EXACT DATES AND MONTHS ARE SUBJECT TO (I) THE FUNDING PROCESS & (II) FBB/SCHOOL TERM TIMES & AVAILABILITY* Pre-Launch Phase (May - August 2026) May 2026: Finalise partnership agreement and governance structure with FBB Confirm evaluation partner and agree impact measurement framework June 2026: Recruit student Co-Design Working Group through open self-nomination process First Working Group meeting: focus groups on climate interests, football culture, and neighbourhood concerns Begin outreach to 15 potential Green Jobs Fair employers July - August 2026: Second and third Working Group meetings: students vote on three workshop themes Confirm workshop co-facilitators based on chosen themes (e.g. Grow 2 Know, La Gom Chef, Repowering London) Baseline data collection: climate self-efficacy and green career literacy surveys across full 40-student cohort Confirm Green Jobs Fair venue in local community Phase 1: Workshop Delivery (Autumn 2026 - Spring 2027) Autumn Term 2026 (September - December): Workshop 1 (Morning / Afternoon Session) delivered to all 40 students (15 AM / 15 PM) Post-workshop student feedback session First industry event attendance Mid-Point Evaluation Checkpoint (December 2026): Workshop effectiveness assessment against baseline data Engagement and attendance review Student feedback themes analysed Workshop 2 iterated accordingly and shared with funders Spring Term 2027 (January - March): Workshop 2 (Morning / Afternoon Session) delivered to all 40 students (15 AM / 15 PM) Second industry event attendance Workshop 3 (Morning / Afternoon Session) delivered to all 40 students (15 AM / 15 PM) Post-workshop evaluation sessions with full cohort Confirm 10-15 employer participants for Green Jobs Fair Phase 2: Green Jobs Fair (May - June 2027) May 2027: Working Group co-designs Fair format and develops employer questions Students create promotional materials for the Fair June 2027: Green Jobs Fair delivered: 40 programme students plus additional FBB cohort members where capacity allows Post-Fair feedback and reflection session Employer relationship review: which 2-3 to convert to ongoing Year 2 partners Phase 3: Work Experience and Internships - Subject to Additional Funding (June - August 2027) Access to work experience and internships is one of the starkest inequalities facing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. While their middle-class peers benefit from family networks, informal connections, and parents who can make a phone call to secure a placement, students from low-income communities in London have no equivalent access. This locks young people out of entire career sectors before they have had a fair chance to explore them. The green economy is no exception: without intervention, the 2% working-class representation in environmental organisations will not shift. In addition, experience of the soft skills required within these workplace settings is often lacking in this cohort, and so further student support and relationships with employers are required to ensure success. Subject to securing additional funding beyond this grant, Phase 3 would address this directly by converting the employer relationships built in Phases 1 and 2 into tangible hands-on opportunities: 5-10 Year 10 students complete a one-week work experience placement with a green sector employer, with placements identified and matched through the Green Jobs Fair 2 students take up a 2-4 week paid summer internship with participating employers, providing sustained exposure to green sector working environments All placements are supported throughout by FBB's pastoral team, who provide weekly check-ins, help students navigate professional environments they may be entering for the first time, and address practical barriers including travel costs, appropriate clothing, and managing the cultural adjustment of workplace norms that many of their peers take for granted Placement selection will be open and transparent, with criteria co-designed by the student Working Group to ensure the process does not inadvertently favour students who already hold more cultural capital Students who do not secure a placement will be supported with personalised feedback, ongoing mentorship connections from Fair employers, and priority access to Year 2 opportunities as the programme scales The groundwork for this phase is laid regardless of whether additional funding is secured. Employer relationships built at the Green Jobs Fair, pastoral infrastructure through FBB, and the professional confidence students develop through workshops and industry events all position them to step into placements the moment funding enables it. Phase 4: Consolidation and Future Planning (June - August 2027) Endline data collection: climate self-efficacy, green career literacy, community action taken Employer feedback interviews Student experience documentation: video testimonials, written reflections Cost-per-student analysis Replicable model documentation completed and published as open-source toolkit Year 2 funding applications submitted using pilot evidence Ongoing Throughout 2026-27 Termly impact assessments 2-3 industry event attendances across the year, selected by students Student journalism opportunities: blogging and social content about their experiences Key Success Indicators 40 students recruited, with at least 85% completing all 3 workshops 25%+ measurable improvement in green career literacy from baseline to endpoint 75%+ of students report increased engagement with climate and greater knowledge of its impact on their community 40 students participate in the Green Jobs Fair 5-10 students attend at least one industry event 3 replicable, documented workshop templates completed and published 2-3 FBB programme deliverers trained to deliver climate content independently 2-3 ongoing employer partnerships established for Year 2 progression Full evaluation report completed and shared with sector by October 2027 Transition to Scale (Autumn 2027) Present evaluation findings to funders, FBB leadership, and employer partners Decision point: does evidence support Year 2 expansion at 60-90 students? Identify 3-4 additional London FBB schools for Year 2 recruitment Secure Year 2 funding
