Roots & Routes Fund

For the purpose of this fund, we use the definition used by the Youth Climate Study:

“The impacts of climate change aren’t felt equally between rich and poor, or among older, younger and future generations.

“A ‘climate justice’ approach demands that actions taken to mitigate or adapt to climate change are centred on the most affected people and places. It takes an intersectional approach, recognising that climate risks can further depress social and economic outcomes for marginalised groups, including people on low incomes, women and girls, people of colour, and indigenous peoples.

“Often, youth climate justice action seeks systemic change, championing redistributive solutions that challenge dominant paradigms of power and economic growth.”

Youth-led climate action (led by people aged 18-30) is critically underfunded. Recent research shows that only 0.96% of grants from major climate foundations go to youth-led climate initiatives.

This fund was created to address that gap—recognising that young people, especially those from communities most affected by climate injustice, are often overlooked by traditional funding streams.

The Pilot Phase focuses on England and is allowing us to develop and test a proof of concept that can be easily scaled in future phases.

The Roots & Routes Fund awarded £103,000 to six youth-led organisations who are fighting for climate justice:

• AWETHU: A school for climate justice changemaking, empowering Black African and Caribbean youth aged 18–24.
• Earth Tenders: A Black-led land justice initiative in South London, reclaiming land for community use and food growing.
• The Land Collective: Supporting underrepresented young people to pursue careers in sustainable built environments.
• Youth Climate Collaborative: Building youth leadership through training, convening, and community-building.
• MAFIA Weekend: A majority LGBTQIA+ organisation using participatory storytelling to amplify underrepresented voices in climate justice.
• Time to Grow: A grassroots group promoting food sovereignty and local growing as tools for climate and social justice.

We recruited three young changemakers to the Challenge & Change leadership development programme who each received £10,000 in funding, wellbeing support, and access to expert mentorship and personal development opportunities.

Lillie

Lillie plans to build on the work of ‘Rewild the Ends’ which is a network of environmental changemakers working to redistribute nature access. Lillie will undertake research and community outreach to sustainability groups, programmes and practitioners in Camden, London. They’ll also undertake research into the needs and challenges of Camden’s social housing residents. They’ll put the learnings into practice and create programmes of sustainability workshops, field trips and nature access for Camden’s most marginalised communities.

Dev

Dev is a 20 year old food activist, former Youth MP and founding campaigner at Bite Back 2030 which is a youth-led movement fighting against a rigged food system. Dev’s work will focus on making food justice impossible to ignore by creating a movement that forces change and one that Big Food and government can’t ignore. Dev will create a platform that consistently challenges Big Food, sparks youth activism and makes food justice a visible national issue.

Rosie

Rosie co-founded the Manchester branch of ‘Dykes who Hike’ which has now grown into the city’s largest LGBTQ+ outdoor community. Rosie will use the funding to establish Dyketopia- a radical, non-profit space for queer young people to build connection, joy and care.

They’ll host three residentials for up 75 young people in countryside venues in England that will include accessible workshops, foster outdoor connection and inspire the next generation of organisers. 

By March 2026 we’ll have invested an additional £100,000 in infrastructure organisations that support the youth climate justice ecosystem.

Alongside funding, we’re delivering a programme of learning, collaboration, and capacity-building events to strengthen connections and share best practices.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss supporting the Foundation, please email The Foundation.

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