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
Green Rangers EN3 – Zero-Cost Climate Action Through Grassroots Football
Lead Organization Name
Enfield Rangers Football Club
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
1966
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.instagram.com/enfieldrangers.fc?igsh=MWI3azRmdzVqdGd3dQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr https://www.tikthttps://www.facebook.com/share/1CVcRQjsPE/?mibextid=wwXIfrok.com/@enfieldrangers?_r=1&_t=ZN-93pXZIoIcvW
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?
Environment & Sustainability
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Green Rangers EN3 uses community football to inspire young people and families in EN3 to adopt practical, zero-cost climate action behaviours through sport.
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 and families in EN3, one of the more economically challenged areas of Enfield, have limited access to practical climate education and opportunities to engage in environmental action outside of school. Climate change disproportionately impacts lower-income communities through rising energy costs, extreme weather, and reduced access to safe green spaces, yet climate initiatives often feel distant or financially out of reach. As a volunteer-led grassroots football club serving over 200 players across 13 youth and 3 men’s teams, Enfield Rangers is deeply embedded in this community. We work directly with children from age 6 and engage hundreds of parents weekly, making us uniquely positioned to influence everyday behaviours at scale. The problem we are addressing is the gap between climate awareness and accessible action in underserved communities. Families want to make positive changes but need practical, low-cost ways to do so. By integrating simple, zero-cost climate behaviours into football culture, we make climate action relevant, achievable and community-led.
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 “aha moment” for Enfield Rangers came through our boot exchange scheme. What began as a simple way to support families in a lower-income area quickly became something more powerful. We saw that environmental action and financial relief could go hand in hand. Families embraced the scheme not because it was presented as climate action, but because it made practical sense. By reusing boots, we reduced waste, cut costs for parents and normalised the idea that sustainability is simply part of everyday life. That shift in mindset was significant. We realised that grassroots football clubs are uniquely positioned as trusted, consistent community hubs. Children attend weekly from as young as six years old, parents are engaged, and volunteers are embedded in the local area. If sustainable behaviours are introduced within this environment, they become routine rather than radical. The insight was clear: climate resilience in economically challenged communities must be practical, accessible and community-led. By embedding climate-conscious habits into football culture — through circular kit models, energy-efficient facilities and youth leadership — we can create long-term behavioural change that extends beyond the pitch. This initiative builds on that understanding, positioning Enfield Rangers not just as a sports club, but as a community catalyst for sustainable action.
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?
oung people and families are central to the design and delivery of this initiative. Our starting point was listening to what matters most to our community. The boot exchange scheme emerged from conversations with parents who were struggling with rising costs. Its success demonstrated that practical, community-led solutions resonate more strongly than top-down environmental messaging. Beyond our internal boot exchange, we have partnered with Bridge of Hope Charity, donating surplus and outgrown kits to support families beyond our immediate membership. This ensures equipment remains in circulation within the wider community rather than going to waste, extending both the social and environmental impact of our efforts. We will establish a Youth Climate Champions group (ages 13–16), made up of players from across our teams. These young people will help shape matchday sustainability practices, co-design awareness activities for younger age groups, and act as peer role models. Rather than simply receiving information, they will lead elements of delivery — from organising kit swap events to promoting waste reduction and responsible travel to training. Parents and volunteers will also play an active role. Families will contribute to the circular kit hub through donations and swaps, while volunteer coaches will embed short climate-awareness discussions into training sessions. We will hold open feedback sessions each term to ensure the programme evolves based on community input. By placing young people and families at the heart of the initiative, we ensure the solution reflects lived experience in EN3. This is not an externally imposed programme; it is a community-designed model rooted in trust, participat
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?
