Our Approach and Targets

The Trust have set up 8 principles that encompass all that is involved in environmental sustainability. They simplify its complexity and allow us to see how we can all do our bit, giving us targets to work towards.

To Reduce Energy Consumption and Use Cleaner Energy

• To work towards Watford FC’s 2040 net zero emissions target.
• To reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency as much as possible.
• To increase the renewable energy fraction in the energy mix.
  

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To Switch and Use Cleaner Transport Modes

• To reduce reliance of private vehicles and encourage car sharing.
• To increase the number of people in Watford and Harrow:
  • Using public transport.
  • Cycling.
  • Walking.

To Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Water

• For staff and community to reduce water consumption.
• To implement rainwater harvesting infrastructure and use rainwater.
• To implement greywater recycling and reuse infrastructure.
• To explore reusing water for other activities/appliances.
  

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To Prevent Waste Through Reduction, Recycling, and Recovery Procedures by Implementing a Circular Approach

• To increase waste recycled.
• To reduce all forms of waste.
• To remove or switch single-use materials for reusable alternatives.

To Have Healthy and Biodiverse Ecosystems

• To achieve biodiversity net gain, with any offsetting* to occur within Watford and Harrow Borough.
• To increase social-ecosystem engagement activities.
• To improve or at least sustain all ecosystem services.

To Consider Environmental Sustainability Across the Supply Chain

• To ensure supply chain complies with relevant principles to also be considered ‘environmentally sustainable.’

To Implement a Pro-Environmental Culture

• To increase engagement activities with staff.
• To increase engagement activities with the community.
• To increase pro-environmental behaviour through leading by example.
  

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To Consider the Existing and Projected Impacts of Climate Change

• For facilities to have accessibility and availability of cool spaces.
• To have infrastructure and methods in place to withstand extreme weather conditions.
• To improve coping capacity.

What Are the Trust Doing?

We are only just starting our journey to play our part in saving our planet and we know we have to improve. This can be as simple as thinking sustainably when making everyday decisions; for us, that’s things like using wooden medals as part of The Taylor Trek, or using recyclable paper when printing is necessary.

Looking in the Mirror

It can’t just be about getting others to think responsibly when it comes to protecting our planet – environmental sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. That is why we’re working with Watford Football Club and, where relevant, the consultants at ClearVue. We already have recycling bins available at our facilities and are currently monitoring energy usage at both our community hubs, Cedars Youth and Community Centre and Meriden Community Centre. We’ve also begun installing LED lighting at the centres, thanks to funding from the Football Foundation and the John Lyon’s Charity.

Spreading the Message

We directly engage with thousands of people each year, not to mention the huge reach of Watford Football Club both on matchday and online, which is why it’s important for us to use our platform to raise awareness and create action amongst our communities. We explore this more in the ‘What Are the Community Doing?’ tab, but an example of this can be seen with our primary school projects in which we deliver social action projects, which aim to increase participants’ knowledge of environmental issues. Elsewhere in secondary schools, environmental sustainability sessions form part of our social action content and are a key theme within our programme. We’ve also had school groups take part in litter picking both in the school and the local community, planting, and maintenance at a local allotment.

We have also …

• signed up to the EFL GreenClubs Scheme, providing support and guidance on our journey to lessen our environmental impact.
• signed up to the Wenta Net Zero Gold Plus Membership.
• appointed our ‘Environmental Sustainability Officer.’
• established our internal Green & Keen team to engage staff to help capture ideas and deliver change within the Trust.
• developed our Environmental Sustainability policy and a road map and action plan.
• designated all future staff events as ‘bring your own bottle’ occasions to ensure staff make use of their reusable water bottles.
• engaged with the Wildlife Trust after their audit of our community hub spaces with a view to increasing biodiversity on those sites.
• looking to visit with other EFL clubs to share best practice and learn from their experiences.

Zero Waste Week 2024

As part of Zero Waste Week, we highlighted the importance of waste prevention and promoting sustainable living practices. We had the opportunity to visit Harrow’s Recycling Centre and the Severn Trent Green Power North London AD Facility to better understand how waste is managed in our community and beyond.

Additionally, we partnered with the Harrow Council Recycling Team to deliver recycling and waste management workshops at our Summer Camps, educating the next generation on the environmental and socioeconomic benefits of a zero-waste future.

We’re committed to embedding zero-waste education into our projects and programmes through engaging workshops and activities.

Bird Boxes (Oct 2024)

As part of the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s Watford FC Biodiversity Strategy, we’re excited to share we have put up 4 swift bird boxes at our Meriden Community Centre. With swift populations having declined by more than 50% since 1995 in the UK, we hope our efforts will contribute to reversing this decline.

What Are the Community Doing?

