William backs Blue Peter Earthshot contest to find young change-makers

Children’s TV show Blue Peter is kicking off a search for young environmentalists, whose winning ideas on creating a sustainable future will be recognised by the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize.

The BBC competition invites children aged five to 15 to submit an original proposal which aims to achieve one of the five goals set out by the William’s Earthshot Prize – Protect And Restore Nature; Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans; Build A Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.

There will be five winners, one for each Earthshot category, the BBC said.

“I started the Earthshot Prize to search for solutions to the world’s biggest environmental challenges and we want to find the next generation of young inventors who can make a change,” William said.

The royal founded the Earthshot Prize environmental award in 2020 with a 10-year mission to find ways to protect and repair the environment with innovative solutions.

The Blue Peter competition also has the backing of environmental champions including TV presenter Steve Backshall, wildlife cameraman and Strictly Come Dancing winner Hamza Yassin , as well as Harry Potter star Bonnie Wright.

“We hope to empower children to see that their ideas can come to life and really make a difference,” Backshall said.

“I hope we can guide Blue Peter viewers to learn about environmental challenges and inspire them to dream up their own inventive ideas as solutions.”

The contest is billed as searching for “aspiring environmentalists and leaders to describe their idea or innovation to help create a healthy, sustainable future: what it looks like, how it can be used and what benefit it could bring to the planet; and accompany this with a drawing or poster to bring the idea to life”.

Winners of the Blue Peter Earthshot competition will each receive a certificate and win an exclusive Blue Peter orange competition winner’s badge, the BBC said.

They will also be invited to take part in special VIP filming with Blue Peter and receive a copy of the Earthshot Prize book titled A Handbook For Dreamers and Thinkers: Solutions To Repair Our Planet.

“The optimism, creativity, and ingenuity of young people is the fuel that powers The Earthshot Prize and our efforts to find and support exciting environmental innovations,” said Hannah Jones, chief executive of the Earthshot Prize.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Blue Peter to inspire young minds to use their boundless imagination to envision the future they want to live in.”

The competition launches at on Friday at 5pm and will close on October 28 at 5pm, with the winners set to be announced on Blue Peter in 2025.