Boris Johnson has heaped praise on two young climate change activists at the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards in partnership with TSB.
The Prime Minister was unable to attend the awards on Saturday but paid tribute to the first recipients of the Environmental Champion prize in a short clip from Rome.
Ella and Amy Meeks, aged just 16 and 18, won the prize after founding Kids Against Plastic, a youth social action group which is now a registered charity.
Mr Johnson said: "It's highly appropriate that in the year, the moment that when we're coming together to try to tackle climate change, the Pride of Britain Awards have a special category for Environmental Champion.
"I'm delighted to congratulate the winners, Amy and Ella, on what you have done and all your achievements, particularly in tackling plastic pollution.
"You've taken action when so many others might have found it easy just to walk on by.
"So thank you for what you've done.
"And everybody at Pride of Britain, I just want say that every year Pride of Britain gives an intense, emotion-packed account of those acts of bravery, of kindness, of selflessness that allow us all to take pride in our country and pride in Britain.
"Thank you very much".
Kids Against Plastic encourages people to be more "plastic clever" and urges them to ditch single-use plastics.
Amy and Ella have given TED talks about their work, addressed politicians at Westminster and even spoke at the United Nations’ Young Activist Summit in December 2019.
They’ve nearly reached their target of collecting 100,000 pieces of rubbish, one for every sea mammal killed by plastic pollution every year.
The pair also run a scheme to champion other anti-plastic activists who do the same around the country.
Their first book, Be Plastic Clever, was published last year.
Amy said: “We take our gloves and litter pickers with us wherever we go at weekends and fill our pockets with plastic if we’re on a bike ride.
"Once you start picking it up, you start seeing it everywhere and then you end up feeling uncomfortable about driving or walking past it without doing something.”
Ella adds: “We are all part of the problem, which makes us part of the solution.”
The Pride of Britain Awards paid tribute to the best and the brightest of Britain on Saturday in a celebrity-packed event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
After 22 years, the ceremony still manages to demonstrate how Britain is brimming with selflessness, courage and compassion.
These awards had a different feel. After last year’s virtual event there was joy that these heroes could once again be celebrated in the flesh, but sadness at the absence of its founder and heartbeat, Peter Willis, who died earlier this year.
Ashley Banjo also joined Carol Vorderman to co-host the ceremony for the first time.
Pride of Britain Awards
The winners of each category are selected by a panel of celebrity judges.
Nominations will fall into one of eight areas:
- TSB Community Hero Award - for people who go to remarkable lengths to help others.
- Good Morning Britain Young Fundraiser of the Year - to reward a young person aged 17 and under for impressive charity work
- Outstanding Bravery - for adults who risk their own safety to help others at threat
- Lifetime Achievement Award - to recognise a community achievement, possibly on a national or international scale
- ITV Fundraiser of the Year - for tireless charity fundraising by someone ged 18 and over
- This Morning Emergency Services Award - for police, fire, ambulance, paramedics or air, sea or mountain rescue who have gone beyond the call of duty
- Child/Teenager of Courage - for those young people who fight against the odds to help others, or put themselves at risk to save someone in danger
- Special Recognition - for achievements not covered above, such as inspiring carers, campaigners and members of armed force
Watch Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, Tonight, ITV, 8pm.
