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
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Last Name
Pronouns
Email address
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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
EcoActive Futures: Inclusive Sport for a Changing Climate
Lead Organization Name
Lets Unite for Autism Ltd
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2018
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.letsuniteforautism.org. @letsuniteforautism
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?
Human Rights & Equality
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
EcoActive Futures empowers young people with autism and special educational needs to play, learn, and lead through climate-resilient, sustainable sport.
Challenge Focus: What topic does your initiative most directly relate to?
Enabling climate-resilient participation
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 with autism and special educational needs (SEN) already face significant barriers to participating in sport and physical activity, including sensory sensitivities, social anxiety, limited inclusive provision, and lack of adapted environments. Climate change is now intensifying these challenges. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, poor air quality, and reduced access to safe green spaces disproportionately affect neurodiverse young people, many of whom are more sensitive to heat, environmental stress, and sudden routine changes. Without climate-resilient planning, these children risk further exclusion from sport, reduced physical activity, and declining wellbeing. At the same time, young people with SEN are often excluded from climate conversations and environmental leadership opportunities, despite having strong interest and unique perspectives. There is a clear gap between climate action initiatives and inclusive sport provision. Lets Unite for Autism works directly with these families and young people every week. We understand their sensory needs, behavioural triggers, and the practical barriers they face. Our close relationships with parents, schools, and carers position us at the heart of the community most impacted. This initiative responds to what families are already telling us.
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?
Eco Active Futures was born from direct experience. During recent heatwaves and periods of extreme weather, we saw first-hand how climate conditions were disrupting our inclusive sports sessions. Some young people with autism struggled with temperature regulation, sensory overload, and anxiety caused by sudden changes to routine. Sessions were cancelled, outdoor activity reduced, and participation dropped. Our “aha” moment came when we realised climate change was not a future risk for our community it was already limiting access to safe, inclusive sport. Our approach addresses both the environmental challenge and the inclusion gap. We use sport as a trusted, engaging platform to build climate awareness through structured, sensory-informed activities. Climate learning is embedded into games, team challenges, and practical routines — such as reusing equipment, reducing waste, and understanding how weather affects wellbeing. By linking environmental action to familiar sporting habits, we make behaviour change achievable and meaningful. At the same time, we are adapting how sport is delivered to ensure sustainable participation. This includes shaded and nature-based spaces like our sensory garden, hydration planning, flexible scheduling during extreme weather, and reducing single-use plastics across sessions. Climate resilience is built into our operational model, not treated as an add-on. Through leadership roles as “Green Champions,” young people shift from being vulnerable to climate impacts to becoming advocates for sustainable, inclusive sport within their families and wider community.
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?
Eco Active Futures is co-designed with the young people and families we support. As a community-based organisation, we work directly with children and young people with autism and special educational needs every week, and their lived experience shapes both the structure and content of the programme. Young people contribute through regular feedback using accessible tools such as visual surveys, emotion scales, and group discussions adapted to different communication needs. Their responses inform session design, environmental adaptations, and the types of climate topics we explore. For example, the development and use of our sensory garden was influenced by young people who told us they felt calmer and more regulated in shaded, nature-based spaces. Participants also take on active leadership roles as “Green Champions.” They help manage recycling at sessions, promote reusable bottles, co-create posters and pledges, and share climate messages during community events. This shifts them from being passive recipients to active contributors and advocates. Parents and carers are key partners, reinforcing sustainable behaviours at home and advising on sensory and accessibility needs. Local schools and community groups support outreach and shared learning. By embedding participation at every level, the initiative ensures the solution reflects real needs, builds ownership, and strengthens long-term impact within the community.
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?
