Young people lead the charge for climate action with Sustainable Tiverton

“We want young people to recognise their power to change their community”

The wind of change blows steadily in Tiverton—and it’s being fuelled by the vibrant energy of young people. Sustainable Tiverton, a volunteer organisation, has long been at the forefront of climate action in the area. However, realising there was a lack of youth engagement in their efforts, they set out on a mission to change that. Thus, the Sustainable Tiverton Youth Project was born.

Led by Wendy Rickard, this project is making waves by giving young people a real say in their future and the future of their planet.

From pool nights to smoothie-making on a pedal-powered bike, the project’s unique approach to climate justice has struck a chord with local youth, tapping into their creativity, frustrations, and aspirations.

Wendy Rickard, youth development worker for Sustainable Tiverton, reflects on the project's origins: “We started from the premise that young people aren’t disengaged from climate issues. They already know it’s a serious problem. But 'climate change' can be a term that makes people yawn or feel afraid, especially when it’s constantly recycled through the education system.”

This insight into youth psychology has been crucial in shaping the project’s approach. Rather than lecturing, Sustainable Tiverton decided to organise a series of youth-led pop-up events.

“The idea was to create something interesting and gentle to do, in order to plant seeds of possibility,” Wendy explains. “We wanted to give young people the space to come up with their own ideas.”

But how did these pop-up events begin? Wendy gives much credit to Sally Chapman, a local environmental campaigner.

“Sally is incredibly committed and inspiring. She spearheaded the idea, realising that we needed youth energy to drive climate action in Tiverton.”

With Sally’s passion and the backing of Sustainable Tiverton, the initiative began to take shape, drawing on local enthusiasm and the undeniable urgency of climate change.

A core aspect of the Sustainable Tiverton Youth Project has been the series of innovative events designed to attract young people. Pool nights, cocktail-making workshops, and smoothie nights are just a few examples, all created with youth input.

“Our principle was not to lecture but to fund and organise activities they wanted to try,” Wendy says. One such event was a Pool Night for 16-18 year-olds, organised by Megan Priestly and her friends. “We played pool, ate snacks, and chatted. It was a bit weird at first, but people started opening up, and by the end of the night, they were jotting down ideas for future projects—clothes swap parties, upcycling workshops, and guerrilla gardening all came up.”

The events have also been creatively tied to sustainability themes. Take the Sustainable Shake-Up, a cocktail-making workshop using surplus fruit and foraged ingredients. “Beth Allen, a local mixologist, came up with the idea,” Wendy recounts.

“We decorated the venue with flowers donated by Johnny Crow’s Garden, and local businesses like Jolly Vintner donated ingredients. It was a huge success.” The young people didn’t just mix drinks—they learned about using local, sustainable produce and even considered how to make these events into micro-businesses.

It’s these kinds of activities—fun, social, yet rooted in sustainability—that have helped make the connection between youth culture and climate justice. “We want young people to recognise their power to change their community,” Wendy adds. “If they can harness their ideas and energy, they can make those who set the climate agenda take notice.”

The initiative is also capturing youth voices through its Vox Pop listening campaign, a project designed to empower young people to interview their peers about climate change and their local community.

“We’ve trained five young people in interviewing skills and we’re taking to the streets—literally,” Wendy says with a smile. “We’re hitting different times of day and night, looking for young people to talk to about the issues that matter to them.”

The goal is not just to gather data, but to amplify these voices in a meaningful way. “We hope to edit the recordings into a podcast or a local radio programme and create a manifesto for climate justice,” Wendy says. “We want to present these findings to the local council and make sure young people’s voices are heard.”

This effort has already started to bear fruit. “The young people involved are gaining confidence, learning new skills, and starting to see their own power in the climate conversation,” Wendy says. The listening campaign is a ripple effect in action—participants are encouraged to share what they’ve learned with two more people, broadening the reach of the project’s impact.

Of course, no grassroots initiative is without its challenges. Wendy is candid about the difficulties they’ve faced. “When we first approached the council about organising a take-over of the council chamber for young people, they said no. They offered us one minute at the start of a meeting. That’s how far we still have to go.”

Funding is another concern. Wendy’s contract is short, and maintaining the momentum of the project requires continued financial support. “We’ve been lucky with quick funding from the Devon Community Foundation and Lidl, but keeping this going will need more.”

Yet, despite the hurdles, the project has big dreams. “We’d love to employ young people to continue this work. The ideas they’ve come up with are fantastic—clothes upcycling events, a café using surplus supermarket food, guerilla gardening. But we need to find further funding to support them.”

For Wendy, the ultimate goal is to make climate action youth-led, embedded in the community, and self-sustaining. “It would be amazing if this work became a regular part of Tiverton’s climate justice efforts. The potential is huge.”

Wendy wraps up by speaking about her drives and passion for this work. “I love working with young people, catching a whisper of what they might like to do, and helping turn that into reality. There’s so much joy in seeing them come together and realise they can claim power and make things happen.”

And for the young people involved, Wendy has a simple yet powerful message: “We need to build a positive vision of the future we want to run towards, not just the future we’re trying to avoid. Your ideas, your energy—that’s what will shape the world.”