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uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

uk youth climate coalition | Looking forward

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Contents
uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

Co-Directors 3 Coalition 6
2010 Projects 4 International Engagement (Youth) 7
Diversity & International Outreach & Operations 8
Engagement (UN) 5 Communications & Other Projects 9
Co-Directors
Alex Farrow and Ellie Hopkins were appointed as the new Co-Directors in 2010. Here
they explain a little about their ambitions and hopes for the coming year.

The UKYCC was set up just over a year ago, and We plan to send delegations and representatives
since then has grown and achieved more than to the inter-sessional meetings of the UNFCCC, as
anyone could have imagined. From the first success well as to COP16 in Mexico and celebrate what
of the delegation to Poznan, through to Power young people have achieved in the UK and across
Shift – where we both joined the team – and the the globe on the UN International Day of Youth in

uk youth climate coalition Looking forward


delegation to Copenhagen, the UKYCC has always August.
surpassed expectations in terms of size, tenacity
UKYCC is also a big part of the International Youth
and success.
Movement and we are all vital in reminding our
Whilst last year was about big events to build the governments that it will be us, the youth, that
energy and drive as the world headed towards will be here in 2050 and our job as UKYCC is to
Copenhagen, 2010 must be about making the make everyone feel part of something bigger
connection to climate chaos real, local and whilst keeping things local and ensuring what’s
changeable. going on around the world is understandable and
meaningful to young people in the UK.
We want to ensure that climate change is not the
issue of the few and the problem of the many, We have been drawn in to the UKYCC by its
but the opportunity for all and a problem for no overwhelming positivity, vibrance and new
one. Through art, music, film and stories in local approach, and these are things which we
communities we want to build the movement wholeheartedly wish to see carried on into 2010
of young people from all across the UK from all and beyond. We are hugely excited about this year 3
walks of life and to do it in a way that is inspiring, and look forward to achieving all of our collective
engaging and positive. hopes and aims.

ALEX FaRROW & ELLIE HOPKINS


UKYCC CO-DIREcTORS 2010


We want to ensure that climate
change is not the issue of the few and the
problem of the many, but the opportunity “
for all and a problem for no one.
Adopt an MP
Launching on May 25th 2010 to take advantage of the post-election lull in civil society activity, ‘Adopt an
MP’ is an innovative campaigned designed to maintain pressure on politicians as well as to engage young
people in ‘politics with a big P’.

The campaign is inspired by similar campaigns run by our sister organizations in Canada and Australia, and
by the hugely successful ‘Adopt a Negotiator’ programme which was run by TckTckTck during last year’s
UNFCCC meetings.

The project provides young people with resources and support to ‘adopt’ and track their local MP in
their activities, votes and statements about climate change. We will encourage them to blog about their
uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

experiences, as well as to share effective strategies for positively engaging with their politicians to raise
climate change as a key issue for the youth demographic in their area.

For more information or to get involved please email ellie@ukycc.org

12th August
International Day of Youth Action on Climate Change

4 We’re going to be holding a day of action on August The main event will be a recreation of the famous
12th which is the International Day of Youth and 1980’s election poster ‘Labour isn’t working.’  With
marks the start of the the UN Year of Youth.  The young people forming a job line queue against the
day will be part of a global action with other Youth backdrop of an iconic industrial setting somewhere
Climate Coalitions from around the world and will in the industrial north of Manchester, Liverpool or
be about young people reclaiming our futures by Sheffield. 
reminding our leaders that we are here today and
At the same time young people from around the
are the positive solutions to the worlds problems. 
UK will be asked to either do a day of volunteering
The focus of the day is going to be on green jobs and in their local community or some kind of 350 style
calling for a young people to play a leading role in photo campaign.
a green economy through employment.  A million
16-24 year old’s are currently unemployed and
their skills, knowledge, passion and commitment
should be used to rebuild our economy and provide
us with clean, safe energy that meets our demands
without demanding the earth.
Diversity

uk youth climate coalition Looking forward


We know that the only way to make our positive vision a reality is to take young people from all different
backgrounds, communities and lifestyles on the journey with us but in a way that is meaningful for them. 
As part of our coalition development we will be working with organisations and young people from different
faiths, different ethnic backgrounds, the LGBT communities and different social lifestyles.  We'll be ensuring
we're reaching out to organisations from across the UK.

