Environmental Award FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are looking for more information regarding the Environmental Awards or Grants, we hope the information below will answer the questions you may have. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us at mail@jackpetchy.org.uk.

Who can nominate a young person for an Environmental Award?

Nominations can be submitted by any organisation currently part of the Achievement Award Scheme, except for uniform clubs and umbrella organisations.

If you are with an organisation not running the Achievement Award Scheme, you can find out more information on how to join here.

How do I nominate a young person for an Environmental Award?

To nominate a young person for an Environmental Award, you can do so via the Coordinators’ Area. To complete an application, follow these instructions:

Click on ‘Apply’ to access the application form where you will need to check/enter the following:

Your coordinator details (these are read only so please advise us of any required changes)
Name and age of the young person nominated for this award
Reasons this young person has been nominated for this award
Details of how young people, staff and/or volunteers at your organisation been involved in the nomination

How many people can I nominate for an Environmental Award each year?

Your organisation can nominate one young person, per scheme, per calendar year.

However, if for any reason a nomination is not approved, you can resubmit an Environmental Award application providing it’s within the same calendar year.

How do I decide if a young people is eligible to win an Environmental Award?

The young person you nominate must be aged between 11-25
The young person you nominate must not have won an Environmental Award previously with your organisation
The young person is taking part, or has in the last 6 months taken part, in activities which help protect the environment or improve sustainability in their local area

Or…

The young person is doing, or has in the last 6 months been involved in, an activity that has an environmental focus and benefits their wider community. This can include the young person’s school or youth community

Examples of what someone could be nominated for an Environmental Award for includes, but is not limited to:

Volunteering in a community garden or for an environmental charity
Taking part in a community clean-up (e.g. litter picking)
Promoting awareness about sustainability and environment protection (e.g. through art, writing, public speaking)
Starting an environmental initiative at their school or youth group (e.g. recycling, beekeeping, upcycling)

This is not an exhaustive list. We are keen to hear about a variety of activities undertaken by young people where they are making a positive impact on the environment or raising awareness about climate issues.

How do I decide which young people should win the Environmental Award?

We know there are many young people who deserve recognition. These awards are for those young people who have gone above and beyond what might be expected of them. The Achievement Award Scheme as a whole is not intended solely to recognise young people’s academic achievements, and the Environmental Award is the same.

We encourage coordinators to consider nominating a young person who has NOT been nominated for an Achievement Award in the same year.

Our Stories of note showcase inspiring young people who have won Jack Petchey awards.

What does each award winner receive?

When a winner is selected, they will be given:

A framed certificate
A letter from Jack with an opportunity to keep in touch and join our JPF Achievers community
A copy of ‘Notes from Sir Jack Petchey CBE’ – a special booklet with Sir Jack’s own advice and guidance for young achievers

The winner will also be invited to your next Achievement Award Celebration event, where they will be presented with a certificate in front of their peers and VIPs.

They will also have the opportunity to apply for an Environmental Grant of up to £300 that can be spent on a project benefiting your organisation or the local community.

What about the Environmental Grant?

Upon winning the award, a young person is then eligible to apply for an Environmental Grant of up to £300 to be put towards an environmental project with their supporting school or youth organisation. This can be applied for via the Coordinators’ Area. To be eligible:

The application must be in the young person’s own words
The application must name the supporting organisation and this organisation must be a participant on the Achievement Award Scheme
The application must have discussed their proposed project with the organisation in advance, and had agreement that their project will be supported
The applicant can apply for up to £300
The application must be an Environmental Award winner and must have won the award within 6 months of the application
The grant must be spent within 12 months of the grant offer

What can the Environmental Grant money be spent on?

The grant will be administered through the school or youth organisation. It can be used towards a wide range of environmental initiatives including, but not limited to:

Purchasing equipment (e.g. planting materials, recycling facilities, renewable energy equipment)
Organising an event or trip (e.g. a community clean-up, an upcycling day)
Or any other environmental project such as improving a community garden.

Remember the award winner must choose how they would like the funds to be spent.

Please note that award money cannot be spent on an organisation’s core costs – it is specifically marked for activities, resources, trips and other purchases that the young people would not otherwise be able to benefit from. It also cannot go towards something that has already happened as this takes the decision out of the young person’s hands!

If you ever want to discuss a proposed grant spend – simply give us a call! We are always happy to help. It is important that you keep all receipts so that you have a clear and transparent record of your financial transactions.

What is the role of a coordinator?

The Coordinator is responsible for the administration of the Achievement Award Scheme within the organisation/group or school. As such, they should have oversight of the Environmental award nomination, know how the young person would like to spend their grant, and have confidence that the young person’s idea is one the school or youth organisation can support.

The Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that:

The Environmental Award nomination process is run efficiently
That grant reports are submitted on time as required
Communication with your JPF Grants Officer is maintained
Any change of Coordinator is reported to your JPF Grants Officer