Aston Villa’s Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Saturday marked Green Football Weekend, with 80 professional clubs across the country taking the pledge and encouraging fans to reduce their carbon footprint.
In the build-up to the initiative, the Aston Villa Foundation delivered sustainability workshops across 10 schools, reaching over 500 pupils and teachers.
The workshops focused on the club’s environmental sustainability commitment Claret, Blue and Green, which highlights the short and long-term actions Villa are taking to reduce our carbon footprint.
Pupils held discussions around what the club are already doing to lessen the environmental impacts during matchdays, including sustainable swaps from plastics, providing the ONE Planet ONE Chance reusable cups to fans, the promotion of public transport systems and meat-free meals.
The work the Foundation does around promoting sustainability in the pupils’ everyday lives is actively built into the Foundation’s teaching delivery. Pupils take part in the creation of social action projects across the academic year, focusing on tackling environmental issues in their local areas, grasping a better understanding of the cause, and what changes they can make to lessen their own environmental impact, leading the way for their peers.
Partner school Hodge Hill Primary School said: “The work the Aston Villa Foundation’s schools team do for our pupils is a great asset to our curriculum, and the sustainability workshops have been informative for the children.
“They have enjoyed the lessons, particularly when looking at the impact they can make in their local communities.”
Alex Owens, Schools Co-ordinator for the Aston Villa Foundation, added: “The link to Green Football Weekend brings the social action project to life, showcasing what pupils have learnt and linking into the club’s own sustainability commitment.
“It is great to see the children’s decisions in tackling climate change and how themselves, the school and families can be more sustainable.”
Villa fans also contributed greatly to the success of Green Football Weekend, making pledges to reduce their own carbon footprint. The pledges made scored points for the club, seeing Villa finish seventh out of the 80 clubs on the league table.
