Ali joined Kids Against Plastic when she was seven, after she started noticing rubbish everywhere. Not just the streets but in parks, rivers and even the ocean while she was swimming. At first, she just wanted to help clean up near her home.
As she picked up more litter, she realised that plastic pollution is about more than just what you see on the ground. She wanted people to understand how much plastic is made, where it ends up, and why it causes so much damage.
With some encouragement from her friends and mentors at KAP, Ali decided to set herself a big challenge: to pick up one million pieces of litter. It sounded impossible, especially for a child. But in less than two years, the challenge was completed and even passed. To this day over 1.34 million pieces of plastic have been collected through 1,800 litter picks in 37 countries. Some litter picks were done by Ali, some with her family, and many by people she had never met who wanted to help. Every single piece was counted.
Ali says she couldn’t have done this alone. Her project grew because people worked together. She hopes her story shows that young people matter and that when we work together, we can make real change.
Amber likes looking after nature and helping her community. One thing she does often is litter picking in the woods near where she lives. Usually, she collects around 100 pieces of litter at a time using her litter picker and bin bag. Once, she even picked up over 200 pieces with her younger sister. This helps keep the woods safe for animals and insects.
Amber also enjoys learning about nature. She joined a bee walk with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, where she learned about bees and butterflies and how important they are for growing food. Without pollinators, many of the foods we eat wouldn’t exist.
At school, Amber was chosen to be an Eco Rep. She represented her school at the RHS Malvern Show, talking to visitors about their school garden, which won an award for being wildlife friendly. She has earned her Green Blue Peter Badge and helps with recycling projects, including collecting crisp packets so they can be reused.
Amber also volunteers at her local Trussell Trust foodbank, where she helped collect and sort 36 crates of food at Christmas. She wants to show that small actions can still make a big difference.
Archie is seven years old and runs a project called Archie’s Veg and Eggs. He rescues ex-commercial hens and gives them a safe and happy life. Archie looks after the chickens every day, making sure they can run around, scratch, dust bathe, and behave like chickens should.
Archie also grows his own vegetables and sells both the vegetables and the eggs. When his project grew too big for his back garden, his mum and dad helped him rent three acres of land nearby. Archie dreams to one day buy his own land so he can rescue even more chickens and give them a forever home.
Archie cares a lot about animals, nature, and where food comes from. He wants people to understand that food doesn’t just come from shops — it comes from gardens, farms, and animals that need care. He also looks after his own beehive and shares what he learns with others.
When Archie was six, he climbed Mount Snowdon to raise money for equipment for his school’s forest school. He wants to help other children learn outside and enjoy nature.
Emaan is nine years old and really cares about helping other people, especially children. She started trying to make a difference when she was very young. When she was four, a friend became ill, and Emaan wanted to help. She began doing charity walks to raise money for her local children’s hospital.
With lots of support from others, Emaan raised over £10,000 for the oncology ward by the time she was six. As she got older, she found new ways to help children around the world. She ran cake sales outside her house to raise money for children affected by earthquakes and for medical aid for children living in war zones.
Emaan has also taken on big challenges. She climbed Mount Snowdon and Scafell Pike to raise money for the Malala Fund because she believes all girls should be able to go to school safely. She raised over £1,500. She is now planning to climb Ben Nevis to raise money for the cancer hospital again.
Emaan also cares about protecting animals and wildlife. She believes that even at nine years old, you can still do something important.
Nish is 12 years old and wanted to help orphans in India. He came up with a creative idea and made My First Hinduism Colouring Book. The book helps younger children learn about Hindu festivals, traditions, and values in a simple and fun way.
Each page includes pictures to colour and clear explanations, such as stories about Hindu gods and why they are important. Children can enjoy the book on their own or with family members, and many families say it has helped grandparents and grandchildren spend time learning together.
All the money made from the colouring book is donated to support orphans in India. Through sales of the book, Nish was able to fund two Batuk Bhojans, which provided 500 meals for orphans in Charakhadi, India. The money raised from the book will continue to be donated in the future so the project can keep helping more children.
Nish’s project shows how a simple idea can turn into something that helps others, while also sharing culture, learning, and kindness.
Serena wanted to help people in her local community and care for the environment at the same time. After visiting the new warehouse opening of Pelican Parcels in Brighton, she learned that they needed more pyjamas to support local families with children.
Although Serena was too young to volunteer, she decided to help in another way. With winter coming, she organised a pyjama collection at her school. She gave a presentation to her whole school, made posters with help from her PSHE teacher, and reused boxes to create a donation point. Serena also stood outside school to remind people to donate.
With support from her school community, Serena collected 130 new and pre-loved pairs of pyjamas. These were given to local children to help keep them warm and comfortable.
Serena’s project shows that you don’t have to be old enough to volunteer to make a difference — you just need an idea and the confidence to try.