Butterfield Bank is looking for young people who are innovators and passionate about climate change.

The bank has joined Emirates GBR SailGP Team’s Purpose Partner, the 1851 Trust, as the Official Bermuda Impact Partner for the Protect Our Future schools programme taking place alongside the Bermuda SailGP event next month.

Together, the bank and the trust will deliver climate education lessons for local schools.

Butterfield said: “A total of $10,000 will be awarded across projects that will deliver a legacy for the local community and make a real sustainable difference in Bermuda.”

The 1851 Trust was launched in 2014 by Sir Ben Ainslie and supported by HRH Princess of Wales as its Royal Patron. It is a specialist education charity that harnesses the power of athletes and sport to inspire young people globally through Stem learning and climate action.

The trust’s climate education programme, Protect Our Future, equips young people and educators with the skills and knowledge to understand climate science and take positive action.

Since the programme started, climate education lessons have been delivered at SailGP events across the globe, inspiring more than 1,000 young people to use their voice to tell their own climate action stories.

During the Bermuda SailGP event, sailors from the Emirates GBR SailGP Team will work with young people in the local community on climate science knowledge, empowering them to drive change.

Butterfield’s Protect Our Future Climate Action Grant will be awarded to a chosen project that engages the community around sustainability issues.

All schools are invited to apply for the grant, including primary, secondary, public, and private institutions, and entries can be submitted as a whole school, a class or an eco-club.

Butterfield said: “Some examples of areas a project could cover are: biodiversity – nature restoration; improving energy conservation; waste reduction or reuse; animal protection/health; enhancing ocean environment/health; reducing environmental impacts – eg travel.

The judging panel will include Butterfield representatives and Sir Ben Ainslie from the Emirates GBR SailGP Team.

A Butterfield spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be working with the 1851 Trust, the Purpose Partner of Emirates GBR SailGP Team, as the Official Bermuda Impact Partner for Protect Our Future, a programme which is very much aligned to Butterfield’s own sustainability framework values.

“With the climate action grant and as an Official Partner of the Bermuda SailGP event itself, we hope to make a positive impact both on and off the water.”

1851 Trust ambassador and Emirates GBR SailGP strategist Hannah Mills said: “The Butterfield Protect Our Future Climate Action Grant is an exciting initiative to empower and equip young people in Bermuda with the knowledge and skills to tell their own climate action stories, enabling them to speak confidently and take action on climate change within their own community.

“As a team, we very much look forward to being back in Bermuda this May and working together with our partners to deliver maximum impact for the community.”

Emirates GBR said: “SailGP is an international sailing competition that features high-performance F50 foiling catamarans competing on a global circuit around the world.

“The world’s most exciting race on water returns to race on Bermuda’s Great Sound on May 4 and 5.

“SailGP is the only sports league in the world to have a podium for sport and the planet, with teams competing to win the Impact League, which tracks the positive action they are taking to reduce their carbon footprint and boost inclusivity in sailing.”