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
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
"Nothing Can Stop Us: Youth-Led Hula Hooping Through Weather & Poverty in Hackney"
Lead Organization Name
Hula 4 Fun CIC
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2024
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
@hula4fun
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?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Nothing stops 450+ Hackney children from moving: Hula 4 Fun CIC's youth-led hula hooping continues to operate through extreme weather, floods, and poverty, even as climate change makes traditional sports infrastructure increasingly fragile and inaccessible. As extreme heat closes pitches and flooding shuts facilities, children from low-income communities lose access first. Our free model removes childcare barriers. Parents can participate alongside children, or children attend independently with portable, zero-electricity sessions in 2m² per participant, indoors or outdoors, year-round, costing £265 versus £500+. We engage children and young people ages 2-18 across Hackney, achieving 75% repeat attendance among communities experiencing poverty, SEND, cultural exclusion, and climate vulnerability. Children co-design every aspect of sessions, choosing music, games, and climate themes. Older participants (ages 10-16) volunteer as peer ambassadors and train as Youth Climate Champions, leading activities for younger children whilst embedding sustainable behaviours through joy rather than classroom instruction. Our innovation is fundamental: we redesigned physical activity to be climate-ready, not climate-adapted. When infrastructure fails, children keep moving. We protect access for those who can least afford interruption whilst building the climate-conscious generation our future needs.
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?
Children in Hackney experience profound inequalities in physical activity participation. Cost excludes families experiencing poverty. Competitive sport alienates children who don't fit narrow definitions of ability. Cultural barriers prevent Muslim girls from accessing mixed-gender activities. Children with SEND and disabilities find few genuinely inclusive options. Climate change hits these families first and hardest. Extreme heat closes outdoor pitches; low-income families cannot afford indoor alternatives. A Muslim mother told us, "My daughter has asthma and can't play outside when it's too hot." Rising costs force venues to reduce hours, pricing out marginalised families. Traditional sport relies on infrastructure vulnerable to climate disruption. When it fails, children experiencing poverty, SEND, and cultural exclusion lose access first. We are part of these communities. Our staff lived and attended local Hackney schools for 30 years, with two directors from St John's Estate. One board member owned a local nursery for 12 years and volunteered for 10 years at Holly Street Adventure Play. We deliver at Homerton Library, Pembury Centre and Kingsmead Hall. We witness barriers daily: a 10-year-old bullied for weight, an 8-year-old with sickle cell lacking safe options, a child with ADHD needing non-competitive movement. Twenty children wait for our sessions.
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?
Our "aha moment" came during post-pandemic delivery when families repeatedly told us they could no longer access sport due to cost, safety and climate pressures. A Muslim mother said, "My daughter has asthma and can't play outside when it's too hot." A 10-year-old boy bullied for his weight had been excluded from competitive sport. We recognised climate change was already determining who could move, where and how. Children experiencing poverty, SEND, chronic illness and cultural barriers would lose access first. By redesigning physical activity to flex with climate realities rather than fight them, we could protect participation whilst building the climate-conscious generation our future needs. Hula 4 Fun operates through weather that stops traditional sports. Unlike infrastructure-dependent programmes cancelled during rainfall, we continue safely. Children attend in Wellington boots and layered clothing. Portable canopy shelters support delivery during moderate rain. In extreme conditions, formalised indoor agreements with libraries and community halls guarantee year-round continuity. At a recent Mayor-led event, when rainfall stopped multiple providers, Hula 4 Fun continued, demonstrating operational resilience. Our sessions require zero electricity, use durable, long-life equipment, operate in 2m² per participant and transition seamlessly indoors, reducing energy reliance by 60-80% compared to facility-based sport. Children aged 10-16 co-design climate-integrated sessions, choosing music, games and themes. Youth Climate Champions train as peer facilitators, leading younger children through repair workshops, reuse challenges and shared care practices. Climate awareness is lived through joyful movement, not lectured.
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?
