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Co-op Foundation commits £2.4 million to green job opportunities for young people
Howard Lake | 13 October 2026 | News
The Co-op Foundation has announced a £2.4 million Green Opportunities Fund to help young people in the UK into green jobs and careers. The fund is financed by sales of Co-op’s compostable carrier bags, together with money from the Foundation itself.
The announcement is backed by the Foundation’s research with young people. It found that 59% of those who had heard the term “green job” could not explain what it meant, and 46% had not heard of green jobs in education. At the same time 72% see Net Zero as an opportunity. The Foundation links the fund to the wider youth employment challenge, with nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, according to GOV.UK figures.
The first funded partners
- Touch of Love Outreach (Aberdeen)
- KRIMMZ (Bolton): Green Futures for Girls, reaching 150 young women
- Comics Youth CIC (Merseyside): a two-year programme with the Environment Agency
- Oasisplay (London): converting go karts to e-karts
- Adra Tai Cyfyngedig (Gwynedd): Camu i’r Copa, and the Tŷ Gwyrddfai Decarbonisation Hub
- CAN GROW (Ballymoney): Lislagan Farm, an 11-acre site
- Landworkers’ Alliance (UK-wide): a three-year campaign
The MCS Foundation is contributing £25,000 towards each of two of the grants, those to Touch of Love Outreach and Adra Tai Cyfyngedig.
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Heather Thomas, Property and Sustainability Director at Co-op Group, said:
“Nearly one million young people in the UK aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training, according to the latest government data, and too many in our communities tell us they don’t know what green jobs are, let alone how to work towards one.
“That’s why we’re investing in practical partnerships, yielding opportunities that are accessible, visible and help young people build skills, gain experience and connect with employers.
Nick Crofts, CEO of the Co-op Foundation, also commented:
“We know from our research that young people care about climate action and want to learn more about jobs in sustainability and the green economy, which is why targeted funding such as this is so important.
“At a time when the jobs market is so difficult for young people, we’re proud to fund partners who are leading the way in supporting young people and developing a valuable talent pool for the future.”
- Single use plastic bags charge increases to 10p (6 April 2021)
- Co-op Foundation anounces £1 million fund for Welsh community groups (1 May 2019)
- Co-op Local Community Fund applications close next month (26 June 2024)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.