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
Yaseen Youth Green
Lead Organization Name
Yaseen Youth development
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2016
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
yaseenyouth.org
Initiative Stage
Established (You’ve successfully passed early phases and have a plan for the future. Your venture has been in existence for 6 years and above)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Yaseen Youth Green Moves uses sport and outdoor activity to help young Londoners build climate awareness, shift everyday behaviours, and access low-cost, sustainable ways to stay active.
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 in our communities want to care about the climate, but many feel disconnected from it, overwhelmed by “doom” messaging, or blocked by practical barriers. In London, the climate crisis shows up as cost pressures, poor air quality, unsafe/limited green spaces, and extreme weather that disrupts regular physical activity. For young people from low-income and minoritised backgrounds, climate-friendly choices can feel unrealistic when families are prioritising affordability, safety, and time. We are close to this problem because we work weekly with children and youth across London, many from migrant and ethnic minority communities. We see how environmental issues affect daily life: fewer safe places to play, more time indoors, and limited access to affordable sport and nature. The people who benefit most are our young people (and families), especially those who are least likely to access green spaces, active travel, and climate education outside school.
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?
We address the problem by linking climate action to something young people already value: movement, belonging, and fun. Green Moves combines sport sessions + climate micro-actions that are simple, affordable, and visible. Each activity block includes (1) physical activity (football, fitness circuits, running clubs, outdoor games), (2) climate awareness that is practical and non-judgemental (air quality, waste, energy, sustainable consumption), and (3) a “do-able” weekly behaviour challenge (e.g., active travel day, refillable bottle challenge, kit swap, litter-pick warm-up, low-waste snacks). Our “aha moment” came from seeing that young people engage most when climate action feels local and social rather than abstract. A short walk to a park, a game, and a simple action (like kit-swaps or reducing single-use plastics) created more sustained behaviour change than classroom-style messaging. We also adapt participation to be climate-resilient: outdoor sessions are flexible, heat/rain plans are built in, and we use local spaces to reduce travel emissions and cost.
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?
Young people shape the programme through a Youth Climate & Sport Panel (ages 12–18) that co-designs session themes, chooses weekly challenges, and decides how we communicate (posters, short reels, peer reminders). They also act as “Green Captains” during sessions, leading warm-ups that include a micro-action (e.g., quick litter-pick, refill check, travel tally). Community members contribute by donating reusable sports kit, helping identify safe local spaces, and supporting community events (family walk-and-play days). We actively gather feedback from parents and young people through quick polls, end-of-session circles, and anonymous forms—then we publicly share “what we changed” so youth can see their influence.
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?
We expect impact in three areas: Awareness: young people understand climate issues that affect their lives (air quality, heat, waste) and can explain them in simple terms. Behaviour change: measurable increases in active travel, re-use (kit swaps), reduced single-use plastics, and improved habits around waste and energy. Sustained participation: more consistent engagement in sport because activities are local, affordable, and socially led. We will track: attendance, travel mode to sessions, number of kit items swapped/reused, single-use plastic reduction (self-report + spot checks), and participation in community clean-ups or outdoor activity days. Longer-term, we aim to create youth leaders who can run sessions and influence peers and families—turning climate action into a community norm rather than an individual burden.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Many climate initiatives focus on information; many sports programmes focus only on fitness. Our innovation is the integration: we use sport as a “gateway” to climate action that is practical, peer-led, and culturally accessible. We also design micro-actions that work for families with limited time and money, avoiding shame-based messaging. What’s different is the behaviour design: small weekly challenges, visible peer leadership (“Green Captains”), kit re-use systems, and local delivery to reduce travel barriers. We treat climate action as a community habit built through routine, not a one-off workshop.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Programme Lead (Yaseen Youth): overall delivery, safeguarding, partnerships, monitoring & learning. Youth Climate & Sport Panel: co-design, peer leadership, feedback loops, content creation. Coaches/Session Facilitators: run sport sessions, integrate climate micro-actions, ensure inclusion. Community Volunteers/Parents: kit donations, events support, local venue links. External Advisor (optional): short-term support on climate behaviour change and evaluation.
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 setting up for success by embedding Green Moves into our existing youth timetable, staff team, safeguarding systems, and community networks. The model is low-cost and repeatable: local spaces, simple equipment, and youth leadership reduce dependency on specialist delivery. To scale, we plan to create a Green Moves Toolkit (session plans, micro-actions, tracking templates) and train youth leaders and partner organisations (schools, masjids, youth clubs) to run the model in their areas. We would seek partnerships with local councils, parks teams, and community sports facilities to expand access to safe spaces and strengthen sustainability over time.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
Month 1: recruit Youth Panel; baseline surveys; map local spaces; confirm session schedule and partners. Months 2–3: pilot 6–8 sessions; run first kit-swap; start active travel tracking; first community walk/play day. Month 4: reflection sprint—review data + youth feedback; adapt session design and challenges. Months 5–6: expanded pilot cycle; second kit-swap; community clean-up + sports festival. Month 7: produce toolkit + short learning report/video; plan replication with 1–2 partner sites.
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 finalist participation costs are a barrier, we would request support for: Staff backfill to attend the 8-week programme while maintaining youth sessions Travel costs for staff and youth representatives (public transport) Youth participation support (food/refreshments, materials for prototyping, accessibility needs) Venue/meeting costs for co-design and reflection sessions (if free space isn’t available)
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