Hula 4 Fun is designed and delivered with the communities most affected by climate and access inequalities. Young people are not passive participants; they actively shape the programme through co-design, feedback and leadership within sessions. Children and young people contribute to session themes, music choices reflecting Hackney's cultural diversity, movement challenges and climate-related games that emerge from their lived experience: adapting play for smaller indoor spaces during extreme weather, caring for shared equipment and creatively reusing materials. A 7-year-old at Shoreditch Park told us: "I have learnt to hula and I am so happy, I have wanted to do this all my life." Youth Climate Champions aged 10-16, including young people with disabilities, train as peer facilitators and volunteer as ambassadors, leading younger children through repair workshops, reuse challenges and climate games. This peer-to-peer model ensures sustainable behaviours are taught by children who share similar experiences, not imposed by adults. We built our programme around communities who told us they needed it. We deliver at Homerton Library, where a 12-week pilot generated amazing feedback, and demand exceeded expectations. Funding was extended another 12 weeks. This was replicated at Kingsmead Hall and Pembury Centre (women only for Muslim families). Parents and carers participate alongside children, creating intergenerational learning. An 8-year-old with sickle cell disease attended with her mother, saying, "I found something I can do without feeling weak." Community partners identified these trusted settings with residents. This collaborative model ensures young people and communities actively shape how physical activity and climate resilience are delivered.
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?
Hula 4 Fun generates impact by protecting physical activity access whilst building climate awareness and resilience among children facing the greatest barriers to participation. To date, we have engaged 450+ children annually, delivering 120+ sessions with 75% repeat attendance and 85% of parents reporting increased confidence in physical activity. We work across Hackney with libraries, housing providers and community organisations, collecting attendance data, session frequency and qualitative feedback, evidencing reach and depth. Short-term impact is immediate. Our sessions increase weekly physical activity for children from low-income and marginalised communities by removing cost, equipment and facility barriers. Unlike traditional sports which are cancelled during extreme weather, we continue, reducing disruption and preventing screen-time substitution. Children tell us: "I have learnt to hula and I am so happy." "I can't have enough, I am not bored." An 8-year-old with sickle cell disease said "I found something I can do without feeling weak." A 10-year-old wheelchair user declared "I am the happiest in the world." Medium-term outcomes include youth leadership progression, increased confidence and embedded sustainable behaviours. Climate-conscious practices such as reuse, care for spaces and adaptable play normalise sustainable choices. Because learning is experiential and social, it translates into behaviour at home and in the community. Youth Climate Champions aged 10-16 progress from participants to peer facilitators, embedding climate awareness through lived practice. With investment, we will strengthen evaluation by tracking climate awareness, seasonal attendance and youth progression. Our credible pathway combines low-cost delivery and replicable models.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Hula 4 Fun CIC is innovative because it challenges the assumption that sport must rely on fixed infrastructure, high energy use and narrow participation models. We redesign physical activity to operate within climate constraints from the outset, not as an afterthought. Our innovation lies in integrating climate resilience directly into the design itself. Unlike traditional sport that pauses when infrastructure fails, we continue. Sessions function in 2m² per participant, require zero electricity, use durable, long-life equipment, and transition seamlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces. This reduces operational energy reliance by 60-80% compared to facility-based sport, whilst maintaining participation when extreme weather closes pitches and halls. No sports wear required, removing cost, parental anxiety and textile emissions. We also innovate by centring joy, cultural relevance and intergenerational participation. Traditional sport segregates by age and ability, creating barriers. We unite ages 2-80+ in the same session, removing childcare barriers for low-income families and enabling Muslim mothers to participate alongside children at women-only sessions. A 10-year-old bullied for his weight found joy, not judgment. An 8-year-old with sickle cell disease discovered movement without weakness. A wheelchair user declared herself the happiest in the world. This approach tackles root causes: infrastructure fragility, cost exclusion, climate vulnerability and cultural barriers. Where traditional sport relies on what's increasingly unavailable, we create what's immediately accessible. Our model proves physical activity can be climate-resilient, inclusive and joyful simultaneously, influencing how communities think about movement in a changing climate.