Last weekend Carlisle United were one of over 80 clubs to undertake initiatives to help to raise awareness around the issues of climate crisis over the Green Football Weekend.
The club and the Carlisle United Community Sports Trust joined forces with sponsor Sun Powered Systems, and a number of community groups, to hold events centred around the Harrogate home game – with fans also being encouraged to carry out actions before the game and then on day.
Click HERE to learn more about the Green Football Weekend.
Click HERE to visit our event sponsor’s website – Sun Powered Systems.
The activities carried out by the club and its partners were part of our wider work in relation to the EFL Green Code.
Click HERE to learn more about the EFL Green Code initiative.
A number of Green community groups joined us in the Fan Zone at the game, with a range of activities for children which highlighted ideas to help the environment.
Thanks to the following for their support:
+ Cumbria Action for Sustainability
+ Sustainable Carlisle and their art project The Big Picture
+ Zero Carbon Cumbria
+ Wild Futures
+ ReBike Community Cycle Hub
+ Gerrapin Handmade Crafts
+ Warwick Bridge Corn Mill
Cumbria Waste also provided additional recycling bins – a thank you also goes to them.
Throughout the run up to the match, and over the weekend itself, the club encouraged fans to carry out actions which can make a difference to the environment.
By doing so they could score ’green-goals’ in a mini-competition with other clubs in the Planet League ‘Green Football Cup’.
As part of the Community Sports Trust involvement across the weekend children from the Saturday morning matchday club took part in a litter pick and participated in the ‘layer up’ challenge.
Thank you to the youngsters, they scored some excellent points!
Click HERE to view a roundup of the CST Green Football Weekend activities (this is a pdf document).
Carlisle United finished as the third highest ‘green-goal’ scorers from the EFL clubs taking part, just behind Port Vale and Northampton. We finished fourteenth overall from the 127 clubs who took part.
Click HERE to learn more about the Green Football Weekend.
Huge credit must go to Natasha Messier, the sustainability coordinator for the Community Sports Trust, who took the leading role in organising these activities.
Supporter Liaison Officer Simon Clarkson also helped to organise a leisurely walk from the city centre to Brunton Park, via Bitts Park and Rickerby Parks, with support of Talk Hub and United fan Craig Milne.
Simon told us: “Our supporters did a walk with some Tranmere fans last season, coordinated by the mental health charity Talk Hub.
“The feedback was great and I’ve been keen to set up something similar locally. The Green Weekend presented an opportunity for our fans to actually complete a pledge and benefit from all the other positive aspects that walking brings.
“I engaged with fan groups and used social media to publicise.”
Craig Milne, who led the walk, commented: “We had a great turnout and it was fantastic to meet fans whom I’d only engaged with on social media.
“A big shout out to our police dedicated football liaison officer who joined us on the walk. We were able to chat, establish friendships, burn a few calories and reduce CO2 emissions.
“We aim to make this a regular option of getting to the match in a group on foot.”
Click HERE to learn more about the walk.
Chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: “Football has a positive part to play in Climate Change. The game and individual clubs are increasingly under scrutiny for what we do. We are all affected – we know that first hand with our own flood risk.
“That’s why an event like this is so important. It marks the first steps for us in a critical but long journey to change behaviour and think differently. A huge thanks to Sun Powered Systems who sponsored the event and everyone who took part and supported it.
“It added something different to the Fan Zone on the day. The walk proved another success. Our fans did a lot of activities over the week reflected in our green-goals tally.
“We definitely achieved our goals for the first year. We engaged with lots of children and fans to get people talking and doing things. We built new relationships working together with lots of groups as part of our ongoing work on the EFL Green Code.
“It is easy to sign up to these events, get some initial positive PR and then play lip service to it. We took this really seriously and a lot of hard work went into making it a success.
“It’s a credit to all involved including everyone at the Carlisle United Football Club Community Sports Trust, especially Natasha. Thanks also to SLO Simon Clarkson and CUOSC fan director Nigel Davidson for their work on the planning.”
Sustainability Coordinator for the Community Sports Trust, Natasha Messier, said: “The Green football weekend was a great opportunity for the club and trust to showcase not only the good work at Carlisle United, but also the excellent work going on in the local and wider community with all things ‘Green’.
“To be able to engage and educate with fans of all ages on a matchday was extremely beneficial and we look forward to turning the blue of Carlisle United ‘GREEN’.”
Neil McIntyre, from Sun Powered Systems, said: “We were delighted to see that the event was so popular on the day, and the level of engagement from the fans was superb.
“Well done to all involved in helping make Carlisle United a top of the table club in this forward-thinking initiative.”