Welcome to the Community Sport and Recreation Awards 2024: Going Green Award, sponsored by WGC
The Going Green Award celebrates organisations/clubs that are making a commitment towards reducing net emissions and increasing sustainability. Showing a consideration of the footprint we leave behind is arguably the key issue of our lifetime across society, as well as in the sport and recreation sector, so we think it’s vital to recognise those that are leading the way.
Find out more about each of this year’s finalists below:
Embracing green activities and policies is a key part of Deer Park Archers’ DNA, and the club’s work over the last year has demonstrated this.
The club has integrated a field archery course in the woodland, not only helping the club transform into a high-class facility, but also enhancing the development of native flora and fauna. It has also installed solar panels, recycled bows, seen an increase in wildlife activity, improved habitats, recycled target materials and encouraged lift sharing.
All of this has helped to treble membership numbers, developed numerous world-class athletes, and turn a barren swamp into a hub of sport, social and recreational activities.
Eat, Sleep, Ride, CIC embarked on its environmental journey by transforming a landfill site and constructing an entirely off-grid centre.
All of the club’s training facilities have been crafted using locally sourced or salvaged wood and repurposed steel containers, and furnished with items acquired through freecycling initiatives. It also hosts ten endangered bird species on the premises, and actively engages in educational endeavours to raise awareness, alongside the plantation of over 1000 trees and its butterfly bank.
The ecosystem created by the organisation has helped to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and waste, with plans in place to increase solar capacity and energy efficiency further in the future.
As the national governing body for athletics, England Athletics’ sustainability work focuses on advocacy and campaigning, driving change amongst clubs and events.
In each of the organisation’s departments there are green champions, each of whom have received training via England Athletics’ membership of BASIS (The British Association for Sustainable Sport). The organisation has also entered into a partnership with The Green Runners, which is helping to reach more clubs at the grassroots level, with around 35 clubs currently engaged on a pilot programme, establishing green champions and making change at local level.
Plans are in place to roll out this pilot programme across all of England Athletics’ 1,800 clubs and affiliated bodies in the future.
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