Earlier this month there were global celebrations around the International Day of Sport For Development and Peace 2022. The theme for this year was: Securing a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for All. The UN stated that this theme: “Creates an opportunity for the day’s celebrations to promote the use of sport as a tool to advance human rights and sustainable development.”
As many of our supporters already know, our charity was born out of the Brixton Riots in 1981 after we first used street cricket to bring the local community together. This April, our team travelled to the Poland-Ukraine border to deliver a similar cricket programme to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.
Although the two programmes will be delivered 40-years apart, the unfaltering power and influence of sport will allow us to provide young Ukrainian refugees with the same emotional, physical and mental support that we were able to provide to young Londoners in 1981.
As well as addressing peace and resolving conflict through sport, our charity also found ourselves reflecting on how we can use sport as a tool for promoting sustainable lifestyles and choices that combat climate change. As our global population continues to grow and our communities experience an increasing number of effects caused by global warming, our charity understands that we must recognise how our programmes can be used to educate young people on becoming greener.
Young people from our programmes have clearly expressed an interest in learning about climate change. One young woman from our G-Storm programme shared: “I want to know we can make changes to reduce our gas and transports emissions so it can help stop people from getting sick.” Last year we initiated our Green Action Plan to encourage young people from our charity to get involved in litter picks, sustainable food shopping trips and conversations around global warming and their personal concerns over how it will impact their future.
Henry is our Head of Programmes, he shared: ”The Change Foundation is committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable way. In our programmes, we will ensure that space is created to educate young people about the importance of the environment and the role we can all play in ensuring a more greener, positive future.”
As we look toward turning 41-Years old this year, our charity looks forward to working together with more incredible partners, organisations and communities to make our communities safer, greener and fairer for everyone.
