STuDents take on Climate Change
The first ever Lancashire Youth Climate Conference (LYCC24) will take place at Blackpool Sixth Form College on the 30th of October 2024. The goal is to give young people the tools to take action on the environment and climate change as well as influencing key decision-makers.
The event is being held as part of the work of the Lancashire Climate Action Network (LancsCAN). It will feature expert speakers sharing knowledge, workshops teaching practical skills, round table discussions and a ‘green skills and careers’ marketplace with over 20 organisations represented. Around 100 young people in the 16-19 age range are set to attend the conference representing school sixth forms, colleges and youth groups across the county.
The conference is led by two Youth Climate Activists in Residence, current Blackpool Sixth student Vlad Basiuk and former Blackpool Sixth student, Josh Brayshaw, who is now studying at UCLan. Their roles are co-hosted by Blackpool Council and Blackpool Sixth and are funded by the Boingboing Foundation.
Vlad commented, “My personal passion and desire for the conference is to empower young people and provide them with needed knowledge and opportunities. I believe this will help them implement their own ideas towards developing the environment, and themselves.”
Josh added, “One thing that I would like to get out of it is to help young people feel more confident about the impact that they can make.”
Henry Pollock, Co-Lead of the Boingboing Foundation said, “We are delighted by the work Vlad and Josh are doing to ensure that the 2024 Lancashire Youth Climate Conference is geared towards making a real difference in tackling the climate crisis. We are proud to be supporting them in this project and can't wait to see the impact they make."
Jon McLeod, Head of Admissions, Liaison and Marketing at Blackpool Sixth and Youth and Schools Community Lead for LancsCAN commented, “We are very excited to be hosting this groundbreaking event at Blackpool Sixth. We see it as a huge opportunity to build a network of young leaders who can help bring about the changes that need to happen.”
