Inspired by conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, young people from Roots & Shoots groups across the UK gathered at the Barbican Centre in London to celebrate the 2019 Roots & Shoots UK Awards.
“The Awards day was a real landmark for Roots & Shoots,” commented Tara Golshan, Executive Director of Roots & Shoots UK.
“Twelve years on from when we started in the UK, the programme has gone from strength to strength. The awards were truly delightful, moving and inspirational. Our young members displayed creativity, resilience and perseverance in their endeavours to secure and preserve the future of our planet. Long may it continue.”
From creating and selling beeswax food wraps to organising litter picks, from fundraising to build toilets in developing countries to caring for hedgehogs, and from organising meat-free school meals to helping entire towns go plastic-free, these young people embody the empowering mission at Roots & Shoots.
Dr Jane Goodall chatted to the groups as they explained their work to her with colourful displays, and commented that “young people are the ones that give me the greatest hope for our environment.”
The event also included a performance of ‘Dancing against the tide of plastic’, created by students from Queen Elizabeth II High School to highlight the damage that plastic pollution has on sea life.
Another regular and very popular highlight is the Trashion Show, with garments created from ‘waste’ material that has been upcycled into high-fashion inspired clothing by the students of Accrington St Christopher’s Church of England High School.
Livia Firth, founder and creative director of Eco-Age, had the tough job of judging the winners.
“Roots & Shoots is an outstanding example of how important it is to start galvanising children from a very early stage and inspire them to be our leaders of tomorrow,” she commented.
Finally, Dr Jane Goodall herself proudly presented the various Roots & Shoots Awards winners with their trophies, and congratulated them on the real difference they have made and how they have and will continue to inspire others, not just in the UK but around the Globe.
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