Big Change

🌱 “Young people have led the biggest environmental movement in history but in the past decade less than 1% of climate philanthropy has gone to young people.” In the run-up to #WorldEnvironmentDay, Dominique from Climate Live talks about the urgent need to back more young leaders.

It's #WorldEnvironmentDay this week! 🌍 We’re going to be counting down with inspiring voices from Spark Awards-backed Climate Courage, Climate Live, led by Frances Fox. We're starting with Frances as she shares why building community is at the heart of climate action. 💚

"As a founder, you need to give yourself grace." ✨ Love this reflection #BigChangemaker Oluferanmi Balogun, who is leading Room Too to turn overlooked spaces into safe, inspiring places for young people to study and thrive! #SparkAwards #AMillionActsOfHope #1mActsOfHope

What happens when young people get to tell their own stories? #BigChangemaker Lily Mott is enabling young people to do just that. She received a Spark Award for Be the change. Media Academy and we're so proud to be part of her journey. This Million Acts of Hope Week, hear Lily's impact story. 💚

This Million Acts of Hope Week, meet Aiyana Goodfellow! They're a Spark Awards changemaker leading NEUROMANCERS, a peer-led mental health initiative for neurodivergent+ young people. Leaders like Aiyana give us so much hope. Thank you, Aiyana and NEUROMANCERS! 💚

This Million Acts of Hope Week, we're bringing you voices that give us hope. First up, Frances, who leads Climate Courage Climate Live, talking about the impact of equipping young people to build resilience and fight for the climate. 💚 #SparkAwards #AMillionActsOfHope #1mActsOfHope

This Million Acts of Hope week, we're asking: what are your hopes for young people? 💚 For Jonathan Harper, Big Changemaker and founder of CanTeam, it looks like schools becoming places where everyone can feel like they belong, and where communities can gather and thrive. Hear from Jonathan!

We love seeing our community create real change. 💚 Big Change awarded a #SparkAward to WEEE Renew in 2025 to support their work in tackling youth unemployment through digital skills and e-waste recycling. Hear from Vijai Patel, who’s leading WEEE Renew about the real impact they’re making.

How did the Spark Awards help turn an idea into real change for young people? ✨ Vijai spent 2 years unable to land a job after graduating. He now leads WEEE Renew, with support from Big Change, to tackle youth unemployment through digital inclusion and e-waste recycling.

🛎️ Why are children in care 15 times less likely to leave school with good grades? The question led to the creation of Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust. With early support from Big Change, they’re reimagining children’s residential care system so that young people can truly thrive. 🎥 Watch their impact.

Join the people who refuse to accept the status quo. 🤝 Get your monthly dose of hope in motion delivered straight to your inbox. Stay updated on the latest stories from our incredible community of changemakers. Sign up for the Big Change newsletter 👉🏼 www.big-change.org/get-involved...

⭐ Welcome to our community, Ellie Costello, a #LeaderForBigChange! Ellie’s project Square Peg is reducing school non-attendance through a shift from punishment to partnerships. (1/2)

Meet Ella-Grace Gregoire, a #LeaderForBigChange! ✨ Her project Her-izons is co-designing preventative and relational wellbeing approaches with and for girls and young women. (1/2)

Join us in welcoming Jaden Osei-Bonsu, a #LeaderForBigChange, to our community! His project Each One Teach One is addressing exclusion in education through the use of Hip-Hop and sound system culture as tools for imagination, learning, and community connection. (1/2)

👋🏻 Say hello to Yeukai Taruvinga, a #LeaderForBigChange! Through Active Horizons, she is co-designing housing pathways with young people, policymakers, housing professionals — placing lived experience, healing, and racial justice at the centre of these solutions. (1/2)

“We need to celebrate the great work the brilliant schools are doing in this country” - James Pope James, founder of HeadsUp4HTs, shares two hopes for education. He was one of the many brilliant leaders from our community to provide valuable input into the soon to be released Schools White Paper.

