Young Voices for a Greener Future: Meet Charlotte Boggon and Jodie Bailey-Ho

Empowering the next generation to lead on environmental issues is central to Better Planet Education’s mission. Nowhere is this more evident than in the voices of our Young Trustees. In this interview, we speak with Charlotte Boggon and Jodie Bailey-Ho—two passionate advocates for sustainability and youth engagement. From their journeys into environmental activism to their vision for a more climate-conscious education system, Charlotte and Jodie share what drives their commitment and how they’re shaping the future of Better Planet Education from the inside out.

Two young people smile at the camera at an event. — Charlotte and Charlie, another BPE Young Trustee, at the 2024 TfL Youth Panel Report Launch at the London Transport Museum, where the panel presented findings on equality, diversity, inclusion, and sustainable transport (Charlotte Boggon)

Tell us about Better Planet Education?

Better Planet Education is a charity providing free, balanced environmental education to young people and the wider public, empowering them to form their own opinions and question policies affecting nature. As a youth-focused organisation, the charity’s team of Young Trustees ensure that young people’s perspectives actively guide and shape the charity’s direction.

What is involved in being a Young Trustee?

Better Planet Education’s Young Trustees are a group of young people aged 16 to 24 who have a strong interest in environmental issues and want to make a difference. They serve as advisors to the charity’s Director and Board of Trustees, providing input on key decisions and initiatives.

A large group of young people smile at the camera, holding up pieces of colourful paper leaf shapes. — Charlotte at the 2023 SOS-UK (Students Organising for Sustainability) Summit, helping to run the “Climate Anxie-TREE” workshop - a group discussion about the challenges students face in addressing sustainability (Charlotte Boggon)

Acting as a Young Trustee involves contributing to the charity’s decision-making and social media, and helping lead campaigns that engage children in environmental action. Young Trustees attend regular meetings where they share ideas and work together on projects. One of the most recent campaigns to come from these meetings is ‘Letters for Change’: a letter-writing project giving primary school children across England the chance to petition the Secretary of State for Education to include climate change education in the curriculum.

Hear from two of Young Trustees: Jodie and Charlotte about their experience with BPE:

Charlotte:

Who are you?

I’m Charlotte Boggon, and I’ve been a Young Trustee at Better Planet Education since 2020. I recently completed a Geography degree and a law conversion, and I now work as a Climate Data Analyst.

Why did you want to become a Young Trustee?

I was offered the chance to become a Young Trustee after winning BPE’s ‘2,000 Words to Change the World’ essay competition when I was 16. I was keen to join the team as I believe improving school access to climate education should be a priority.

What skills or opportunities have you gained?

Being part of BPE has allowed me to meet and work with a group of brilliant young people who want to improve access to environmental education. It has also given me the opportunity to take part in some incredible events and projects. Some highlights have included:
- Attending the Earthshot Prize award ceremony: In 2021, BPE was invited as guests to watch the first Earthshot Prize awards in London. It was a really inspiring event, offering the chance to learn about the winning projects and to be surrounded by many people passionate about climate action.
- TFL Youth Panel Launch: As a Young Trustee for BPE, I attended the TFL Youth Panel Report Launch at the London Transport Museum in 2024. The panel, a group of young people advising TFL, similar to BPE’s Young Trustees, presented their findings on the intersection of equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and sustainable transport. Their work focused on making public transport more accessible and appealing to help reduce emissions, highlighting initiatives such as the TFL GO app for step-free navigation and plans to reuse waste heat from the London Underground to heat homes across the city.
- Working with BBC Bitesize on their Regenerators campaign: Being a Young Trustee for BPE gave me the opportunity to get involved with ‘the Regenerators’, a BBC Bitesize page aimed at inspiring children and teenagers to live greener lives and encourage others to care for the planet. I was able to film content for the page, covering everything from writing to your local MP to reducing food waste and recycling. It was really rewarding to be part of a project that centered young people and encouraged greater awareness and action on climate issues.

The photos three people, with two of them holding framed pictures. — Jodie and Will, former DfE Youth Focal Points, pictured holding pictures of the University of Reading climate stripes with Stephen Morgan MP, former Minister for Early Years education (Jodie Bailey-Ho)

Jodie:

Who are you?

I’m Jodie Bailey-Ho - the newest Young Trustee at Better Planet Education! I’m currently an Environmental Science student at the University of Manchester, and I recently finished my two-year term as one of the Department for Education Youth Focal Points for Sustainability and Climate Change. I’m really excited to have joined the team, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into everything BPE has to offer.

Why did you want to become a Young Trustee?

My last role focussed on working with Ministers and Senior Civil Servants on embedding sustainability into the education system and, as much as I loved it, I missed the opportunity to do a lot of the community and grassroots work I am used to - particularly in working with schools and seeing young children in classrooms connect with nature and the environment. I wanted to become a Young Trustee because I was looking for an opportunity to return to grassroots environmental education while still making a strategic impact. After spending two years in policy work with the DfE, I realised how much I missed being directly connected to schools and communities - seeing that spark when young people engage with environmental issues firsthand. BPE's approach really resonated with me because they're not just talking about change, they're actively working with schools to make it happen. I also felt that my experience bridging policy and practice could bring a valuable perspective to the board, especially in understanding how national priorities translate into meaningful classroom action. After meeting a couple of the young trustees as part of my role, I asked Peter (BPE’s Director) how to get involved - and here we are!

What has your experience of climate education been?

It’s fantastic to be able to make change for the better with BPE - but unfortunately, my own experience of sustainability education was not great at all. One of my A-Level science teachers was a climate change denier (which I feel is ridiculous considering the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change!), but I used to get emails from them attaching articles which described why the data and the graphs were false, and the projections wrong. I hope that this approach was only directed at me because I was vocal on this topic at 17 - and that other less stubborn (shall we say) students weren’t being influenced. But I tried to help them understand, and we had many conversations about it, probably when I should have been studying chemistry.
In my opinion it is vital that other young people do not have similar experiences when learning about climate change. I believe, education on sustainability which is genuine and meaningful is not something young people should have to ask for - it is something which should be freely given. I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to work towards this by being a Young Trustee.

If you're interested in finding out more about becoming a Young Trustee of Better Planet Education, then please click here