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Hula 4 Fun CIC leads programme design, safeguarding, delivery, facilitator training, monitoring and evaluation. Our leadership reflects the communities we serve: two directors include a Black woman in her 60s with 35+ years of lived experience in Hackney and deep ties to St John's Estate, and a woman in her 30s. Our board includes a Black male community police officer who is 25 years old, a white male aged 62 with lived experience of disability, and a member who owned a local nursery for 12 years and volunteered 10 years at Holly Street Adventure Play. Our steering group brings diverse lived experience: carers, single mothers, community social housing managers, NHS staff with 35+ years experience, including NHS managers, and professionals with Level 7 teaching and counselling qualifications plus physiotherapy expertise. We maintain direct accountability through 100+ members in our WhatsApp group and 500+ members across Instagram groups who provide real-time feedback on sessions, accessibility and community needs. We are active members of Hackney CVS, board members of the VCFSE Collaborative (North East London Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisation working with the NHS across North East London). This connects grassroots delivery with strategic health sector leadership and borough-wide collaboration. Community partners contribute accessible spaces, local knowledge and trusted relationships. Homerton Library, Pembury Community Centre, Kingsmead Community Hall and Whitmore Community Centre provide venues identified in partnership with residents, support outreach to families experiencing barriers, and enable culturally responsive delivery, such as women-only sessions for Muslim families. Partners co-design session timing, formats and themes based on neighbourhood needs. Young participants aged 10-16 contribute through co-creation, peer support and direct feedback, shaping music choices, games, climate themes and activity formats. Youth Climate Champions volunteer as peer ambassadors, leading repair workshops, reuse challenges and climate games for younger children. They train as facilitators, take on structured leadership roles and hold decision-making power, not tokenistic participation. Their lived experience of climate vulnerability, poverty, SEND and cultural exclusion ensures programmes remain grounded in authentic youth voice. Parents and carers participate alongside children in intergenerational sessions, reinforcing climate-conscious behaviours beyond formal delivery and providing feedback through WhatsApp, Instagram and in-person conversations that shape accessibility, timing and cultural appropriateness. This shared model ensures commitment across all partners. Hula 4 Fun CIC provides professional leadership and quality assurance. Community partners enable accessible, trusted delivery. Young people drive innovation and authenticity. Parents and digital community members provide continuous feedback. Sector partnerships connect us to NHS health priorities and borough-wide strategies. Together, we create climate-resilient physical activity shaped by 600+ community voices, not imposed by external experts.
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?
We are operationally viable through £400 per session, including refreshments and equipment, compared to £500+ for infrastructure-dependent sport, requiring 2m² per participant and partnerships. Our zero-electricity, climate-resilient model allow year-round delivery despite extreme weather. We are intentional about preventing isolation, sandwiching fun hula with community connection where movement catalyses relationships."Our belief is: a happy child is a healthy future society.” Despite no core funding, we sustain operations through 40% grants,35% commissioned delivery and 25% corporate cross-subsidy. In November 2024, we secured £500 microfunding. By the end of 2025, we attracted £30,000, representing 60x growth, including £19,900 from the National Lottery plus Hackney Council, Peabody and Sanctuary Housing. At Pembury, we grew from 4 to 100+ member aged 2 to 80+ through word of mouth. Our Homerton pilot extended from 12 to 24 weeks. We replicated at Kingsmead and Greenwich, achieving 75% retention. Nominated by Sanctuary Housing, we were selected as Community Catalyst for Hackney. We are Hackney CVS and NEL VCFSE members. This funding enables climate integration, monitoring, Youth Champion training and carbon data. Priorities: toolkit, train 15 leaders, expand Champions, extend to three boroughs. By 2027: 1,500 children,five boroughs. A happy child has a healthy future.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Immediate (Months 1-3): Foundation & Formalisation Finalise the evaluation framework measuring climate awareness, seasonal attendance consistency and youth leadership progression. Recruit and train the first cohort of 5 Youth Climate Champions aged 10-16 as peer facilitators. Establish baseline carbon footprint data comparing our model to facility-based sport. Formalise partnership agreements with three borough councils and two housing providers. Hold inaugural community consultation sessions at Whitmore Community Centre with 20+ families to co-design children-only programme delivery, ensuring sessions respond to real needs, including timing, cultural appropriateness and accessibility requirements. Short-term (Months 4-6): Pilot & Expand Children-Only Model Launch a dedicated children-only programme at Whitmore Community Centre with a 20-week structured delivery. This represents our first regular children-only sessions in Hackney, building on successful intergenerational delivery at Pembury, Homerton and Kingsmead. Develop an open-source facilitator toolkit documenting climate-resilient delivery model, equipment requirements, safety protocols and youth co-design methods. The toolkit will include case studies from Pembury (4 to 100+ members), Homerton (12 to 24-week extension), and Kingsmead success stories. Pilot pre/post climate awareness surveys with 100+ participants. Begin