Group delivery
Sustainability and the environment
We are living in a climate emergency. It can feel overwhelming and that we as individuals can't do anything to make a difference. It may also feel like there's no real connection to running a community sports organisation, but you'd be surprised.
We want Sported to be proactive when it comes to environmental sustainability and lead by example in our sector. We want to support you to make your organisation more sustainable. You can read our environmental policy here.
As part of it we have committed to supporting our members by:
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Educating and raising awareness
- Encouraging the use of free resources to calculate their own carbon footprint to see where they can make reductions
- Sharing good practice from the network and championing members taking strides in this field
- Referring members to their local council’s Active Travel plan, and encouraging responsible travel
Sported have become a member of the British Association of Sustainability in Sport (BASIS) to help us on our journey and to support members. All Sported members can get FREE associate membership of BASIS. Find out more here.
Basis are currently offering free Carbon literacy training. Take a look, and sign up here.
Sported have put together a series of resources and guides to help your organisation move it's policy and practice towards a more sustainable future.
The Sport England Club Matters resource is a really good introduction and gives you lots of simple, practical tips to get going.
Improve your environmental impact with Groundwork
Groundwork are running an energy efficiency scheme, find out more here.
And a resource just for London members:
The City Bridge Foundation are offering grants towards building works identified from an Eco Audit.
Energy saving
If you are running a facility, energy costs are no doubt causing you an enormous headache.
By using less, you can save money and become more environmentally sustainable.
Sport England: How to reduce energy costs for local physical activity and sports facilities
England Rugby have produced a series of guides and an easy-to-use checklist to help you make savings on energy use.
Each of the six topics has a checklist and action plan, to help your group with rising energy costs.
Practical steps
Achieving a plastic free lifestyle can be a challenge, but step by step, and by integrating small changes, we can all contribute to reducing the volume of plastic accumulating in our rivers and oceans.
Preventing plastic pollution have a range of resources and activities specifically targetted at community sports groups.
The UN environmental programme look at plastic pollution in the world of sport. Here are ten examples of sports and athletes who have risen to the challenge.
Plogging: the fitness craze that's sweeping the streets
It’s time to embrace the Scandinavian trend for picking up litter while jogging – even if the word ‘plogging’ is a bit rubbish. Read more from the Guardian's Steven Poole.
Your footprint
Carbon Literacy is: “An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.”
The Carbon Literacy Trust has a range of tools and resources available to inform you and your team.
There are a few different ways and different tools available to try and assess you and your organisation's footprint.
The WWF assesses your personal environmental footprint here
The Carbon Footprint Trust calculator is here
The Carbon Trust measure the carbon footprints of SMEs here
Links and resources
The UN Sport for Climate Action Framework outlines 5 key principles. Groups can become signatories and pledge to meet these.
Sport England have a whole section on their website around sustainability. This includes resources, tools and links.
Birmingham FA are encouraging all football clubs to take practical steps around climate action. They've listed a number of resources and suggestions here.
England Athletics have launched their sustainability strategy. The strategy will also be utilised to engage and inspire across the England Athletics family of clubs, RunTogether groups, athletes and runners, as well as event providers and facilities, to consider the impacts of their own activities and services. Importantly, this strategy will provide methods of measuring and tracking sustainability impact and progress across social, economic, and environmental impact areas so that any progress can be accurately measured.
The Sustainability Report is an online magazine full of intelligence and insight for sports professionals committed to enhancing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of their organisations.
Buildings and facilities
Facilities are an asset and a responsibility. For organisations with buildings, there are many issues to consider. These resources will help you to find out what you need to know.
Buddle have this guide to finding facilities.
Equipment
