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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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
Green Goals: Climate-Resilient Sport and Leadership Programme for Refugee Youth
Lead Organization Name
Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA)
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2001
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://acaa.org.uk/
Initiative Stage
Growth (You’ve moved past the very first activities; working towards the next level of expansion.)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Environment & Sustainability
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association will deliver Green Goals, a 12-month climate-resilient sport and youth leadership programme in Feltham and Hounslow supporting 300 refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeking young people aged 11–25. The initiative will use football, multi-sport activities, and play-based engagement as platforms to improve physical and mental wellbeing, increase climate awareness, and empower young people to take environmental action within their communities. Through weekly sports sessions integrated with climate education, youth climate leadership training, community green sports events, and youth-led green space improvement projects, the programme will address key barriers faced by refugee young people including language challenges, social isolation, limited access to safe sport facilities, and employment barriers. Participants will gain skills in sustainability, coaching, leadership, and employability while promoting environmentally responsible and inclusive sport delivery. The initiative will also engage families and local stakeholders through multilingual environmental campaigns and community activities, ensuring solutions are co-designed with young people and rooted in lived experience. The project will create a scalable model of climate-resilient sport participation that strengthens community cohesion, supports integration, and contributes to a healthier and more sustainable future for young people and their communities.
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 from refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeking backgrounds in Feltham and Hounslow face significant barriers to accessing safe, inclusive, and affordable opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity. Many experience language barriers, social isolation, financial hardship, and limited access to safe outdoor spaces. Climate change is intensifying these challenges through poor air quality, extreme heat, and reduced availability of playable sports facilities, which disproportionately affects underserved communities. At the same time, many young people from refugee backgrounds have limited access to climate education and opportunities to engage in environmental action, despite being highly motivated to contribute positively to their communities. The initiative led by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association directly responds to these challenges by using sport as a platform to improve wellbeing, increase climate awareness, and create sustainable participation opportunities. ACAA has over 20 years of experience working closely with refugee and migrant communities in London and currently delivers football and youth engagement programmes across multiple boroughs. The organisation is deeply embedded within the communities it serves, with staff and volunteers often sharing lived experience of displacement and migration.
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?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association is addressing these challenges through Green Goals, a community-led programme that integrates sport, climate education, and youth leadership to create inclusive and climate-resilient participation opportunities. The programme uses football and multi-sport activities as trusted and engaging entry points to connect young people with environmental awareness, sustainable behaviours, and community action. Through weekly sports sessions, participants will take part in structured climate learning modules delivered through play-based coaching, helping young people understand issues such as air pollution, waste reduction, sustainable transport, and climate impacts on community sport. The programme will train young participants as Climate and Sport Champions, empowering them to co-design sessions, lead peer awareness campaigns, and support community green space improvements. This youth-led approach ensures long-term behaviour change and strengthens ownership within communities. The idea originated from ACAA’s ongoing football sessions where young participants frequently reported cancelled sessions due to extreme weather, poor pitch conditions, and lack of safe indoor alternatives. At the same time, many young people expressed strong interest in protecting their environment but lacked accessible opportunities to take action. This became the “aha moment,” highlighting the urgent need to adapt sport delivery while using sport as a platform to build climate awareness and leadership. The programme will also introduce sustainable sport practices such as eco-friendly equipment use, recycling initiatives, climate-safe session planning, and green space activation initiatives.
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?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association places young people and their communities at the centre of designing and delivering the Green Goals initiative. The programme is built on ACAA’s long-standing participatory approach, where young refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers actively shape activities based on their lived experiences, cultural needs, and local challenges. Young participants will be directly involved through a Youth Climate and Sport Advisory Group made up of 20 young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. This group will co-design session topics, help adapt activities to respond to climate challenges affecting their ability to participate in sport, and provide regular feedback to improve delivery. For example, young people will help identify environmental issues in their neighbourhoods, such as unsafe or underused green spaces, and will lead community improvement projects and awareness campaigns linked to sport and play. Participants will also be trained as Climate and Sport Champions, giving them leadership roles in delivering peer-led activities, supporting coaching sessions, and leading multilingual climate awareness outreach to families and community members. This ensures knowledge is shared in culturally accessible ways and encourages intergenerational engagement. ACAA will also host community consultation workshops with parents, local residents, and partner organisations to ensure activities are inclusive, culturally appropriate, and accessible. Many ACAA staff and volunteers have lived experience of migration and displacement, which strengthens trust and ensures meaningful engagement.