training 15 community-based leaders as certified facilitators. First training cohort includes single mothers, carers, and individuals with lived experience of disability, ensuring diverse leadership reflects the community. Medium-term (Months 7-12): Scale Children-Only Model & Expand Geographically Extend the children-only model to additional venues within Hackney and Greenwich where we currently deliver intergenerational sessions. Expand to one new London borough through trained facilitators. Complete Youth Climate Champion training pathway with clear progression routes from participant to peer facilitator to community leader. Conduct mid-year evaluation measuring: seasonal attendance stability, youth leadership outcomes, participant climate awareness shifts, and carbon footprint comparison. Achieve 75% repeat attendance across all children-only sessions. Engage 750 children annually in dedicated children-only sessions (up from ad-hoc pilots), whilst maintaining intergenerational provision. Host quarterly learning sessions bringing together facilitators across all sites to share challenges, innovations and adaptations, building a community of practice. Long-term (Year 2-3): Consolidate & Influence By 2027, engage 1,500 children annually in dedicated children-only sessions across five London boroughs whilst maintaining 75%+ retention and low operational energy use. Continue intergenerational delivery alongside children-only provision. Publish an open-source toolkit enabling sector-wide replication. Train 15 community leaders to deliver independently. Establish formal partnerships with climate organisations to influence the physical activity sector practice. Document case studies demonstrating we scale participation without scaling emissions. Share learning through VCFSE Collaborative, Hackney CVS and NEL VCFSE networks, influencing how communities think about movement in a changing climate. Present findings at sector conferences and contribute to policy discussions on climate-resilient youth provision. Key Performance Indicators: Children-only sessions: Ad-hoc pilots (current) to regular structured provision at 5+ venues (Year 1) to 10+ venues across 5 boroughs (Year 2-3). Participant numbers in children-only model: 450+ total participants currently (all ages), to 750 children in dedicated sessions (Year 1), to 1,500 children (Year 2-3). Retention rate: Maintain 75%+ across all children-only sessions. Youth leadership: 5 Champions (Year 1) to 15 Champions (Year 2). Geographic reach: 2 boroughs with intergenerational delivery (current) to 3 boroughs with children-only model (Year 1) to 5 boroughs (Year 2-3). Facilitator capacity: 0 external facilitators (current) to 15 certified (Year 2). Carbon impact: 60-80% lower energy use than facility-based sport (ongoing). Diversity: 40%+ participants from Muslim families, 30%+ with SEND, ages 2-18 in children-only sessions. Critical Success Factors: Ongoing community co-design ensuring programmes respond to real needs. Sustained funding mix (40% grants, 35% commissioned, 25% corporate), reducing dependency. Youth Climate Champions holding genuine decision-making power, not tokenistic roles. Partnership accountability through quarterly reviews with the borough and housing partners. Continued support from Sanctuary Housing, Peabody, Hackney Council and National Lottery demonstrates multi-stakeholder confidence. Risk Mitigation: Facilitator retention: Offer ongoing professional development, peer support networks, and recognition through the VCFSE Collaborative. Funding sustainability: Diversify income streams, build corporate partnerships, and develop an earned income model. Quality consistency: Regular facilitator check-ins, shared learning sessions, standardised evaluation framework. Community ownership: Ensure 60%+ steering group comprises community members, maintain member feedback channels (WhatsApp/Instagram 600+ members).
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).
We would require capacity-building support funding to enable full participation in the 8-week programme without compromising current service delivery to children and families. Cost Breakdown: Staff Time Costs: £3,200 Payment for one director to attend the 8-week capacity-building programme at £400 per week (8 weeks × £400 = £3,200). This represents their time commitment to participate fully in programme sessions and complete related activities. Backfill Costs for Service Delivery: £3,200 Cover for sessional staff to maintain our delivery commitments whilst the director participates in the programme. This covers 8 weeks at £400 per week (8 weeks × £400 = £3,200), accounting for our £400 per session delivery costs, including preparation and follow-up. Care Support Costs: £1,600 The participating director has caring responsibilities and will require care cover to attend programme sessions. This covers 8 weeks of care support at £200 per week (8 weeks × £200 = £1,600). Travel Costs: £400 Travel from Hackney to the programme venue for 8 weeks at £50 per week (8 weeks × £50 = £400). Technology and Participation Costs: £1,500 Laptop computer for virtual participation sessions (the director does not currently have access to a suitable device), software/tools required for programme activities, printer access and printing/materials costs (£1,500 total). Total Requested: £9,900 This funding would enable our director to participate fully in the capacity-building programme whilst maintaining uninterrupted delivery to 450+ children and families who depend on our climate-resilient sessions. Without this support, we would need to reduce service delivery during the 8-week programme, directly impacting the vulnerable communities we serve.
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