International
Engagement
-UN Team 5

In 2010, the UN International Engagement Team of Throughout the year UKYCC hopes to be able to
the UKYCC will be building on our previous successes provide both educative and empowering tools
at Poznan and Copenhagen, by encouraging young for the Coalition through training and provision
people to attend the UNFCCC Intersessionals of resources, so that our members will more fully
throughout the year which will culminate in a understand the contemporary international power
hugely exciting 3-pronged approach to engaging play, and feel ready and able to lead their local
with COP16 in Mexico this December: As in previous communities on inspiring action for a brighter
years we hope to train up a group of diverse young future. Ultimately we hope to create smarter,
people to represent the UK's youth as a delegation to stronger, more connected, long-lasting, successfull
Mexico, whilst simultaneously running a delegation campaigners.
to Brussels to unite the European Youth Movement,
and an intensive outreach/media camp in London Hannah Smith
will be set up so that young people back at home INTERNaTIONaL ENGaGEMENT
will be able to gain a better understanding of the UN COORdINaTOR
process and it's outcomes.
Coalition
Over the next coming months UKYCC’s Coalition Team, will be working hard to
continue to build and strengthen the foundations already set in stone by the former
team, to enable us too offer you (our partners) a better service which we at UKYCC
value highly and hold close to our hearts.

Our team’s ambition for the wider year is for UKYCC we will be arranging one to one meetings, which
to be recognised as the UK’s Premier Youth Climate will serve as a chance for us to hear all about your
Network of leading youth organisations across organisations exciting projects for the year ahead,
uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

the UK, representing a diverse and broad range of but also so you can hear all about our exciting plans
young people passionate about the Environment – our Coalition Liaison Officer will be in touch to
and Climate Change, as together we know we can arrange this with you, we also aim to bring all you
make a change and the Coalition team look forward lovely people together for our first coalition meeting
to working with you to achieve this goal. at our brand new office in Central London!

Our Coalition Development Officer (the face For the first time as part of the Coalition Team
of UKYCC) will be spending his time in the next we have a Government Liaison Officer who you’ll
coming months reaching out to smaller youth led all be hearing from shortly in regards to DECC’s
organisations across the UK, ensuring that their Green Jobs Paper, which UKYCC is writing an official
voices are heard and listened to more on a national response to and of course it wouldn’t be no good
and international level where the environment and without your views and opinions being included,
climate change is concerned, we want to strengthen we want to ensure that we represent you and your
the movement and be diverse in our outreach and organisation as best as possible hence the reason
involve as many young people as possible from for moving this role to the Coalition Team. We
6 across the four nations within our coalition. want to be able to not just represent ourselves at
Government meetings, but also to be able to take
To complement this work UKYCC’s Coalition Liaison
your views and opinions to strengthen the youth
Officer will be your dedicated point of contact, they
climate movement, as we recognise not everyone
will be able to assist you with any enquiries relating
can attend these meetings and that your opinions
to UKYCC’s work and projects, they will also be the
really do count and matter and for change to
first to hear about your exciting projects that you
happen we must unite as one.
wish to work with us on. Over the next few months

Scott Forbes
COaLITION COORdINaTOR


...representing a diverse
and broad range of young
people passionate about the

Environment and
Climate Change...
International
Engagement
-Youth Movement

Copenhagen may have been a disappointment youth climate movements and a space for idea
politically but it was a huge turning point and sharing and collaboration. We'll also be seeking
a coming of age moment for the international to collaborate more effectively with our regional

uk youth climate coalition Looking forward


youth climate movement. While negotiators and partners in the EU to build effective EU youth
politicians bickered and failed to reach agreement strategy at the UNFCCC conferences before they
their 1500 counterparts in the youth constituency take place.
at the conference made great friendships and
We'll be encouraging the exchange of stories and
showed the world how well a diverse and
building international friendships by establishing
globally representative group of young people
a Climate Penpal project, putting young people
can collaborate to reach positive outcomes. The
from around the world in touch with one another
Conference of Youth held prior to the UNFCCC
to share their experiences and thoughts about
bought together inspiring young people from
climate change. This project will initially try to
around the world, united in their struggle to
establish relationships between young people in
prevent dangerous climate change, to share
the UK and the global south but if successful can
knowledge, learnings and stories to help build
expand to be truly global.
and strengthen the movement. In particular the
UKYCC's partnership with Kenya, providing funding We'll also be working closely with 350.org and
to their youth delegation, was the first of its kind 10:10 to deliver the global day of action on
in the movement and has inspired the rest of the October 10th and will support an international 7
movement to make similar partnerships this year. youth event in Cancun to coincide with the
UNFCCC Cop16 conference.
Over the coming year the UKYCC will continue
to play a central role in the international youth The youth movement is growing from strength to
climate movement in a number of ways. We're strength and using our passion and technology we
going to be working with European partners to are truly building a global movement that will act
help deliver training for newly forming youth locally and globally in the continuing fight against
climate groups, and will share our experiences climate change.
with global groups through online webinars, advice
packs and other social networking tools. As part of Lewis MErdler
this we would also like to see the Youthclimate.org INTERNaTIONaL ENGaGEMENT
website become an even better resource for global YOuTh MOVEMENT TEaM
Outreach
The UKYCC outreach team is committed to building writing to local newspaper editors on what opportunities
the movement at the grass roots connecting with need to be created in green jobs for young people or
hundreds of young people across the UK. We getting up in a school assembly to share with peers
will build links with our three different categories what the climate movement means for them there will
of supporters, 'builders', 'communicators', and always be manageable, fun and proactive opportunities
'networkers'. We will offer training events in event for young climate leaders in the UK, wherever they are,
planning, communications, networking and public to get stuck in and do something positive. If you have
speaking through the year and have officers within any requests for our flagship and unique public narrative
the team dedicated to providing peer-to-peer training or any other workshops in our training package,
uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

