St James’ Climate Bloggers

Aged between 14 and 15, the Climate Bloggers at St James’ Catholic High School in North London have spent the year raising awareness and campaigning about the environment. But blogging was just the start.

The group started by briefing staff so they understood why the environment was so crucial for the school to focus on. Standing up in front of their peers, they lead assemblies and supported lower year retreats, sharing ideas and praying for change.

Working directly with younger students, the group set up and run the Year 7 gardening club. They help the students to plan and plant and with the summer here are excited to be reaping the rewards.

Faith has been important for the group. They’ve planned liturgies and got students to really understand Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ recent encyclical on care for our common home.

What they said: “They are exceptional students who thirst for change” - Jenny Whelan, School Chaplain

Sam Abraham

Now in Year 12, Sam’s spent a year communicating to others about climate change as a CAFOD Climate Blogger at All Saints Catholic High School, Sheffield. Sam’s spoken up for Creation using her digital platform, challenging politicians to do more for the climate. She’s engaged with the great and the good face to face too, including veteran MPs Eric Pickles and Ed Milliband.

And closer to home, Sam’s invited the school's local MP, Louise Haigh, to face the students so that she could be interviewed on climate change. Sam isn’t afraid to speak truth to power. “If I stand up for justice, it’s like I’m staning with them while they work hard to change things – I want to be part of that,” she says.

Sam’s care for Creation is local too. She ran a 2 week community project focused on her naighbourhood to clear all the graffiti up – to the delight of local residents. Anyone who knows Sam also knows that she’s also got a fantastic sense of humour, and a strong faith. And she’s not afriafd to share both of them with those she meets.

This month Sam heads to World Youth Day and will speak about her work at an event organised by the Global Catholic Climate Movement, inspiring others across the world.

What they said: “Sam is not afraid to let herself be heard and speak out for those less fortunate than us” - Bernadette Healy - Chaplaincy Coordinator

Owen Bond

Owen, a student in Year 11, leads Thornleigh College’s ECO Group that aims to improve the school’s environment. Over two weekends, the green-fingered students gave the flower beds makeovers and planted new displays. To fund it all, they raised money by making and selling birdseed cakes.

But Owen didn’t stop there. He’s also developed whole-school awareness by delivering assemblies aimed at improving awareness of the problems of litter around the site from inside a bin, combining humour with education.

Most recently, Owen’s been the figurehead for the introduction of recycling in the canteen. Working with the local authority Refuse Department and the school, Owen delivered assemblies and led other younger students to deliver the assemblies too.

Owen, a well-known figure around school, took his creativity for Creation a step further for World Book Day, creating -with a little help from his friends - a magical world in the school library, filled with characters form Alice in Wonderland and set in a woodland, complete with wildlife and flowers.

What they said: “A role model for the younger students” - Maria Pawlowski, Teacher.