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?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association has a strong track record of delivering sport and youth engagement programmes that improve wellbeing, confidence, and community integration among refugee and migrant young people across London. Through Green Goals, ACAA will build on this experience to deliver measurable environmental, behavioural, and social impact. Over 12 months, the initiative will engage at least 300 young people through 140+ climate-integrated sport sessions, 6 community green sport events, and 4 youth-led green space improvement projects. We expect at least 250 participants to demonstrate increased climate awareness through pre- and post-programme surveys, and at least 200 young people to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours such as recycling, sustainable transport use, and reduced single-use plastic during sport activities. The project will also train 30 Climate and Sport Champions who will lead peer awareness campaigns and community environmental action, multiplying impact within families and local networks. ACAA’s existing football programmes have already demonstrated positive outcomes, with over 70% of participants reporting improved wellbeing, confidence, and social connection. Participants have shared that sport provides safe spaces to overcome trauma, isolation, and integration challenges. Green Goals will expand this impact by embedding climate education and sustainable sport delivery into these trusted platforms. Long-term, the initiative will create a scalable climate-resilient sport model that can be replicated across London boroughs.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association’s Green Goals initiative is innovative because it combines climate action, sport participation, and refugee youth leadership into one integrated and community-led model, addressing both environmental and social barriers simultaneously. While many sport programmes focus only on participation, and many climate initiatives focus only on awareness, Green Goals tackles the root causes of exclusion by redesigning how sport is delivered to underserved communities facing climate vulnerability. The initiative introduces climate education through play-based sport coaching, making complex environmental issues accessible to young people who often face language and educational barriers. It also shifts traditional delivery models by training refugee and migrant young people as Climate and Sport Champions, positioning them not just as beneficiaries but as leaders who design, deliver, and influence environmental behaviour within their communities. This approach challenges existing structures where refugee communities are rarely included in environmental decision-making or sport leadership. The project is also innovative in adapting sport delivery to climate realities. It introduces sustainable sport practices such as eco-friendly equipment use, climate-safe session planning, and youth-led green space transformation projects. By combining environmental action with trusted sport environments, the programme creates behaviour change through participation rather than traditional classroom learning. Additionally, the initiative creates a replicable model that bridges sport, climate resilience, and social integration.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association will act as the lead delivery organisation, overseeing project management, safeguarding, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and overall programme coordination. ACAA will be responsible for recruiting participants, delivering sport sessions, facilitating climate education workshops, coordinating youth leadership training, and ensuring the programme remains culturally inclusive and accessible to refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeking communities. ACAA’s experienced youth workers, sports coaches, and employment advisors will deliver direct support to participants and coordinate community engagement activities. Youth participants will play a central delivery role through the Climate and Sport Champions programme. Selected young leaders will co-design activities, support coaching delivery, lead peer awareness campaigns, and assist with organising community green sport events and environmental action projects. Their involvement ensures the programme remains youth-led and responsive to community needs. Local schools, community centres, and youth services in Hounslow and Feltham will support participant referrals, provide accessible venues, and help promote engagement with families and local residents. Environmental and sustainability partners will provide specialist input into climate awareness training, green space improvement projects, and sustainable sport delivery guidance. Local authority partners and sports organisations will support access to facilities, provide technical advice on climate-resilient sport infrastructure, and help strengthen pathways for programme sustainability and expansion. This collaborative structure ensures shared responsibility, strengthens expertise across sectors, and supports long-term impact within the community.
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?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association has over 26years’ experience delivering successful youth and refugee engagement programmes across London, with established systems for project management, safeguarding, and monitoring impact. Green Goals is designed with operational sustainability in mind, using existing football and multi-sport infrastructure while integrating climate education and youth leadership into ongoing delivery. By training young people as Climate and Sport Champions, the programme builds internal capacity and ensures leadership and knowledge remain within the community, creating a self-sustaining model. ACAA will leverage partnerships with local authorities, schools, community centres, environmental organisations, and sports clubs to secure venues, technical support, and resources, while embedding sustainable practices in sport delivery to reduce operational costs and environmental impact. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks will capture impact data to inform future funding applications and attract long-term investment. To scale, the project will develop a replicable climate-resilient sport toolkit, enabling other boroughs and organisations to adopt the model.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Green Goals: Key Milestones and Timeline (July 2026 – July 2027) July 2026 – August 2026: Programme Launch & Recruitment • Finalise partnerships with local schools, community centres, and environmental organisations. • Recruit 300 young participants and select 30 Climate and Sport Champions. • Conduct initial community consultation workshops to co-design programme activities. September 2026 – November 2026: Initial Delivery & Youth Leadership Training • Begin weekly football and multi-sport sessions integrated with climate education modules. • Deliver first cohort of Climate and Sport Champion training, including leadership, coaching, and environmental awareness workshops. • Initiate baseline surveys on participants’ climate knowledge, wellbeing, and physical activity levels. December 2026 – February 2027: Community Engagement & Green Space Projects • Launch 2 youth-led green space improvement projects in Feltham and Hounslow. • Deliver first community green sports event to engage families and local residents in climate action. • Continue weekly sports sessions with embedded climate learning. March 2027 – May 2027: Peer-Led Activities & Behaviour Change Initiatives • Climate and Sport Champions lead peer sessions and environmental awareness campaigns within the community. • Conduct follow-up surveys to assess behaviour change and participation impact. • Deliver second set of community green sports events and workshops. June 2027 – July 2027: Evaluation, Reporting & Sustainability Planning • Complete final monitoring and evaluation, including participant feedback, impact assessment, and lessons learned. • Produce climate-resilient sport toolkit for replication in other boroughs. • Host a final community showcase event celebrating achievements and youth leadership. These milestones ensure structured delivery, continuous youth involvement, and clear pathways for impact measurement, sustainability, and future scaling.
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).
If selected as a finalist, Afghanistan and Central Asian Association would require support to fully participate in the 8-week capacity-building programme. The main costs we anticipate are related to staff time, travel, and operational support to ensure full engagement without disrupting programme delivery. Estimated Costs: 1. Staff Time (£5,500): Two project leads will need to dedicate approximately 4–6 hours per week to attend sessions, complete programme assignments, and implement learning within Green Goals, including planning adjustments and reporting. This covers salaries for the duration of the programme. 2. Travel and Logistics (£2,000): Staff travel to and from capacity-building sessions in London, including public transport or mileage, plus any associated costs such as parking or event materials. 3. Operational Support (£2,500): Additional temporary support for session delivery, youth supervision, or administrative tasks to ensure ongoing programme delivery while staff are engaged in capacity-building activities. Total Funding Requested: £10,000 This support would ensure ACAA can fully participate in the capacity-building programme, gain maximum value from training and peer learning, and integrate insights directly into Green Goals without interrupting delivery or participant engagement.
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