Trust Sustainability Champion 2024

A big congratulations must go to Ellie, our Trust Sustainability Champion 2024. Ellie took part in our PL Primary Stars Social Action project as part of the eco council. From the first session we could sense the excitement and passion Ellie had for the subject, she engaged with the discussions and was keen to share her own ideas and experiences. She took the lead with her peers in the child led learning approach creating a well thought through, impactful project to present to Trust staff with the intention of improving the sustainability of the Trust and having a positive impact on the wider community.

Ellie’s learning was not limited to the classroom, she took it upon herself to share her work with family and friends at home and utilising biodegradable materials from her parents’ sustainable shop she produced a prototype of her ideas to elevate her presentation. She delivered her idea of biodegradable/seeded tickets for Watford FC home games with confidence and a true understanding on how this would make a difference. In part Ellie’s idea became reality. The group together produced biodegradable seed packets which were shared across Watford Trust venues for the community to collect for free and plant at home, over 500 of these seed packets were shared within a few months.

Ellie and her peers visited the Meriden community centre following the success of their project to assist preparing areas for planting and planting their own seeds to take home. Again, Ellie met this opportunity with unwavering commitment and genuine care for the difference she was making, inspiring those around her to do the same. I have no doubt that Ellie will continue to make a positive difference to the environment and all those around her in all future opportunities she engages with.

Tackling Plastic Pollution

To finalise their social action project, Year 6 at one of our partner schools made a pledge to share their learning and educate others, in the hopes of inspiring them to help ‘tackle’ plastic pollution. The class took ownership of their project and chose to work in small groups summarising topics they had covered throughout the programme. They put all of their work together to create this video …

PLPS Social Action Project – March 2024

PLPS Social Action Project – March 2024

PLPS Social Action Project – January 2023

Watford FC Training Ground Sustainability Audit

Our newest Trust Sustainability PL Primary Stars Project is underway this half term. The Eco Council From St Anthony’s had the opportunity to visit Watford FC Training Ground to conduct their own sustainability audit. They toured the grounds to see what action is being taken to support the environment and where there could be an opportunity to make their own positive impact. The group will create some projects to present over the next few weeks in the hopes one of their ideas will be adopted by Watford FC CSE Trust!

Reusable Water Bottles 

As part of our Premier League Primary Stars, programme, the Trust worked with local primary schools to learn about environmental issues and what ideas they could come up with to help the Club and Trust to be more environmentally sustainable.

Woodlands Primary School competed against other schools to win over a panel of judges with an outstanding water bottle design. With over 13 billion plastic water bottles being used and 5.5 billion entering our oceans or landfills, this was a great start for staff to have their own water bottle to use and promote to others they work with.

Ben Wells, School Sport Manager at Watford FC Community Sport and Education Trust said:

“The children of Woodland Primary not only came up with the important idea of reusable water bottles for all Trust staff, but they also came up with educational designs to further raise awareness on this issue. We congratulate all the pupils at Woodlands Primary for their hard work and look forward to teaming up with many more local primary schools in the future.”

Games Swap

In partnership with the Trust, The Eco Council at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School put their Social Action project into practice by hosting a games swap to help reduce plastic waste by reusing unwanted games.

Seed Packets at Meriden Community Centre

As one of their social action projects, the eco council from Sacred Heart Primary School designed seed packets filled with wildflowers, which can be purchased from Meriden Community Centre and planted at home. As well as designing the seed packets, they visited the Centre to plant the seeds, and were supported by participants from the Premier League Inspires programme in planting the seeds, before enjoying a session on the astro as part of the young sports leader programme.

How Can I Help?

Everyone has their part to play in sustainability.

The Trust are working to reduce our environmental impact, so join the team and help us build a more sustainable future!

Energy

• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Invest in insulation.
• Turn down thermostat by 1°c.
• Drought proof your home.
• Turn off appliances at the socket.
  

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Transport

• Try the bus!
• Carshare with a friend.
• Learn to cycle.
• Go for walk – see what nature has to offer.

Water

• Shorten your shower time by 1 minute.
• Only use your washing machine and dishwasher when they’re full.
• Measure how much water you need before boiling the kettle.

Waste

• Remove single-use items from your house.
• Only buy what you need!
• Check how to dispose of items.
• Try reusing items.

Biodiversity & Ecosystems

• Respect local habitats.
• Plant wildflowers.
• Check items come from responsible sources.
• Buy in-season produce.

Supply Chain

• Purchase items from responsible sources.
• Purchase locally.
• Check how items can be disposed of.

Engagement

• Talk to people about relevant issues.
• Follow social media sites and profiles that support you in being sustainable.
• Mention sustainable actions to friends and family.

Adapting to Change

• Check the weather before going out.
• Look to invest in easy and cheap ways to keep cool.