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
Sustainable Tottenham
Lead Organization Name
Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2006
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/foundation/about-us/
Initiative Stage
Scaling (You’re expanding impact to many new places or in many new ways)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Environment & Sustainability
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Leveraging Tottenham Hotspur’s sustainability leadership and Motivez’s expertise in engaging young people in climate action, Sustainable Tottenham bridges the gap between STEM, sport and 300 students aged 14-18 across North London to develop technical innovations for the sports sector, driving climate action through awareness, and fostering a new generation of green leaders through expert-led workshops, mentored hackathons and youth-led community initiatives at the world-class Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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?
In boroughs like Haringey and Enfield, the climate crisis is not abstract; it is a direct threat to the right to play. Rising energy costs, poor air quality, and increasingly unplayable, waterlogged pitches are pricing out & pushing out underserved youth from the sports they love. Despite being the most impacted by these environmental shifts, 14-18-year-olds from these communities are systematically excluded from the STEM and sustainability sectors. They possess the lived experience of these climate barriers, but lack the technical tools & platforms to engineer solutions. 300 underserved students from 15+ North London schools will benefit most. They will gain environmental literacy, technical STEM skills, and direct access to high-level industry mentors, turning them from spectators of the climate crisis into its architects. This mission is personal. Motivez was founded to address and bridge the gap between underrepresented talent and STEM careers. By partnering with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, the literal and metaphorical heart of N17, we collaboratively place ourselves as a beacon of environmentally-friendly practices for the community to follow suit. With Tottenham Hotspur being the UK’s most sustainable football club, we are uniquely positioned to turn our living stadium into a laboratory where the community's own youth solve the community's own climate challenges.
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 approach adapts Sustainable London, our proven multi-borough STEM competition, to the sports sector. We equip underserved 14–18-year-olds with environmental literacy and technical STEM skills, then challenge them to engineer solutions that reduce the climate impact of sport — from stadium systems to local pitches — while strengthening their own right to play. Addressing the Problem Through our established hackathon model, which has engaged 2,500+ students across London, young people move beyond awareness into action. This mentored, design-thinking format builds confidence, demystifies climate science and enables participants to prototype practical solutions to real-world challenges. Harnessing the Power of Sport We deliver the programme within 15+ schools across Haringey and Enfield, removing cost and transport barriers to ensure inclusive participation. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium becomes a “Living Lab,” where students analyse real sustainability systems — water reuse, energy efficiency, zero-waste operations — making climate innovation tangible, local and culturally relevant. Shifting Behaviour By solving live challenges linked to their club, students transition from climate anxiety to climate agency. They can influence peers, families and schools, reframing sustainability as innovation rather than sacrifice. The Aha Moment Our data showed engagement spiked whenever we used familiar local landmarks. We realised that for a young person sports Stadium aren’t just football grounds — they're visions of possibility. Since they can unite 1000s behind a team, they can unite a generation behind climate action. That insight shifted our ambition from running a programme to building a movement — turning stadiums into engines of community-led climate innovation.
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 initiative is built on the principle that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. We do not simply consult young people; we position them as Technical Consultants for their own community. 1. Rooted in Lived Experience Participants (14–18-year-olds from Haringey and Enfield) directly experience climate inequality — from heat-island effects in social housing to flooded pitches reducing access to sport. Inspired by young & visible climate leaders such as Greta Thunberg and Dominique Palmer, students understand both local and global climate impact. During hackathons, they define the climate barriers that matter most to them, ensuring solutions are grounded in lived reality rather than abstract challenges. 2. Programme Co-Design Our Sustainable London model embeds youth voice structurally. A Youth Advisory Panel (YAP), made up of diverse Motivez alumni, meets six times per year to co-design content, shape marketing and provide delivery feedback. This ensures the programme evolves in response to young people’s needs. 3. Peer-to-Peer Leadership Motivez operates a 'near-peer' mentoring model, where mentors from similar areas and backgrounds as participants provide culturally relevant guidance. This increases trust, relatability and aspiration, as students see themselves reflected in the STEM and sports industry. 4. Community Accountability “Borough Finale” and “Stadium Pitch” events bring together councillors, landowners, regeneration teams and corporate leaders. Students present their technical solutions directly to decision-makers, ensuring outcomes are both community-rooted and institutionally supported. Young people are not recipients of support — they are architects of change.
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?