James Pope, founder of HeadsUp4HTs, shares his two hopes for education on the back of a roundtable discussion on the upcoming #SchoolsWhitePaper. He joined several other brilliant changemakers from our community with Georgia Gould and Sarah Smith, the two MPs leading the work on the White Paper. 💚

🌟Do you have a #Hope4Education? Lucy Bailey, Bounce Forward shares hers. She was one of the many brilliant leaders from our community who joined a roundtable discussion with Georgia Gould MP, and Sarah Smith, MP. Together we provided valuable input into the soon to be released #SchoolsWhitePaper.

One of the many privileges of working at Big Change is supporting the growth of incredible leaders and projects who dare to dream about a different kind of future for all young people. 💚 Today, we’re spotlighting one of those projects: Place Matters. 🎥 Watch their impact. #OurCommunity

“I hope young people feel seen and heard.” 💚 At The Firefly Project, Jenna Maudlin is reimagining how we support young people through grief. Hear Jenna’s conversation with Lucy Bailey, where Jenna shares her hope for the future.

How is #BigChangemaker Andrew Speight leading a wellbeing movement in schools? He founded Emoco, with the support of Big Change, to help young people lead the conversation on their mental health. Watch his impact. #MentalHealth #Schools #YoungPeople

💡 Why does Lucy Bailey want to shift mindsets and stop talking about mental health? She’s the CEO of our brilliant partner, Bounce Forward, an organisation specialising in building psychological fitness in children. Hear her outline her vision and hope for the future.

Earlier this year, we brought together our incredible community of changemakers, partners, trustees, and friends in the Lake District for the Big Change community retreat. Kat Hamilton and Olivia Chowdry share how the retreat helped them disconnect in order to feel more connected.

What happens when students take the lead on wellbeing? 🌱 At St Mary’s School in Blackpool, young people shared how being part of Emoco has helped them drive real change in their community. Read more on Emoco's wellbeing movement in their founder Andrew's blog 👉🏼 www.big-change.org/insights/the...

Hear Ali Durban, co-founder of Gesher School, as she talks about her experience as a parent of a child who felt excluded and marginalised. 💚 Watch her full conversation with Owen Carter here 👉🏻 youtu.be/k6wTE-KTQC4

🎧 Listen to two brilliant Big Change community leaders — Owen Carter, ImpactEd Group and Ali Durban MBE, Gesher School — share their learnings from leading change for young people. Watch their full conversation here 👉 youtu.be/k6wTE-KTQC4

✨🎙️ Here’s the first clip from our Big Change Leaders in Conversation series! In this one, Lucy Bailey, CEO of Bounce Forward, shares why their work matters and how being part of the Big Change community gives her energy and inspiration. 🎥 Watch the full conversation: youtu.be/m-MOYalT6Oc

✨ “Connect, collaborate, think bigger.” Jonathan Harper and Lara Milward share what they loved most about being a part of our Community Retreat. The event brought together our incredible changemakers, partners, trustees, and friends. We took a vital step back to pause, recharge, and renew.

👋🏼 Meet the #SparkAwards Changemaker 🌱 Climate Courage, Climate Live, led by Frances Fox, aged 24, and the Climate Live team, is addressing a growing mental health crisis driven by climate anxiety. Learn more about their work ➡️ www.big-change.org/about-our-co...

👋🏼 Meet our #SparkAwards Changemaker Be the change. Media Academy, led by 24-year-old Lily Mott, empowers young people aged 13–25 to navigate and transform today’s digital media landscape with confidence and creativity. 🎥 Discover more about the project ➡️ www.big-change.org/about-our-co...

👋🏼 Meet our #SparkAwards Changemaker: Room Too A bold, youth-driven project led by 19-year-old Oluferanmi Balogun, Room Too tackles the inequality of overcrowded housing by transforming underused spaces into safe, inspiring study hubs for young people. Read more ➡️ www.big-change.org/about-our-co...

👋🏼 Meet our #SparkAwards Changemaker: WEEE Renew Led by Yulian Findlay (22) and the PPCP Team, WEEE Renew is a youth-led initiative tackling the urgent issue of youth unemployment through digital inclusion and corporate e-waste recycling. ♻️ Read more about them ➡️ www.big-change.org/about-our-co...

