Rotary Young Citizen Awards 2022

KIDS AGAINST PLASTIC WIN FIRST ROTARY YOUNG CITIZEN ENVIRONMENTALIST AWARD
FOLLOWING NOMINATION BY CARLTON ROTARY

Teenage sisters Amy Meek, aged 18, and Ella, aged 16, from Nottingham, who are campaigning for positive change to reduce single-use plastic, are the winners of the first ever Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist Award 2022.

They set up their own charity Kids Against Plastic, aged 12 and 10, aimed at helping young people (and not so young people) to learn about environmental issues such as plastic pollution and the climate crisis. They now have more than 1,400 “Plastic Clever Schools” signed up to take action to reduce the amount of single-use plastics they use.

Through free resources, initiatives and their KAP Club, they aim to inspire and empower others into action. Here’s their website: www.kidsagainstplastic.co.uk

Amy said: “We have always had a love and appreciation for the planet and the environment which is one of the big reasons why we were driven to help protect it from the massive issue of plastic pollution and that’s why we set up our charity Kids Against Plastic.”

Amy and Ella received their award from BBC TV Presenter Ellie Crisell at the Rotary Young Citizen Awards Ceremony at the Volunteer Expo, hosted by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland at the NEC in Birmingham on 7th May. There were nominated by Carlton Rotary (Greater Nottingham).

The sisters said: “It’s such an honour and a surprise to have received the Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist award! We’re so grateful for all of Rotary’s support of our charity and its initiatives – from working with our local district 1220 on our Plastic Clever Schools initiative, to speaking at last year’s Volunteer Expo – and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future. Thank you Rotary, and congratulations to the incredible other winners!”

Amy and Ella received British Empire Medals (BEM) in the New Year Honours for their voluntary service to the natural environment. Their efforts to reduce plastic pollution have been praised in Parliament and the sisters have also presented Newsround, Springwatch Live Academy and a TED talk to spread their message far and wide.

This new Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist Award reflects Rotary International’s new area of focus on supporting the Environment. The Rotary Young Citizen Awards are celebrating their 15th Anniversary this year. They were started in 2007 to celebrate the amazing achievements of inspirational young people across Great Britain and Ireland, many of whom have assumed important responsibilities at a very young age. Nominations are put forward by Rotary Clubs.