• Protect Our Future resources set to equip children and educators with skills and knowledge to understand climate science  
• Education charity calls for content and funding partners to help future generations take action on climate change  
• Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills OBE add their voices to call for businesses, local authorities, schools and scientists to join forces with 1851 Trust 

Climate and sustainability education are soon to become part of the school curriculum, yet young people and teachers alike are feeling ill-equipped and powerless to play their part in the vital action needed to tackle the climate emergency. In response to this, the education charity 1851 Trust has today declared its ambition to help 1 million young people take action to protect nature, people and the planet through its new Protect Our Future platform. 

The announcement comes as new research¹ amongst 11-16 year-olds commissioned by 1851 Trust and environmental charity Hubbub reveals that more than half of children (51%) are worried about what the planet will be like in the future. However, the research also found that almost a third (31%) of 11-16 year-olds say they are unclear on what measures they can take to be more environmentally friendly, which is acting as a barrier to them taking action. Only a quarter feel climate change is something they can fix, while 14% said they don’t feel like their actions will make a difference. 

Teachers are feeling similarly at a loss as to what they can do to support learning in this area, with 70% saying they do not feel equipped to teach about climate change effectively.² 

The Protect Our Future platform aims to inspire and help young people to understand their role in tackling climate change, empowering them to become independent thinkers and problem solvers. The appealing resources for young people and teachers will be free to use, rigorously researched and packed full of science-based knowledge, inspiration and practical actions, so they can take the lead in climate conversations and take action to help shape a more positive future for the planet. 

Protect Our Future is a collaboration between 1851 Trust and forward-thinking young people, schools, universities, brands and charities. It will provide a more holistic education experience, with an emphasis on out of the classroom learning. A pilot programme in Hull is bringing together 13 secondary schools, in partnership with Reckitt and Hull City Council, to work together over the next 18 months to help accelerate low-carbon projects to meet Hull’s net zero ambitions. The pilot was launched on 14 March, with COP26 President Alok Sharma MP and Hannah Mills OBE, the most successful female sailor in Olympic history and 1851 Trust supporter, joining students in a packaging recycling workshop. 

Now the charity is calling for more partners to support the expansion of the Protect Our Future programme to other areas of the UK and to accelerate the development of much needed resources for teachers. This call to action is being supported by Sir Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills OBE and the Great Britain SailGP Team ahead of the final SailGP event of season in San Francisco. SailGP is the first global climate-positive sporting league, where the teams compete for victory both on and off the water and the battle is on to win the Impact League, a first of its kind sporting competition where each team is assessed on the action they take to reduce their impact on our planet. 

The Great Britain SailGP Team aims to use its sporting platform to play their part in the vital action needed to tackle the climate emergency. Change will only be achieved through collaboration and the British team will use their influence and voice as they compete across the globe to support this ambitious target, naming their new-look flying F50 boat Protect Our Future. Its inspiration taken from the reindeer cyclone, a spectacular phenomenon of nature that sees the herd come together to form a moving circle to protect their young and vulnerable. 

Olympic sailor and environmental campaigner, Hannah Mills OBE said: “Our planet is at a tipping point and young people are the key to protecting its future. We are not doing enough to empower young people. We need to go beyond the climate headlines and equip them with science-based knowledge and understanding.” 

Four-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Ben Ainslie added: “Protect Our Future responds to this need by providing young people with science-based knowledge to enable them to take the lead in climate conversation. Our goal is to use our sporting success to inspire young people to Protect Our Future and the planet.” 

Ben Cartledge, CEO of 1851 Trust said: “Young people are key to protecting the future of our planet, yet our research has shown they’re angry, they’re worried and they are not clear on what action they can take that will make a difference. Protect Our Future aims to empower both young people and their teachers – giving them the knowledge, skills and voice to speak with confidence about climate change and sustainability. 

“We know from our experience of developing science-based resources which are used by over half of UK secondary schools, that young people are inspired by real people who aren’t just talking theoretically. 

We are applying this approach to make sure the resources for Protect Our Future inspire real action to tackle climate change. We would love to hear from potential content and funding partners to help us grow the platform and develop new events, resources and content for young people, parents and teachers.” 

To find out more about partnering with 1851 Trust on Protect Our Future contact lyndsey-lee.dunwoody@1851trust.org.uk  

To sign up for updates on the Protect Our Future platform, visit: https://protectourfuture.org

Ends  

For media queries please contact:  

Katie Raby | katie.raby@barleycommunications.co.uk | 07896 533547  

Notes to editors  

1. Survey of 1,004 11-16 year-olds in the UK conducted by Censuswide for the 1851 Trust in December 2021 

2. https://www.teachthefuture.uk/teacher-research  

About 1851 Trust  

The 1851 Trust is a game-changing education charity working to raise science capital across society through inspirational context-based learning. The charity is chaired by Dame Louise Makin and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge is its Royal Patron. 

The 1851 Trust was launched by Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Keith Mills in 2014 and is named after the first year of the Americas Cup race. STEM Crew, the charity’s transformational education programme designed to engage young people in STEM subjects through the power of sport, is used by 50% of secondary schools across the UK. Content and funding partners for the STEM Crew programme have included SailGP, The FA, Henri-Lloyd, AQL, Garfield Weston Foundation and Lloyd’s Register Foundation. 

The vision of Protect Our Future is to empower young people everywhere with science-based knowledge to protect our future. The platform is set to launch in June 2022.