Our initiative is built on an evidence-based foundation. Motivez has engaged 2,500+ students across six London boroughs through Sustainable London, since launching in 2022. Post-programme data shows: - 92% of participants report increased confidence in pursuing STEM climate careers. - 85% of alumni progress into full-time employment or higher education within six months. - 70+ industry mentors have contributed 12,000+ hours of high-quality STEM engagement. Building on this model, in partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, we will deliver 15–20 cohorts over 12-to-18 months, reaching 300 underserved 14–18-year-olds in Haringey and Enfield. Envisioned Impact Behavioural Shift: By working on live sustainability challenges within Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - such as zero-waste matchdays or renewable energy solutions - students move from climate anxiety to climate agency, developing both environmental literacy and practical problem-solving skills. Economic & Social Mobility: The programme bridges the gap between underserved youth and green career pathways, equipping participants with technical skills, industry networks and clear progression routes into future-facing employment. Environmental Contribution: Our “Borough-to-Stadium” model creates a credible pathway for prototypes to be pitched to decision-makers for potential implementation, linking youth innovation to measurable reductions in environmental impact within the sports sector. Success looks like a Year 10 student from a Tottenham estate confidently presenting a water-recycling solution to club executives - transforming lived climate barriers into leadership and opportunity.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Our innovation lies in the “Sport–STEM crossover.” While many youth climate initiatives focus on awareness campaigns or individual behaviour change, our model builds technical agency. We shift the narrative from climate anxiety to climate engineering. 1. The Living Stadium Methodology Rather than relying on hypothetical case studies, we use Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — the UK’s most sustainable football venue — as a live classroom. Students analyse real systems such as water recycling, transport emissions and zero-waste operations. A global sports venue becomes a laboratory for urban resilience, making climate science tangible and applied. 2. Proven Model, New Sector We adapt the award-winning Sustainable London framework, previously delivered across sectors such as fashion and transport, and apply it to sport for the first time. By leveraging young people’s passion for football, we remove the traditional engagement barrier often associated with STEM learning. 3. Redefining Access to Power Underserved youth in N17 are typically consumers of elite sport. Our model flips this dynamic: they become technical consultants, pitching sustainability solutions directly to decision-makers from government, corporate and charity sectors. This creates a new talent pipeline — not for athletes, but for future green engineers and climate leaders. 4. Rapid Prototyping for Real-World Impact Through capacity building workshops & structured hackathons, students develop and test solutions to local climate barriers. This high-intensity, design-thinking approach makes complex environmental challenges practical, local and solvable. Our approach does not just raise awareness — it embeds young people inside the systems they seek to change.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Sustainable Tottenham is designed as a cross-sector collaboration that combines community trust, industry access and specialist STEM expertise to deliver long-term impact. Tottenham Hotspur Foundation (Lead & Community Anchor) As the lead partner, the Foundation engages 10,000+ residents age 5 to 65 annually, since launching in 2006, providing strategic oversight, governance and safeguarding to the programme. It anchors the initiative within North London by: - Leveraging established relationships with 15+ schools and colleges to secure equitable access to 300 underserved young people. - Mobilising club staff, club partners and volunteer mentors to provide industry exposure and role modelling. - Providing access to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a real-world sustainability case study and event venue. - Aligning the programme with borough priorities, youth engagement strategies and progression pathways. Motivez (Specialist Delivery & Innovation Partner) Motivez brings a proven track record of delivering STEM and employability programmes to 13,500+ young people nationally since launching in 2020 . Motivez will: - Lead programme management and operational coordination. - Deliver the curriculum, hackathons and mentoring model. - Train facilitators and mentors to ensure quality assurance. - Lead monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting. - Broker pathways into STEM education, apprenticeships and employment. We’ve already delivered a STEM Careers Festival, reaching 300 young people (age 16 to 24) to explore the world of STEM with brands like Tottenham Hotspurs, Ticketmaster, British Council, Brunel University, and more. And now, this partnership would build on that to integrate local reach with national STEM expertise, creating a replicable model where sport, sustainability and education intersect to drive systemic change.
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?
Viability & Organisational Strength The Foundation & Motivez both operate with a focus on project governance, KPI tracking & evaluation, and structured safeguarding oversight, ensuring delivery quality and financial control. Our partnership model combines Motivez’s specialist STEM delivery expertise with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s institutional infrastructure, employer network and stadium assets. This reduces delivery risk while embedding the programme within an established organisation with long-term strategic alignment. Operational Sustainability Our near-peer volunteer mentor model creates a renewable talent pipeline, reducing reliance on paid facilitators while maintaining cultural relevance and quality. By solving live sustainability challenges linked to club operations, the programme integrates into the Foundation’s ESG, workforce and community engagement strategy — positioning it as value-adding rather than grant-dependent. Scalability & Growth Model We are productising the “Sport–STEM Living Stadium” framework into a replicable toolkit, enabling adoption by other professional clubs across football, rugby and cricket. Our growth strategy combines club partnerships, corporate ESG sponsorship and place-based funding to scale regionally, with the long-term ambition of establishing a nationwide network of stadium-based climate innovation hubs.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Upcoming Milestones (12–18 Months) Phase 1: Build the Laboratory (Sept–Oct 2026) Co-design the Sustainable Tottenham curriculum with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and industry sustainability partners, positioning the stadium as a live case study in environmental innovation. Confirm 15+ school partners, recruit 300 students, onboard mentors and establish baseline evaluation. Milestone: Programme infrastructure complete; cohort enrolled; impact benchmarks set. Phase 2: Spark the Mission (Nov 2026–Feb 2027) Through environmental literacy workshops and ‘Fireside Chats’ with diverse STEM role models, participants explore the intersection of sport, climate and technology. The stadium becomes a tangible example of sustainable engineering in action. Milestone: Increased environmental literacy and STEM confidence measured across the cohort. Phase 3: Engineer the Solution (Feb–Apr 2027) Hackathons, design-thinking labs and stadium insight visits enable students to develop practical solutions to local climate barriers affecting youth sport. Structured mentoring ensures technical rigour and industry relevance. Milestone: Prototype solutions developed and reviewed by employers and sustainability experts. Phase 4: Showcase & Shift Power (Apr–July 2027) Students pitch solutions to councillors, employers, housing associations and community leaders, shifting youth from climate spectators to solution architects. Alumni transition into peer mentors, embedding sustainability leadership locally. New funders approached to continue programme post-date. Milestone: Public showcase delivered; progression routes secured; alumni network launched; funding conversations started. Phase 5: Measure & Scale (July–Oct 2027) Comprehensive evaluation and impact reporting inform programme refinement and borough-wide expansion with new funding. Milestone: Replicable delivery model established for growth across North London.
