So, what did we accomplish in 2022?

In the last 3 months of 2022, we welcomed into the team: a Marketing and Communications Manager (Megan Stillwell) and a Finance Manager (Vamshi Krishna).

We also brought on three new interns via a funded government programme, which subsidises their salaries: an Operations Intern (Monty Dean), a Marketing Intern (Isabel Flynn) and a Partnerships Intern (Rachel Keane).

There’s a constant sense of urgency when working to solve the climate crisis. After witnessing repeated team burnout, we decided to research and trial a 4-day work week.

After 3 months, and majorly improved team wellbeing, we decided to adopt it permanently.

When asked how the 4-day work week has affected their lives, team members shared:

“It has significantly improved my mental health. I have found a work-life balance that supports me to do the things that make me 'me'.”

“I've had time to re-explore old hobbies, spend time with friends, spend time with myself and ultimately have more space to feel like a human outside of work. I couldn't imagine going back to 5 days now.”

Navigating climate emotions

In 2022, we scaled up our Anxiety to Agency workshops for young people (16-30). The curriculum helps participants navigate strong emotions, identify self-limiting beliefs, and identify what agency looks like to them.

Among a sample of 500 students, the workshop facilitated a:

26% decrease in feelings of hopelessness, and a

19% increase in positive mental health outcomes.

We also delivered CPD sessions to +150 educators across the UK, upskilling them in navigating eco-anxiety in the classroom and consulted the Department for Education on their National Education Nature Park & Climate Leadership strategy.

“Force of Nature's Anxiety to Agency workshops were not only inspiring and empowering for my students in Environmental Studies; they are based on the best psychological research on what the climate generation needs most in order to face the greatest challenges of our time.”

— Sarah Jaquette Ray, Author of ‘A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety’ and professor at Humboldt State University

Empowering a global community

For young people who feel powerless to stop the climate crisis, we’ve designed a journey proven to turn anxiety into action.

In 2021, we piloted a 3-part programme, Becoming a Force of Nature, to help young people feel empowered. These span public speaking, advising decision-makers, and programme facilitation.

Following the pilot trainings, 30 graduates engaged with people in business, policy and education.

“A true game-changer in the youth climate space - as someone who has been involved with multiple youth climate organisations, the creativity, passion, and ingenuity behind programmes behind FoN truly stands out.”

— Emily, Graduated Speaker

Launching Climate Cafés!

While the spotlight turned to Egypt for COP27, we wanted to create spaces for conversations within our own neighbourhoods. So, we launched climate cafés.

Our Flagship Climate Café was launched at the Natural History Museum in London, where young people, professionals and members of the public came together to talk about the climate. 9 natural scientists and 8 activists were platformed in conversation with community members.

250 people participated in the climate café.

+75% of people felt “more hopeful” after participating.

160+ decentralised Climate Cafés
Our flagship café provided a template for decentralised, community-led cafés around the world. Via fundraising, we launched a micro-grant scheme for young people who faced financial barriers to hosting their own cafés.

160+ people from around the world signed up to host their own climate café, across

40+ countries.

£2500 was allocated to young people via micro grants to help them run their climate cafés.

Leading global research on youth mental health & climate

Off the back of co-leading the largest ever study into youth mental health and climate (surveying 10,000 young people across 10 countries), our Head of Impact, Sacha Wright, co-authored a landmark paper: ”Not about us without us - the feelings and hopes of climate-concerned young people around the world”.

We lobbied to have 23 young people from 15 countries around the world recognised as co-authors (rather than mere contributors). This was the very first collaboration of its kind in a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Developing resources

This year, we developed free, research-backed resources to disseminate our theory of change. Including:

Educator’s Discussion Guide on eco-anxiety (launched in tandem with a 2-part doco series on climate anxiety, in partnership with YouTube)

Climate Emotions Journal for young people (in partnership with Imperial College)

#HoldThisSpace, a digital tool (helping people explore climate emotions, in partnership with research institutions such as UKRI & NERC).

Climate Café: a “how to” guide (a manual launched during COP27 on hosting climate cafés, incl. safeguarding procedures & risk assessment)

You can find these resources and more here!

Challenging Business as Usual

Our consulting training equips young people to advise decision-makers in business, including through workshops, intergenerational forums and youth advisory boards. By enabling young people to walk the corridors of power and platforming a diversity of lived experiences in these spaces, we’re shifting the institutional mindset.

Launching the Biome

Of all the business leaders we’ve spoken to, they consistently cite one barrier to their own climate action: isolation. It can feel exhausting to swim against the status quo alone, and ineffective to operate in a silo. We saw the need to foster connections among like-minded agitators who share a common purpose.

This is why we launched the Biome in 2022: an online community bringing together change-makers in business, as well as our youth advisors. Meeting on a quarterly basis, its purpose is to share learnings, facilitate intergenerational exchange and deepen relationships for greater impact.

“Interacting directly with the Executive Committee of a large corporation was an invaluable experience. While challenging, having discussions at this level showed me that we’re all on a learning journey; and my voice can make a real difference.”

— Aparna, Graduated Consultant