A children’s charity has partnered with a solar project company to deliver a nationwide schools programme, aiming to equip young people with the skills and confidence to lead change.

The Youth Sport Trust, alongside Ortus Energy, is launching the ‘Youth Leadership Project’, which will use YST’s established Athlete Mentor service to empower young leaders to harness play and sport to strengthen friendships and improve wellbeing. 

The Youth Sport Trust is one of the UK’s leading youth sport charities for improving wellbeing through sport and PE. It aims to empower young people and equip educators to transform lives through active learning. Founded in 1995, it works with around 20,000 schools around the UK.

Apart from being environmentally educational, the new project also aims to support personal development and to consider how young people – as well as leading more active and healthier lives – can work together for a more sustainable planet and future. Five schools across the UK (in Croydon, Matlock, West Bromwich, Carmarthen and Dumfries) are participating in initial co-creation workshops, with 15 more schools to join them for a pilot programme running September to December 2022. The national roll out will run January to December 2023 for a further 230 schools.

Ali Oliver MBE, CEO at the Youth Sport Trust, comments:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Ortus Energy. These are extraordinary times for our young people and things have become critical for their health and happiness. We live in a world where we are moving less, where digital technology is having an increasing impact on young lives and where children feel lonely and disconnected.

“This exciting partnership with Ortus Energy will enable us, the Youth Sport Trust, to empower communities of young leaders who harness the positive power of play and sport to improve well-being, build friendships and foster understanding for their peers. We strive to be a globally responsible charity and through our partnership with Ortus Energy we are also committed to enabling schools across the UK to access solar power, increasing their awareness and positive contribution to our climate change crisis.”