This session is being delivered by:

Matilda Thaddeus-Johns (she/her)

Matilda Thaddeus-Johns is the Head of Programme for youth social action programme, the Persil Dirt Is Good Schools Programme. Her career spans across the creativity, social action and education sectors and she has been instrumental in designing and developing programmes that harness the power of creativity and youth voice within formal and non-formal education settings, bringing these to scale across the UK. Matilda believes passionately in the power of young voices and in the great potential of the next generation of thinkers, so providing opportunities and platforms for young people to be creative, to confidently express their opinions and to be agents of change is at the heart of her work: from setting up a new theatre in an education company focused on improving wellbeing, to delivering national programmes using the arts and creativity to empower school students, and her voluntary role as a school governor. 

Rich Holmes (he/him)

Rich Holmes is the Head of Partnerships at Planet League, an organisation working in partnership with 77 professional football clubs to promote climate action to fanbases, communities and schools. Planet League run tournaments which see football clubs compete in league tables, where fans are responsible for scoring goals for the teams they support by taking simple actions to help the planet, with over 60 ways to score, examples include walking to work/school, eating a meat-free-meal and using a reusable water bottle. Planet League also provide free classroom resources to help with climate education. 

Mya Mensah (she/her)

Mya Mensah is an 11-year-old budding baker from South London. She started baking with her family at the age of two using cupcake mix kits. Mya has learned to make everything from cakes to pies, bread to biscuits, entremets to choux and so much more. Mya loves to use her baking to express herself, challenge herself and tell a story. She is passionate about caring for others and making a positive change, working as part of her School Council. At home, Mya loves caring for her two pet goldfish. She also enjoys growing a range of plants at home - herbs, edible flowers and succulents to name a few.

Kiri Ley

Kiri Ley is a Greenpeace Speaker. Her study of environmental justice issues over the past few years has coincided with continued political inaction. This has inspired Kiri to do as much as she can to engage people from all walks of life in what she sees as the largest, most intersectional justice issue of our time, with a people-centred approach. Kiri works in face-to-face fundraising for Greenpeace, studies part-time, and participates in activism with other environmental justice organisations. Kiri hopes to develop her experience in support work with people with disabilities, theatre, activism and academia to empower a range of audiences to take action in the way best-suited to them.