support to our supporters all over the country. don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Every fortnight, there will be a different activity for
our 'builders,' 'communicators,' and 'networkers.' Craig Ferriman
Whether it is organising a cake sale to raise money OuTREach COORdINaTOR
and awareness of the climate change challenge,

operations
Over the next year, the Operations Team will be working on all administrative, financial and legal aspects
to the work of the UK Youth Climate Coalition which is imperative to the work of any organisation. Being
entirely youth led and under the ages of 25 will remain our focus, though it also means that the support
and advice of coalition partners is key to ensuring we conduct ourselves professionally and on the right
side of the law and the tax man.

Rob Clews
OPERaTIONS COORdINaTOR
Communications
Last year we did a great job of establishing ways for affected by issues like green jobs, fuel poverty,
the UKYCC to present itself- and climate change as energy security and inadequate public transport. By
a whole- in new and unconventional ways. Perhaps tying climate change into the much more tangible
the biggest success –and something which we’ve issues, we believe we can move people previously
received a lot of attention for- has been our effort unmoved by the science and politics.
to reframe the climate message positively: working
What’s really exciting is that we’ve got a team to
for a ‘clean energy future’ rather than just fighting
deliver on this, rather than it being a one-man-
against bad stuff all the time. That’s a far more
band like last year! It’s really exciting to welcome
attractive and motivating message around which to

uk youth climate coalition Looking forward


Hayley, Peter and Tom onto the team, who bring
build a movement!
professional experience in graphic design, supporter
Over the coming year, we’re keen to continue engagement and public relations to the team. The
that good work, and to make it even more radical. extra manpower will allow us to play a much bigger
By radical, I don’t mean necessarily old-school role in supporting the whole organising team, as
dangling-from-trees activism (though if that’s your well as giving us the breathing space to be much
thing, then go for it!) so much as having a really more strategic about our messaging, visual identity
critical look about how we take this big global issue and media profile.
and link it to the kind of down-to-earth, ‘bread
Exciting times.If there’s anything at all that you’d be
and butter’ issues that are directly applicable to
interested in finding out more on or helping us out
everybody’s lives.
with, then it would be fantastic to hear from you.
As part of that, we’ll be launching a public-awareness Equally, if you’ve got suggestions or ideas you’d like
project called Turn-on Tomorrow. The project will to discuss or would value our input or advice on
be based around the slogan”You don’t have to be anything you’re doing, we’d love to help!
an ‘environmentalist’ to…”, focusing on the stories 9
of ordinary real people in the UK whose lives are BEN WEST
COMMuNIcaTIONS & BRaNdING
COORdINaTOR

Other projects
And getting involved

Of course all of this will be running with the help of our members, supporters and coalition partners,
and indeed this isn’t all we’re doing. From finding new and innovative ways to use film and animation to
supporting projects run by you, we remain able and open to take on new ideas and to join up with other
campaigns. If you want to find out more about any of the projects above, or to discuss other ideas and
possibilities either email the relevant coordinator or drop an email to hello@ukycc.org
Our Mission:
To inspire, empower, mobilise
and unite young people and
youth organisations to take
positive action around climate
uk youth climate coalition Looking forward

change, building the movement


for a clean, just future.

10

uk youth climate
coalition
uk youth united for a
clean, just future
hello@ukycc.org
www.ukycc.org
+44(0) 7851276122
facebook.com/ukycc
twitter.com/ukycc

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