A Warwickshire Youth Council member is showing how young people's ideas can make a real difference after helping rescue a huge amount of windfall fruit through an innovative project combinin...
A Warwickshire Youth Council member is showing how young people's ideas can make a real difference after helping rescue a huge amount of windfall fruit through an innovative project combining technology with community action.
Akhil Akella, a Year 9 student at Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby, is the creator of Windfall, an initiative that encourages communities to rescue unwanted fruit and put it to good use rather than letting it go to waste.
The idea for Windfall began during a road trip, when Akhil noticed apples rotting on pavements and wondered how they could be put to better use.
Determined to do something about it, he collected his first 100kg of apples by hand and took them to local stables.
Inspired by this experience, Akhil developed Windfall, an app that helps people identify fruit trees, locate surplus fruit and organise collections so that perfectly good fruit doesn't go to waste.
Launched in summer 2026, the app uses an interactive map where users can share the locations of fruit trees, provide information about available fruit and record how much has been collected. It also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help assess fruit quality through photographs.
Working with a small team, Akhil has already helped rescue more than 2,500kg of fruit, demonstrating how a simple idea, supported by technology and community action, can make a real difference.
The fruit collected can be put to good use in different ways, including supporting food banks and community kitchens, providing animal feed or turning fruit into products such as jams and juices.
Akhil recently presented his Windfall app at the launch of Warwickshire Food Together 2026–2028, held at the Old Shire Hall in Warwick on 28 September. The event brought together council representatives, food champions, food banks and community organisations to explore ways of strengthening Warwickshire's local food system.
Following his presentation, Warwickshire County Council and partners in the forum agreed to promote the app more widely, helping him take the next steps towards his ambition of involving schools and communities across the country.
Speaking about his ambitions, Akhil said: "My plan now is to grow Windfall from a Warwickshire initiative into a national movement. I'm keen to share the project with schools across the country and encourage students to get involved."
Akhil's passion for technology began when he was just eight years old, learning to code during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, he has gained professional certifications in areas including AI, cloud computing and app development.
His work on Windfall has already attracted national attention. At the AI Summit London in June 2026 he presented his Windfall white Paper to UK AI Minister, exploring how community technology could offer environmental benefits such as reducing emissions into the atmosphere.
Warwickshire County Councillor Wayne Briggs, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, Education and SEND, said "Akhil is a fantastic example of the creativity, ambition and determination of young people in Warwickshire.
"Through Warwickshire Youth Council, we want to work with young people, support them and give them opportunities to share their ideas, develop their skills and make a difference in their communities. Akhil’s Windfall app demonstrates an excellent case of doing this.”
Warwickshire County Councillor Mike Bannister, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Internal Affairs, added: "It's wonderful to see Akhil putting his passion for technology into practice and using it to help others. Supporting Akhil to promote the app further through working with the council and partners in the food forum links to our ambitions to optimise technology where it can bring real benefits to our communities. His achievements are something to be proud of, and I hope his story inspires more young people to get involved and follow their own ideas."
For Akhil, one of the most important lessons from his experience is that young people don't need to have everything figured out before taking the first step. Sharing his advice with other young people, he said: "You don't have to know everything before you develop new ideas. Look at the real problems around you, learn the skills you need a little bit at a time and don't be afraid to ask for help. Windfall started with just one person and one idea, and we've now rescued more than 2,500kg of fruit."
People can join Windfall at https://windfall-app.co.uk/