🎉 We’re so excited to introduce our Spark Awards Big Changemakers! We’re proud to support their work and can’t wait to see the impact they create. For more details of their projects, head to our website ➡️ www.big-change.org/spark-awards #SparkAwards #BigChangemakers #WelcomeToOurCommunity

🌟 Big Change's Kate Webb celebrates her friend and play therapist Lizzie for her incredible work with young people. Join Kate in the #VoicesForChange campaign and help spotlight more inspiring people like Lizzie. #VoicesForChange

Big thanks to Katie for being a Voice for Change! She’s shining a light on Cash for Kids and the joy they bring to young people. Our #VoicesForChange campaign celebrates everyone making a difference for young people, and you can too. ✨ Join Katie in being a Voice for Change.

🌟 Big Changer Freddie celebrates Jaiden Corfield for his inspiring work with young people. He highlights Jaiden’s journey of making a difference through his work with RECLAIM, Rekindle Supplementary School, and now as a Big Change advisor. 🙌 Join Freddie in the #VoicesForChange campaign.

📚💫 It’s back-to-school season! Big Change's Gosia reflects on her own #school days and the advice she wishes she could have given her younger self walking through those doors. ✨ What message would you share with young people stepping into this new season of change? #BackToSchool

Thank you to Martha Rumble Turley for being a Voice for Change! ✨ She spotlights her co-worker, who is championing young people through apprenticeships and opening up opportunities for them to gain knowledge, experience, and confidence to succeed in their careers. #VoicesForChange (1/2)

✨ One of the many privileges of working at Big Change is supporting the growth of incredible leaders who dare to dream about a different kind of future for all young people. 🎥 Today, we’re proud to spotlight one of them: Jenna Maudlin's The Firefly Project. #OurCommunity #Impact

🌟 Philip spotlights his friend’s incredible work with young people and reminds us why giving them the right foundations matters. This is the first story in our #VoicesForChange campaign, celebrating those making a difference for young people. 🙌 Join Philip and be a voice for change. (1/2)

📢 We’re excited to launch Voices for Change! It’s a campaign to spotlight those making a difference with and for young people. It’s about bringing to light the extraordinary, often unseen acts of courage, care, and commitment that help young people feel seen, supported, and able to thrive. (1/3)

#YouthConsultantSpotlight ⭐ For Formelle, empowerment means voice and visibility. As a Big Change Youth Consultant, she champions meaningful youth involvement in shaping systems that affect their lives, ensuring that change is not only for young people but with them. #InternationalYouthDay2025

#YouthConsultantSpotlight 📣 Farhad is a social entrepreneur who founded PotentialMCR, a Big Change-funded initiative. He mentors and supports young people at risk of joining gangs or of exclusion from school to inspire them to develop their entrepreneurship skills and create legitimate enterprises.

This #InternationalYouthDay, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of our brilliant Youth Consultants. ⭐ Meet Zhahla! Hear from her as she shares what drives her work with us to help shape a brighter future for all young people.

Hear from Kasey Thompson, Youth Engagement Manager at Frontline, as she shares why #intergenerationalcollaboration matters, how Frontline approaches it, and what she took away from a recent Big Change session on embedding intergenerational collaboration and youth engagement in meaningful ways.

What does meaningful youth engagement really look like? 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 Chuma Gondwe-Atkins, Programme Manager at Virgin Unite, shares one thing he learned and one thing he had to unlearn about intergenerational collaboration after taking part in a powerful Big Change session on the topic.

“I swore I’d never return to my old school.” For Andrew Speight, school once meant anxiety, trauma, and survival. Now, he's rewriting that story for himself and the next generation of young people in Blackpool through Emoco. 💚 Hear Andrew's story and find out more in his blog 👉🏽 lnkd.in/gDSwuxWg

Looking for ways to build stronger intergenerational collaboration? 🤝 Hear from Westminster Foundation's Kimberly Garande as she shares her top tip from the sidelines of our recent workshop on intergenerational collaboration. 🌱 Key insights from the workshop: www.big-change.org/insights/wor...

🎙️ Saeed Atcha, CEO, Youth Leads UK, shares advice on how organisations can meaningfully engage with young people. We caught up with him at our recent co-working and connection day, where he co-facilitated a session on intergenerational collaboration. Read more: www.big-change.org/insights/wor...