Enfield Rangers currently serves young people in EN3 through weekly training sessions and matchdays across multiple age groups, beginning from age six. Our existing boot exchange scheme has already demonstrated measurable social and environmental impact by redistributing outgrown boots and kits within the club and donating surplus items to Bridge of Hope Charity. This has reduced waste, extended the life cycle of sportswear and eased financial pressure on families. The Green Rangers EN3 initiative builds on this proof of concept to deepen and scale our impact. In the first year, we anticipate engaging all registered players and their families through structured climate-awareness activities, circular kit expansion and sustainable matchday practices. By embedding short, age-appropriate sustainability discussions into training and empowering a Youth Climate Champions group, we aim to normalise environmentally responsible behaviours such as reuse, waste reduction and shared transport. Environmental impact will include increased reuse of sports equipment, reduced single-use plastics at matchdays, lower energy consumption within our clubhouse through efficiency upgrades, and greater awareness of sustainable habits among young people and parents. Social impact will include increased youth leadership opportunities and strengthened community cohesion through shared action. Long term, our goal is to create a replicable grassroots model that demonstrates how community football clubs in lower-income London areas can contribute meaningfully to climate resilience. By positioning sport as a vehicle for behaviour change, we aim to create sustained environmental awareness that extends beyond the pitch and into daily family life.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
hat makes our approach different is that we are not adding a separate climate programme onto our club — we are building sustainability into the way we already operate. As a volunteer-run football club in EN3, we work with families who are already managing financial pressure. For us, sustainability has to be practical and affordable. Our boot exchange scheme showed that environmental action works best when it also supports families. By reusing boots and kits, we reduce waste and lower costs at the same time. Rather than delivering climate awareness as a classroom-style session, we will embed it into matchdays and training. Short conversations before sessions, visible waste reduction at games, and youth-led initiatives will make sustainability part of normal club culture. We will also involve young people directly through a Youth Climate Champions group. Instead of adults telling them what to do, they will help shape ideas and lead activities for younger players. That peer influence is powerful within a football environment. Our approach is simple but different: we use a trusted community football club as a platform for everyday behaviour change. We believe that when sustainability becomes part of routine club life, it feels achievable and relevant — even in communities where resources are limited.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
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 initiative will be led by the club’s Director, who will oversee overall coordination, governance and reporting. This includes managing the grant, monitoring progress, liaising with partners and ensuring that environmental objectives remain central to delivery. The Club Committee will provide strategic oversight and support decision-making, particularly around clubhouse improvements and matchday sustainability practices. Committee members will also assist with volunteer coordination and safeguarding compliance. Volunteer coaches will play a key role in embedding the initiative into weekly training sessions. They will incorporate short, age-appropriate sustainability conversations into sessions and support youth-led activities. Coaches will also help reinforce sustainable matchday practices, such as waste reduction and encouraging shared transport. The Youth Climate Champions group (ages 13–16) will contribute by helping design and lead elements of the programme. Their responsibilities will include promoting the boot exchange scheme, supporting matchday sustainability measures and acting as peer role models for younger players. Parents and families will contribute through active participation in the circular kit hub, donations, and feedback sessions that shape ongoing improvements.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Initial Stage – Preparation (Months 1–2) Confirm project lead within the club committee. Speak with coaches, parents and older players to shape the final design of the initiative. Identify practical energy-efficiency improvements for the clubhouse. Formalise continued redistribution of surplus kits through Bridge of Hope Charity. Early Implementation (Months 3–6) Expand and organise the existing boot exchange into a more structured circular kit hub. Introduce simple Green Matchday practices (waste reduction, reusable bottles, shared travel messaging). Pilot short, age-appropriate sustainability discussions within selected training sessions. Establish a small Youth Climate Champions group to test peer-led activities. Consolidation and Growth (Months 7–12) Roll out sustainability practices across all teams. Deliver at least one club-wide kit swap event. Implement agreed energy-saving improvements in the clubhouse. Gather feedback from players, families and volunteers to refine the model. This phased approach allows us to build gradually, learn from early pilots, and ensure the initiative is practical and sustainable for a volunteer-run club.
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).
As a volunteer-run grassroots football club, our primary constraint is time rather than unwillingness to participate. We are committed to engaging fully in the 8-week capacity-building programme, as we recognise the value of strengthening our long-term sustainability and impact. If financial support is available to enable participation, it would primarily be used to cover limited coordination time and potential backfill support. This may include modest compensation for project coordination outside of regular volunteer duties, administrative support related to reporting and monitoring requirements, and any travel costs associated with in-person sessions. Access to grant funding would also allow us to dedicate focused time to planning and implementing the initiative without placing additional strain on volunteers. We do not anticipate major cost barriers but would welcome support that ensures participation is manageable and sustainable within a volunteer-led structure.
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