An inspiring eight-year-old who gathers teams for litter-picking and planting trees to help save our planet, has just been awarded Young Person of the Year.
School pupil Aleesha Gadhia won Rushcliffe Council’s award at a prestigious ceremony after being nominated by the Lady Mayor of Rushcliffe. Aleesha has been raising awareness since she was six-years-old to tackle climate change and save the planet.
The passion Aleesha has been contacting local companies to see what they were doing about saving the planet. And it doesn’t stop there… Aleesha is Cool Earth’s first ever mini ambassador, and has writing hundreds of letters and emails to influential people, including Sir David Attenborough, Boris Johnson and the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Aleesha received letters from all the above and many, many more began to reply to her correspondence with them.
She has since, scooted 50 miles to raise money for Cool Earth (over £3,000) and has won numerous awards for her campaigning.
Recently the young save the planet hero was on Blue Peter and gathered her local community to litter pick and clean up her local parks; and she’s won numerous awards including The Child of Britain Awards (Environmental champion) and the Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister.
In the summer Aleesha was invited to Downing Street to speak to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson about Climate Change.
Not one to lag on her commitment, Aleesha has even made a mark on her local community by planting trees with her local MP.
When travelling abroad, she plants a tree overseas to offset her carbon footprint. She has planted trees in Egypt and even the Dominican Republic, as well as gathering team of people whilst on holiday to litter pick along the beach.
Now the wise-eight-year-old has started a petition with help from the Lady Mayor of Rushcliffe to ban all helium balloons being released into the environment. Balloons often end up as microplastics and harm local wildlife and the oceans.
She says: “We don’t have a ‘Planet B’. I want everyone to understand their impact on our planet.
“I’m worried about my future and the future generations to come. If something is not done now then it may be too late.
“I’m hoping to raise as much awareness as possible and inspire other children my age to tackle these issues.”
