International Mission For Lizzie
18 November 2008
Lizzie Gawen, centre, manning the People and Planet stall in the Atrium with fellow students at the annual Fresher's Fair.
Youth needs to be involved in the decision-making process because it's our future and we feel we can have a positive influence.
”Lizzie Gawen
A Derby student set to represent the UK at the United Nations climate change conference is appealing for funds to help sponsor her trip.
Lizzie Gawen is the Ethics and Environment Officer for the Students' Union at the University of Derby and is studying Third World Development Studies.
She needs to raise £1,200 to go to the conference in Poland with the Students' Union already funding £250.
Lizzie Gawen is one of 10 young people from the UK attending the talks in Poland, and the 20-year-old will be among the climate change speakers at the Friends Meeting House, in St Helen's Street, tonight from 7pm.
Lizzie will be one of 500 youth delegates at the two-day youth conference taking place before the main negotiations in Poland on November 28 and was selected after sending in an application form to the UK Youth Climate Coalition.
Newly-elected US President Barack Obama is expected to make an appearance at the summit.
Lizzie, from Bridge Street, Derby, who plans to travel to Poland on the train to promote green transport, will then sit in on key negotiations between environmental ministers in the Polish city of Poznan between December 2 and 12.
She applied to be a delegate because she feels climate change has the potential to destroy the planet.
She said: "Youth needs to be involved in the decision-making process because it's our future and we feel we can have a positive influence."
To pledge money, visit the website: www.bmycharity.com/lizziegawen.
And the website for people to find out more about the project is http://ukycc.org.
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For more information about this news release, contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Simon Redfern on 01332 591942 or 07748 920038.
