GENeration ReuZe
Empowering Young Voices for a Greener Future
This Earth Day, we’re thrilled to launch GENeration ReuZe — a powerful new campaign from City to Sea, in partnership with Youth Environmental Service (YES), and supported by the Big Give’s Green Match Fund.
From today until April 29th, we aim to raise £10,000, with £5,000 coming from donations and the rest matched by Big Give. This will go towards funding two, 12-month placements for young environmental leaders from marginalised backgrounds — full-time and fully paid.
It’s bold, it’s urgent, and it’s just the beginning.
Why GENeration ReuZe?
Did you know, according to the 2024 Race Report, that the UK environmental sector is still one of the least diverse in the country? At the same time, we’re facing a growing green skills gap. A recent parliamentary report found that public awareness of green skills — the knowledge and abilities needed to build a more sustainable society — is extremely low. Moreover, Teach the Future revealed that 70% of teachers don’t feel equipped to educate their students on the climate crisis.
This means that young people, especially those from marginalised communities, are being left out of climate conversations and possible career pathways at a time when their voices are needed most. GENeration ReuZe is here to help bridge that gap.
What will the campaign fund?
With your support, we’ll be able to offer two 12-month, full-time, paid placements at City to Sea for 18–25-year-olds from marginalised backgrounds. These roles will be paid at the Real Living Wage and provide:
- Hands-on environmental and circular economy training
- A dedicated career coach and 1:1 mentorship
- Real-world experience working with our campaigning and comms teams
- A platform to advocate for policy change and influence systems from the inside
- A network of peers and professionals across the green sector
These young changemakers will be working at the heart of our mission to stop plastic pollution at source, while shaping their own future in the environmental space.
We’re proud to be partnering with Youth Environmental Service (YES) to deliver these placements. YES is a programme for young people to spend a year doing paid work at leading environmental organisations, where they can build new skills, make new connections, and do impactful environmental work.
A climate and environmental emergency is all our young people know. They are paying the high costs for previous generations’ throw-away culture and plastic waste. Generation ReuZe will give 18–25 year-olds a say in how the future circular economy should work and a seat at the table with government leaders and legislators. We’re asking Bristol’s businesses and communities to support our campaign providing fairly paid opportunities for young people in the region to forge careers in the environmental sector.
YES aims to offer life-changing experiences for young people, and I have no doubt that working with City to Sea to tackle plastic pollution and clear up our waterways will be a fantastic first step into a green career. YES will be with them every step of the way, and they’ll have access to a dedicated career coach to guide their growth, as well as being part of a network of peers, all finding their feet in the sector at the same time.
We believe young people deserve the tools, confidence, and platform to lead, not just be spoken for. GENeration ReuZe is about creating those opportunities, right here in the South West.
How you can support
Donate to our campaign now via Big Give. Every £1 (up to £5k) is being doubled this week making twice the difference. Share the campaign with your friends, family, and networks — every share helps!
If you’re a local business interested in building Bristol’s green future, host a YES placement. Get in touch with Jess at Youth Environmental Service to find out how.
GENeration ReuZe is about more than just a placement — it’s about building a legacy. By empowering young people today, we’re helping shape a more diverse, skilled, and future-facing environmental movement.
Let’s build the next generation of environmental leaders. Together we can turn the tide on plastic pollution.