Eco Active Futures creates impact at three levels: individual behaviour change, organisational practice, and community awareness. 1.At an individual level, young people with autism and SEN participate in adapted sports sessions that integrate climate learning through visual, sensory-friendly activities. Participants learn practical habits such as using reusable bottles, recycling sports equipment, reducing waste at events, and understanding how climate change affects their health and routines. We measure impact through accessible feedback tools, observation, and parent surveys. Our aim is that at least 80% of participants demonstrate improved climate awareness and adopt at least one sustainable behaviour at home or during sessions. 2.At a programme level, we are embedding climate-resilient practices into delivery. Our sensory garden pilot has already provided a safe, shaded, nature-based space for physical activity during warmer months, reducing session cancellations and increasing outdoor participation. We are introducing hydration stations, weather-adapted scheduling, and sustainable purchasing policies, with a target of reducing single-use plastics by 30% in year one. 3.At a community level, the initiative empowers young people as “Green Champions,” giving them visible leadership roles. We anticipate engaging over 150 young people annually, with families influenced through shared resources and events. Long-term, Eco Active Futures will provide a replicable model of inclusive, climate-smart sport that can be adopted by other SEN organisations, creating sustained environmental and social impact.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Eco Active Futures is innovative because it sits at the intersection of three areas that are rarely connected: climate action, inclusive sport, and neurodiversity. While many climate initiatives focus on mainstream schools or sports clubs, and many disability sport programmes focus primarily on participation, very few address how climate change specifically impacts young people with autism and special educational needs or adapt climate education to suit their learning styles. Our approach redesigns climate awareness to be sensory-informed, visual, structured, and routine-based, making complex environmental issues accessible to neurodiverse learners. We use social stories, visual prompts, sensory gardens, and hands-on activities to translate climate action into practical daily habits. At the same time, we embed climate resilience into the structure of sport delivery itself through shaded environments, adaptive scheduling, hydration planning, and sustainable procurement ensuring that inclusion continues even as weather patterns change. Rather than treating climate education as an add-on workshop, we integrate it into everyday sport practice and organisational policy. This shifts norms within our community by positioning young people with SEN not as passive recipients of care, but as “Green Champions” and environmental leaders. By creating a replicable model of climate-smart inclusive sport, we are addressing both environmental sustainability and systemic exclusion at their roots.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Eco Active Futures is delivered through a collaborative team structure that combines expertise in autism support, inclusive sport, safeguarding, and community engagement. 1.Project Lead (Lets Unite for Autism Director): Provides overall leadership, strategic direction, safeguarding oversight, partnership coordination, and monitoring and evaluation. Ensures climate action principles are embedded across delivery and reporting. 2.Programme Coordinator: Manages day-to-day operations, session scheduling, staff supervision, risk assessments, climate-resilient planning (heat, air quality, weather adaptations), and data collection on participation and impact. 3.Inclusive Sports Coaches: Deliver adapted sports sessions using autism-informed approaches. Integrate climate awareness activities into sessions, model sustainable behaviours (waste reduction, reusable equipment), and support young people to become Green Champions. 4.SEND Support Staff & Volunteers: Provide one-to-one and small group support, implement sensory strategies, assist with communication tools, and ensure all activities remain accessible and safe. 5.Parents & Schools (Community Partners): Reinforce sustainable behaviours at home and in educational settings, provide feedback, and support participation. Responsibilities are clearly defined but collaborative, ensuring climate action, inclusion, and youth wellbeing remain shared priorities across the initiative.
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?
Eco Active Futures is designed to be embedded within our existing inclusive sport provision, ensuring it is operationally sustainable rather than a stand-alone project. Climate-resilient practices, such as adaptive scheduling, shaded outdoor spaces, hydration planning, and reduced single-use plastics, are being integrated into our core delivery model and policies. Staff are being trained to confidently deliver climate-aware sessions, ensuring knowledge remains within the organisation long term. Monitoring and evaluation systems are already in place to track participation, behaviour change, and environmental improvements, strengthening future funding applications. Financial sustainability will be supported through a blended model of grants, community fundraising, small participation contributions where appropriate, and local sponsorship. We are actively building partnerships with schools, local authorities, and community sports providers to share facilities and expand reach. To scale, we plan to develop a simple Climate-Smart Inclusive Sport Toolkit based on our learning, enabling other SEND organisations to replicate the model. With additional funding, we would expand delivery to new sites, train more coaches, and increase the number of young people engaged annually. Our long-term vision is to position Eco Active Futures as a replicable framework .
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Eco Active Futures will be delivered over 24 months through structured phases to ensure strong foundations, measurable impact, and sustainable growth. 1.Phase 1: Foundation & Framework (Months 1–3) Finalise climate-resilient sport model and policies Staff training in climate-aware inclusive delivery Establish monitoring and evaluation systems Confirm school and community partnerships 2.Phase 2: Pilot Delivery & Refinement (Months 4–9) Deliver weekly climate-integrated inclusive sports sessions Expand use of the sensory garden as a climate-resilient activity hub Introduce sustainable practices (waste reduction, reusable equipment, green travel encouragement) Launch Green Champions youth leadership programme Collect baseline and mid-term impact data 3.Phase 3: Expansion & Community Engagement (Months 10–18) Increase participant numbers and session frequency Host annual Green Sports Community Event Strengthen family engagement and home-based climate actions Track environmental footprint reductions Secure additional local partners 4.Phase 4: Scaling & Replication (Months 19–24) Develop and publish a Climate-Smart Inclusive Sport Toolkit Train additional coaches Expand to new delivery sites Secure long-term funding and sponsorship This phased approach ensures steady growth, deep-rooted behavioural change, and long-term organisational sustainability.
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).
While participation in the 8-week capacity-building programme is not a barrier, support funding of up to £2,500 would help ensure full engagement without disrupting frontline delivery. Staff Backfill Costs – £1,600 Covering sessional staff time while the Project Lead and Programme Coordinator attend training sessions, mentoring calls, and complete implementation work arising from the programme. Travel & Attendance Costs – £500 Transport and related expenses for up to two team members if in-person elements are required. Monitoring & Evaluation Development – £250 Strengthening data collection tools, impact measurement systems, and climate-related reporting frameworks to embed learning into practice. Organisational Development & Resources – £150 Updating sustainability policies, refining climate-resilient delivery plans, and producing internal guidance materials. This funding would ensure we can participate fully and apply learning in real time, strengthening the long-term sustainability and scalability of EcoActive Futures while maintaining consistent support for the young people we serve.
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