Award-Winning Young Environmentalist Visits Blue Planet Aquarium for Shark Dive Experience
Local 14-year-old Thomas Morgan is no ordinary schoolboy – he’s an environmental activist who’s making waves and changing minds with his passionate mission to save our oceans.
From an early age, Thomas has been driven by a deep love of wildlife and an ambition to protect the planet’s marine life. In 2019, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he became increasingly aware of the devastating effects of plastic pollution on our oceans. Determined to make a real difference, he launched the Thomas Morgan One Tonne Challenge – an initiative encouraging organisations to review their environmental policies and collect one tonne of plastic waste, preventing it from breaking down into microplastics and polluting our seas.
The challenge has been a phenomenal success, attracting support from organisations including the Royal Navy, Warrington Council, Canal and River Trust, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, RNLI, Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, English Heritage, and Jaguar Land Rover. The Royal Navy alone collected more than 2.5 tonnes of waste from coastal regions and river paths as part of the challenge.
Thomas personally writes to every organisation that joins, attends meetings with CEOs, and participates in events and media appearances to promote the cause.
2025 British Citizen Youth Award
His inspiring work and unwavering determination were recently recognised on a national stage when Thomas was named among the 2025 British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) Recipients. The award, presented at the Palace of Westminster, honours exceptional young people from across the UK who have made a positive impact in their communities. Thomas received the BCyA Medal of Honour and is now entitled to use the post-nominals ‘BCyA’ – a lasting legacy of his achievements.
TV presenter Tim Vincent, who hosted the ceremony, praised the awardees, saying:
“The BCyA Honours celebrate compassion, selflessness, grit and determination in the young people who are so deserving of their medal.”
At Blue Planet Aquarium, we share Thomas’s passion for ocean conservation. Our mission is to educate and raise awareness about the threats facing the natural environment and ensure that species are protected for future generations. Many of the animals cared for at the aquarium are endangered, and we showcase them to highlight the importance of conservation.
That’s why we were absolutely delighted to invite Thomas to join us for his very own Junior Shark Dive Experience! It was an honour to welcome such an inspirational young person to the aquarium and give him the chance to enjoy close-up encounters with tropical fish, eels, and some of our smaller shark species.
We’re thrilled to see young people like Thomas leading the way in environmental action and inspiring others to do the same. His courage, compassion, and creativity remind us that it’s never too early – or too small an action – to make a difference.
We wish Thomas every success and our support in his mission to protect our oceans and look forward to seeing how his campaign continues to grow. We’ll leave you with his signature call to action:
“Let’s save the world, one recycling item at a time!”
