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
Climate Confidence for Children, Families and Communities
Lead Organization Name
BEDIFFERENT365 FOUNDATION
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2020
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.bedifferent365foundation.com
Initiative Stage
Idea (You have a solid concept and are hoping to get started in the future)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
BeDifferent365 Foundation empowers children, families, and underserved communities with creative, inclusive climate education that builds awareness, confidence, and everyday sustainable habits.
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?
Many children, young people, and families in Croydon—particularly those from low-income households and global majority backgrounds—are disproportionately affected by climate change but lack access to clear, practical, and inclusive climate education. Climate information often feels distant, technical, or overwhelming, leaving communities disengaged and unsure how to take meaningful action in everyday life. This results in low awareness, limited confidence, and reduced participation in climate-positive behaviours, especially among children and families who are already facing social, economic, and health inequalities. BeDifferent365 Foundation works directly within these communities and sees firsthand how environmental issues intersect with wellbeing, food insecurity, mental health, and community cohesion. Our beneficiaries are children and young people aged 4–18, parents, carers, and underserved families who are eager to learn but need creative, accessible, and culturally relevant approaches. By addressing climate awareness at a community level, we aim to empower those closest to the problem with knowledge, confidence, and tools to make sustainable choices that improve both personal wellbeing and the environment.
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?
BeDifferent365 addresses climate awareness through creative, community-led engagement that makes sustainability practical, relatable, and empowering. Our approach uses hands-on activities, storytelling, creative workshops, shared meals, and movement-based learning to connect climate action with everyday life. Rather than focusing on fear or abstract data, we help children and families understand how small actions—such as reducing waste, reusing materials, mindful consumption, and caring for shared spaces—can collectively create meaningful change. Our sessions are designed to be inclusive, learning-disability friendly, and welcoming to families of all backgrounds. The “aha” moment came from working closely with families who wanted to do better for the planet but felt excluded from traditional climate conversations. We realised that when climate learning is combined with creativity, physical activity, and community connection, people engage more confidently and sustainably. By embedding climate awareness into familiar, joyful activities, we build long-term behaviour change and enable climate-resilient participation that feels achievable, not intimidating.
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 and community members are at the heart of BeDifferent365’s work. Children and families actively shape session themes, activities, and discussions, ensuring our approach reflects lived experiences and real community needs. Young participants take part as co-creators—sharing ideas, leading small activities, and influencing how climate messages are communicated to peers and families. Parents and carers contribute feedback, volunteer support, and cultural insight, helping us adapt our programmes to be relevant and accessible. By working within trusted community spaces and listening closely to participants, we ensure that those most affected by environmental and social inequalities play a meaningful role in building solutions that are sustainable, inclusive, and community-owned.
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?
BeDifferent365’s initiative has strong potential to create both immediate and long-term impact by embedding climate awareness into everyday community life. Our activities translate climate concepts into practical, age-appropriate actions such as reusing materials, reducing waste, mindful consumption, sustainable food choices, and caring for shared spaces. In the short term, the initiative will raise awareness among children, young people, and families who are often excluded from mainstream climate education. Participants gain increased confidence, knowledge, and motivation to adopt climate-positive behaviours at home and within their communities. In the long term, we aim to create deep-rooted behavioural change by shaping habits early in life and reinforcing them through repeated community engagement. We anticipate impacting 300–500 participants annually through workshops, community sessions, and events, with ripple effects reaching families, schools, and local networks. Our impact will be measured through attendance data, participant feedback, storytelling, and simple behaviour-change indicators such as increased reuse, reduced waste, and engagement in local environmental actions. Ultimately, this initiative builds climate-resilient communities by empowering those closest to the problem with the tools, confidence, and agency to contribute meaningfully to environmental wellbeing.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
What makes BeDifferent365’s approach innovative is the way climate awareness is integrated into creative, relational, and community-based activities rather than delivered as standalone education. Instead of relying on technical language or digital-only solutions, we use hands-on learning, storytelling, movement, shared meals, and creativity to make climate action tangible and culturally relevant. Our initiative reframes climate engagement as something accessible, inclusive, and empowering—particularly for children, families, and underserved communities who are often left out of climate conversations. By linking climate learning to wellbeing, confidence-building, and everyday life skills, we address the root causes of disengagement: fear, exclusion, and lack of relevance. This approach shifts community norms by positioning climate action as a shared responsibility rooted in care, creativity, and collective action. It is innovative not because it uses complex technology, but because it redesigns how climate awareness is experienced—making it human-centred, joyful, and sustainable over time.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
BeDifferent365 Foundation leads the initiative, providing overall coordination, safeguarding, community engagement, and programme delivery. The Founder and Project Lead oversees strategy, partnerships, and evaluation. Facilitators and creative practitioners design and deliver inclusive workshops and activities. Volunteers support session delivery, participant engagement, and community outreach. Community partners, including local venues and networks, support access, promotion, and trusted community connection. Young people and families contribute as active participants, co-creators, and feedback providers, ensuring the initiative remains community-led and responsive.
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?
BeDifferent365 is building a sustainable foundation by embedding climate awareness into its existing community programmes, partnerships, and trusted local presence. Operational sustainability is supported through a mix of grants, community fundraising, partnerships, and low-cost delivery models that maximise impact while minimising overheads. To scale the initiative, we plan to develop a replicable programme model that can be delivered across multiple community venues in Croydon and beyond. This includes training facilitators, developing adaptable session resources, and strengthening partnerships with schools, community organisations, and local authorities. With additional support, resources, and strategic partnerships, the initiative can grow in reach and depth impacting more families, increasing session frequency, and influencing broader community norms around climate responsibility.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Programme planning and refinement (Month 1) Community engagement and outreach (Months 1–2) Delivery of pilot climate-focused sessions and workshops (Months 2–4) Collection of feedback and impact data (Months 3–4) Programme refinement and preparation for wider rollout (Months 4–6)
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details (LINK).
Participation in the 8-week capacity-building programme may create cost barriers related to staff time, programme coordination, travel, and essential operational support. Any support funding would be used to cover facilitation time, project management, accessibility needs, and participation-related expenses to ensure full engagement in the programme while continuing delivery to the community. This support would directly strengthen organisational capacity, programme quality, and long-term impact.
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