Just starting out with advocacy on air pollution? First, learn how you can get startedÌý²¹²Ô»å then build your skills.
Seeing the bigger picture
Watch this video clip of RCPCH Officer for Climate Change, Dr Helena Clements, talking about her motivation to advocate for healthier environments for children and young people:
Local initiatives
School streets: A School Street is a 'road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times'. This reduces children's exposure to traffic-related pollution during their journey to school, and encourages active travel. The provides information and guidance to those wanting to implement a School Street. As a local child health professional, adding your voice to a campaign can amplify and add legitimacy to the messaging. We're calling for a national roll-out of School Streets.
Bicibus: A , or bike bus, supports children to travel to school by bike, in a group that is often accompanied by adults. The group makes a scheduled journey with predefined stops for those joining the group, just like a bus. If you're interested in implementing this project near you, you can download the . Read about the  in Glasgow.
Clean Air Fridays: Visit our case studies library to read about this active travel initiative led by parents at Cutteslowe Primary School in Oxford.
'NoCado' Campaign: Parents and children at Yerbury Primary School in London are for an Ocado depot to be built next door.
Clean Air Hospital Framework: We're calling on the NHS to implement the , a tool designed to improve air quality across hospital sites. Healthcare professionals are well-positioned to advocate for this to be implemented in their local hospitals and ICBs. You could use our position statement quick read to support your campaign.
Local council advocacy: RCPCH Officer for Climate Change, Dr Helena Clements, reflects on advocating for clean air with her local council in this blog.
Regional initiatives
Medact North East: This group of healthcare professionals is working in partnership with other local organisations to lobby their councils to withdraw support for a proposed new waste incinerator in Redcar. They are concerned about how the incinerator will impact air quality and health in the local area, which is economically deprived and already has poor air quality. They delivered an open letter to Newcastle City Council, signed by over 100 local healthcare professionals, and were successful in gaining Ìý²¹²Ô»å media attention for their campaign.
Breathe London: London members - if you're interested in joining a local group advocating for clean air, take a look at Breathe London's to see if there is one you could support in your area.
National initiatives
Healthy Air Coalition: The brings together over 20 UK organisations working together to advocate for clean air. The RCPCH is a member.
International initiatives
Ride for Their Lives:Â is a collective of healthcare professionals and others who cycle together to draw attention to the importance of clean air for a healthy population. In October 2021 they carried messages from paediatric patients by bike to world leaders at COP25 in Glasgow. on a future ride.
