Last week, my colleague Caroline Middleton and I had the chance to represent the RSA at Blue Earth Summit 2025. It was a busy, inspiring couple of days bringing together people working across sustainability, community, and innovation.
We were there to share our work on Playful Green Planet, which supports communities in turning underused green spaces in highly urbanised areas into outdoor play and learning environments for local children, building their ecological stewardship while regenerating the green spaces themselves. Playful Green Planet is all about building connections between people, places, and nature, and it was great to see how much the initiative resonated with others.
One of the best parts of the event was meeting so many RSA Fellows in person! Many are already involved in local projects that align closely with Playful Green Planet, from green education programmes to community-led regeneration projects. It was encouraging to see how their work connects to the RSA’s broader mission and how far-reaching our Fellowship is.
We also met lots of people who hadn’t heard of the RSA before but were curious about getting involved. A few were particularly interested in Fellowship and how it connects people across the globe through shared values and ideas. It reminded us of the power of our Fellowship to turn ideas into action, particularly as we face down some of the most significant environmental and social challenges of our time.
Blue Earth Summit was a great place to listen and learn. We spoke with other charities, bold new start-ups, and social enterprises doing brilliant work in nature-based learning and community innovation. The team came away with ideas to strengthen the network and build new partnerships.
We joined several thought-provoking talks. One, “Privilege and Planet: Who Gets to Save the World?”, explored inclusion in climate action. And another, “Which Innovations Will Drive Regenerative Transformation?”, focused on how technology can power change.
We came away energised by conversations with long-time Fellows and new faces alike. The Blue Earth Summit reminded us that the RSA is part of a wider community driving positive change.
We’re now following up on new connections, exploring potential partnerships, and looking at ways to grow Playful Green Planet’s reach.
