Know your Hood, Save your Hood: How Local Heroes Are Leading Environmental Change

2024 LOCAL ADAPTATION CHAMPIONS AWARD NOMINEE

Across Greece, Cyprus, and the wider Mediterranean, urban and natural areas face a growing environmental challenge due to climate change and urban mis-management. Pollution, illegal landfills, and waste management challenges are threatening both ecosystems and community health. With mounting pressure from climate change, these issues highlight the urgent need for local action to restore degraded environments and build climate resilience.

Save Your Hood: A Grassroots Movement Led by Local Communities

In response to these challenges, Save Your Hood (SYH) was born. What began as a small, volunteer-led clean-up in an Athens neighborhood during the pandemic has evolved into a nationwide people-powered movement. SYH empowers local communities to identify the most pressing environmental concerns in their area and plan actions to address them.

"From the very beginning, we knew this initiative had to be by the people and for the people. The residents know their neighborhoods best, and they are the ones who can make lasting change," says Christina Gkremou, the project’s founder and CEO.

At the heart of SYH is a network of 54,000 volunteers, spread across 254 municipalities in Greece and 36 in Cyprus. These local leaders, or "Trashknights," collaborate with residents, governments, and organizations to design and implement actions and environmental education programs. "This isn’t just about picking up trash—it’s about rethinking how we interact with our environment and empowering communities to protect their future," Gkremou adds.

Empowering Local Leadership and Driving Change

SYH’s bottom-up approach places decision-making power directly in the hands of local communities. Volunteer groups organize their own disaster response initiatives, educational workshops, and clean-ups. They identify their neighborhood’s most pressing environmental issues and work together to develop tailored solutions. In this way, SYH has created a sustainable, scalable model for urban resilience and community-led adaptation to climate change.

“We believe in collective action,” says Gkremou. “Our volunteers aren’t just participants—they are leaders who shape the direction of the movement. This is how real change happens—from the ground up, through empowerment and collaboration.”

From Local Actions to Global Impact

Since its inception in 2020, Save Your Hood has transformed neighborhoods across Greece and Cyprus. The movement’s success has reached far beyond the region, inspiring clean-ups in 12 other countries, including Turkey, France, Spain, and even as far as Kenya and Tanzania.

Through partnerships with schools, more than 4,300 students have participated in environmental education programs, learning hands-on about waste management, recycling, and sustainable practices. These educational efforts are shaping a new generation of climate-conscious citizens who will continue the fight for cleaner, greener communities.

The SYH initiative has also built strong ties with local governments. Collaborating with 76% of Greek municipalities and 92% in Cyprus, SYH integrates its actions into broader climate adaptation plans.

As SYH looks ahead, the focus remains on deepening its impact within Greece and Cyprus, while strengthening its local leadership model. With the right support, the project aims to expand its educational programs, reach more volunteers, and replicate its success in new regions.