On Saturday 25th March at The Blackpool Sixth Form College young people from across the Fylde Coast will came together to plan a greener future for the area.  Over 100 young people, including groups from six schools and colleges attended the Fylde Youth Climate Conference (FYCC23). This event will built on the success of the first running of the conference last year.

The conference was planned and delivered by members of Blackpool Sixth’s student-led Eco Action group in partnership with the Blackpool Youth Climate Group which is supported by Blackpool Council. 

A key aim of the conference was to share ideas and come up with actions to help tackle climate change at a local, national and international level. 

Conference delegates took part in roundtable discussions on topics such as living more sustainably in financially challenging times, protecting wildlife and ecosystems, influencing decision-makers and making the fashion industry more environmentally-friendly.  They also discussed how best to form ‘eco’ groups which can lead collective action in their schools and communities.

Some of the points the young people agreed that they now want to work together on after the conference are developing ‘eco clubs’ in all schools and youth organisations, planting more trees, reducing the use of plastics, and influencing politicians and other decision-makers to move more quickly towards building a green and sustainable future for all.

There was an Activity Zone run by local organisations where the young people can discover more about the skills needed for working in the rapidly developing sustainability and environmental sector.

Through a prize draw and fundraising games at the event, money was raised for the youth-led charity Reserva: Youth Land Trust which is involved in restoring and protecting an area of rainforest in Ecuador. 

If you are interested in finding out more about FYCC23 and being involved in follow-up activities and projects, please contact Jon McLeod at ecoaction@blackpoolsixth.ac.uk.