Environmentally concerned Cambridge youngsters who set up Britain’s first schools eco-council travelled to Westminster today.

The group was led by Ella Hone (12) and Samaya Hone (14) from Chesterton Community College and ranged in age from youngest member Iona Wheeler (9) to Ben Mitchell (18).

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, welcomed the group who he took for a special meeting with the Secretary of State for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP.

The meeting follows an intervention in the House of Commons by Mr Zeichner earlier in the year, asking Mr Gove to meet some of the impassioned Cambridge young climate change activists who he met supporting the recent Youth Strikes 4 Climate. The meeting will be an opportunity for the young people to raise their concerns with Mr Gove directly and to urge the Government to take stronger action on this issue.

Mr Zeichner said: “I am delighted to be welcoming the group of young climate activists to Parliament and to host this meeting with the Environment Secretary. Over the last few months we have seen climate change dominate the political agenda, and quite rightly too. We need action now and I have no doubt that these young people will be able to impress the urgency of this on the Secretary of State.”

“It has been so inspiring to see the passion and commitment from students in Cambridge; we should use this moment to make the ‘rapid, unprecedented and far-reaching transitions‘ that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report called for back in October.“