Young Friends of the Earth celebrate disability justice win

A bus pass that only worked outside of peak hours meant that disabled people were locked out of the times they actually needed to travel for work, education, appointments, caring for family, or just having a life.

The Prime Minister has announced that time restrictions on disabled bus passes will be scrapped across England from 1 April 2027. 

I am absolutely amazed that the government listened to our campaign and I’m so glad I did it! 

– Josh Lord Young FoE campaigner on the Better Buses Campaign. 

What is Young Friends of the Earth?

Friends of the Earth has many Young Friends of the Earth groups across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They campaign on issues that affect them where they live.

Friends of the Earth runs year-long community organising, called My World My Home in working-class colleges and youth settings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Who are Young Friends of the Earth Leeds?  

Young Friends of the Earth Leeds was set up in 2022 by Laura McFarlane Shopes – Friends of the Earth’s lead Further Education community organiser who designed the My World My Home curriculum and manages the team alongside directly coaching Leeds based youth activists. 

They have been organising in Leeds City College but since June have set up a branch for students and non-students across West Yorkshire. Recently they have been campaigning on tackling environmental harm in supply chains through the national Planet over Profit campaign.  

Young Friends of the Earth groups across England have organised on improve bus services throughout our ten years running this programme. We're proud Leeds My World My Home played a genuine part in this national win.

Leeds Young Friends of the Earth group with their visual petition showing hundreds of students demanding Better Buses.

How did Leeds Young Friends of the Earth play their part in this campaign?

In 2025, the Leeds City College cohort of Young Friends of the Earth Leeds chose to campaign on Better Buses, including a 24-hour disabled bus pass.

In June 2025, after repeated requests for a meeting with decision-makers went unanswered, the group protested outside the West Yorkshire Mayor's office. 

This resulted in the head of transport and the political lead coming down and arranging a meeting three weeks later. 

In the meeting they made commitments to raise the group's demands with the Transport Minister and with the Mayor to include their demands into the Region’s summer transport plan. 

The young people involved in this campaign showed tenacity and insight in bringing their campaign to the Mayor’s doors after being ignored for months. It was a pleasure to coach this group of such skilled young people and accompany them while escalating their campaign tactics. I am proud that Young Friends of the Earth offers marginalised young people the support and training needed to be courageous and effective campaigners. 

- Laura McFarlane-Shopes, Friends of the Earth.  

In March, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin confirmed she had heard the calls for a 24-hour disabled bus pass and would put this in place for the region.  

The local win went national with Prime Minister Andy Burnham announcing that time restrictions on disabled bus passes will be scrapped across England from 1 April 2027 — a change disability rights and sustainable transport campaigners have pushed for many years.

The Head of Transport joining Leeds Young Friends of the Earth group on the street to hear their demands.

Why does Young Friends of the Earth create spaces that centre disability justice?  

As far as we're aware, we're the only environmental organisation bringing together young disabled and non-disabled people, from segregated/SEND settings and mainstream education, to campaign as one group. 

The group were supported by Friends of the Earth’s Youth Network Manager and disability campaigns specialist, Francesca Di Giorgio. She said:  

 I believe that by centering justice, and creating inclusive campaigning spaces, we created a magic mix of activists who brought their unique insights and skills. This is exactly what was needed to have impact. I'd encourage all campaigning organisations to embrace this way of working, not just because it's the ‘right’ thing to do, but because without young disabled people working alongside non-disabled people in our movements, we're far less likely to win on the issues we care about.

With thanks to National Lottery players and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for their past funding of this programme, and to Natracare for funding our current campaign leadership training programme, which many members of this group have joined and have big plans with. Also thank you to Leeds City College for being a wonderful partner supporting young campaigners.

Young Friends of the Earth West Yorkshire on Friends of the Earth's Environmental Justice Leadership programme standing in solidarity with communities in Albania fighting to protect the Vjosë-Narta protected area from destructive luxury resort developments.

How can you get involved?

Thanks to funding from Natracare, the core leaders of our Leeds Young Friends of the Earth group are now on an environmental justice leadership programme, developing their next campaign. There are events coming this autumn to welcome new members.

Friends of the Earth's Youth Network wants everyone in our network to be able to thrive. Right now, we're focused on raising the funds to properly support young disabled members, things like PA costs and essential equipment at events, so we never need to turn anyone away as a result of their access needs. 

While we do that work, we're putting our energy into building the power of our existing Young Friends of the Earth groups. We'll open for new members and new groups again later this year.

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Find out more

Friends of the Earth believes climate justice is disability justice. Find out more about our Youth Network's work below...

• Groups in Leeds, Nottingham and Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland developed disability justice manifestos.
• If you’d like to learn more, check out the chapter on disability justice and eco-ableism in one of past programme’s climate justice coursebooks.
• Look at this autism, noise and climate resource, developed by youth network member Yaomin, on how the environmental movement can make spaces more inclusive for autistic people.
• Youth network member Tamara was commissioned by Friends of the Earth to write a piece for Disability History Month and has also written for The Big Issue.

Climate and disability justice

We are calling on the Government to take urgent action to protect people from extreme weather, which is destroying lives across the UK, by ensuring that its National Adaptation Plan delivers real protection from the impacts of the climate emergency.

Friends of the Earth believes in the disability rights principle "Nothing About Us Without Us". That's why we brought together communities, activists and youth network members affected by extreme weather to help shape our policy recommendations for the National Adaptation Programme (NAP). – watch the video on Instagram and LinkedIn.

The network has been involved in Friends of the Earth's work on the national adaptation plan, where we're campaigning for disabled people’s rights to be protected during extreme weather events. 

• Check out London Young Friends of the Earth group leader Nayyan speaking about the High Court case we took part in in 2024 on the Government's weak National Adaptation Plan, which we are now taking to the European Court of Human Rights.