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
Empowering London's grassroots football community for climate action: London FA & Football For Future
Lead Organization Name
London Football Association
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2000
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.londonfa.com/, https://footballforfuture.org/
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
London FA, in partnership with Football For Future, will deliver a sector-first climate education programme across London’s grassroots football community, equipping young players, coaches, volunteers, and staff with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to take meaningful climate action within their clubs, leagues and local 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?
Climate change is increasingly affecting grassroots football in London, from waterlogged pitches and extreme heat to rising facility costs and disrupted participation. Yet young people and community clubs currently lack a structured, football-specific climate education programme and resources embedded across the grassroots game. Volunteers, coaches, and club staff often lack the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to respond to climate risks or engage young people meaningfully on the issue. Many young players are concerned about climate change but do not see clear pathways to take action in spaces they care about - their football clubs. Those who will benefit most are young grassroots players across London’s diverse communities, particularly in areas with fewer environmental education opportunities, alongside volunteer-led clubs that need accessible, practical support. As the governing body for football in London, London FA is embedded in the community, with direct access to thousands of member clubs, leagues, coaches, and volunteers. In partnership with Football For Future, who bring proven experience delivering football-based climate education in Premier League academy and professional club settings, London FA is uniquely positioned to lead and scale a credible, trusted, and locally relevant climate education programme across the capital.
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?
London FA, with Football For Future, will embed a football-specific climate education programme across grassroots clubs, leagues, and volunteers in London. Using football as a trusted, engaging platform, we will build climate awareness, shift behaviours, and enable sustainable participation through interactive workshops, practical club projects, and youth-led initiatives. The idea grew from experiencing how the climate impacts pitches, participation, and club operations, alongside the power of football to inspire teamwork, leadership, and action. This originates from the idea that if football can teach teamwork, resilience, and leadership, it can also be a vehicle for climate literacy and local action. By scaling FFF’s proven academy programme across London's thriving grassroots football community, we empower players, coaches, and volunteers to embed climate literacy and action across their clubs and communities, making football a platform for inclusive, climate-positive change.
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?
Our programme is designed with young people and community clubs at its heart. Grassroots players, volunteers, and coaches would be co-creators, shaping workshop content, choosing practical club projects, and leading local climate initiatives. Youth participants act as climate ambassadors, translating knowledge into action in their teams and communities. London FA’s deep connections with clubs and leagues across the capital ensure that we reach diverse communities, including those with fewer environmental education opportunities. By embedding co-design and leadership opportunities for young people, the programme builds ownership, relevance, and long-term engagement, while empowering communities to identify challenges and solutions that fit their local context. This collaborative approach ensures that the programme is inclusive, locally relevant, and driven by those most affected, turning climate concern into tangible, football-led action across London.
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?
Building on Football For Future’s proven academy and club delivery, this programme will raise climate awareness, shift behaviours, and reduce environmental impact across London’s thriving grassroots football community. FFF workshops with professional academies and clubs have shown tangible results: young players gained hands-on understanding of sustainability and climate change, translating learning into personal and club-level action, while staff training increased climate literacy from 27% to 81% and motivation to act from 69% to 92%, generating 200+ documented sustainability actions now embedded in club operations. For example: https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4293066 Scaling this model through London FA will extend these impacts to grassroots clubs, coaches, volunteers, and young players, empowering them to identify and implement practical actions in their local context, from energy and waste management to sustainable travel and community resilience. We anticipate participants will not only increase their climate knowledge and confidence but also embed visible, football-led climate action in clubs, inspiring peers and communities. By connecting education to meaningful action, the initiative transforms concern about climate change into measurable, sustained action across the capital’s football community,
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
This initiative is the first climate education programme designed specifically for London’s grassroots football community, making it a true sector-first approach. While climate education exists in schools or environmental programmes, none leverage the scale, reach, and influence of football in young people’s lives, nor integrate learning with practical, club-level action. Our approach is original because it combines: 1. Football as a trusted engagement platform, using clubs, leagues, and volunteer networks to deliver climate education in a context that resonates with participants. 2. Co-designed, action-focused learning - young players and club staff don’t just learn about climate change, they lead initiatives, embed sustainable practices in their clubs, and inspire their communities. 3. Proven delivery and scalability - building on Football For Future’s success in professional academies, the programme has tested content, methodology, and measurable outcomes, and is ready to make an impact across London’s thriving grassroots football system. By embedding climate literacy into the everyday practices of clubs and volunteers, this programme is not only educational but transformative, creating long-term cultural change in how football engages with environmental responsibility across London.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
London FA, as the lead applicant, will oversee programme management, partnership coordination, and engagement with grassroots clubs, leagues, volunteers, and young players across London. They will ensure delivery aligns with fund requirements, monitor participation, and support evaluation and reporting. Football For Future will design and deliver the climate education content, including workshops, practical club projects, and youth-led initiatives. They bring proven expertise from delivering academy and professional club programmes, ensuring content is engaging, tailored to the audience and action-focused. Together, London FA and FFF will co-design sessions with young people and club representatives, ensuring relevance and inclusivity. London FA will manage communications and participant recruitment, while FFF leads training for young players, coaches and volunteers to embed sustainability practices.
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?
London FA’s network of grassroots clubs, leagues, volunteers, and young players, combined with Football For Future’s proven climate education content and delivery expertise, provides a strong foundation for success. We will embed sustainability through club-level projects and establishing bespoke and actionable learning resources, ensuring lasting impact. The programme is designed to scale in stages: first across London, then nationally via County FAs and league systems, and ultimately through international football. This approach ensures immediate impact and a credible pathway to long-term, sector-wide climate literacy and action.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
1. Programme Co-Design (Months 1-2): Collaborate with young people, clubs, and volunteers to finalise workshop content, practical projects, and youth-led initiatives. 2. Recruitment & Engagement (Months 2-3): Mobilise grassroots clubs, coaches, and volunteers across London through London FA networks. 3. Pilot Workshops (Months 3-4): Deliver initial sessions with selected clubs to test content, gather feedback, and refine materials, with the 2 pilot leagues involved with the FA's upcoming Greater Game flagship league programme a potential starting point. 4. Full Programme Roll-Out (Months 5-10): Scale delivery across London grassroots clubs, incorporating workshops, club projects, and youth-led initiatives. 5. Monitoring & Evaluation (Ongoing): Track climate literacy, behaviour change, and actions at club and participant level. 6. Reporting & Knowledge Sharing (Months 9-12): Share outcomes, lessons learned, and best practices across London FA networks and with wider County FAs to support future scaling.
