Local school children learn how to live sustainably at Glos Cricket’s new community garden
19 April 2022
Local school children have been given an introduction into how to live sustainably at Gloucestershire Cricket’s brand-new Community Growing Space.
Students at the Brunel Field Primary School got their hands dirty with Glos players Josh Shaw, Jared Warner and Matt Taylor at the recent launch of our Community Growing Space, where they received a lesson in the benefits of growing their own food and the impact mass food production has on the planet.
Located within the Seat Unique Stadium and on the walk to school for the children, the garden area contains upcycled planters, an ever-changing growing wall and is being given the full backing of the Club’s Sustainability Partner, Grundon Waste Management. The Community Growing Space forms a big part of the Club’s overall sustainability goals and aligns closely with our passion to become the most environmentally sustainable cricket club in the world.
The dedicated space offers an opportunity for our green-fingered local residents and neighbouring school children to produce home-grown food and learn top tips on how to live a greener lifestyle. Some of the produce will also be used as ingredients for the players’ lunches on match days.
Don Collins, Headteacher at Brunel Field Primary School, said: “It has been wonderful to work with Gloucestershire Cricket and Sustainable Hive on this exciting gardening project.
“As a school we understand the importance of sustainability and teaching the children about where our food comes from, and all our responsibilities to take care of the planet. We are committed to sustainability, recycling and developing wider community links.
“This is another great project that we know will help build the relationship we have with the cricket club, our close neighbours, and help make the route into school something the children can be proud of.”
Not only do we want to become greener as a club, by reducing our emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, we also want to inspire our local community and the next generation to feel passionately about sustainable living. The Brunel Fields students are being encouraged to engage with the Community Growing Space at the end of their school day on a weekly basis, and are aided in their education by Sustainable Hive, a Community Interest Company who specialise in teaching children the benefits of living an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
The project is being jointly supported by Grundon Waste Management and Sustainable Hive, who provide equipment and an experienced gardener for the children to learn from as they begin to build an understanding of how to grow their own healthy produce.
In bringing together people who share an environmentally friendly interest, the area and future projects launched in it will provide long-term sustainability through community ownership. By facilitating young people’s learning for how to live sustainably, Gloucestershire Cricket aims to empower the next generation with the ability to grow, learn and share their experiences with friends and family.
Daniel Peacey, Regional Sales Manager at Grundon, said: “Grundon are passionate about inspiring the next generation to learn about sustainability and environmental impact. Projects such as this new Community Growing Space play an important role in engaging children, highlighting where food comes from and its wider impact on the environment.
“We’re proud to work with a club like Gloucestershire Cricket who go the extra mile to engage with the local community and we look forward to seeing how the project blossoms in the future.”
Since becoming Gloucestershire’s Sustainability Partner in 2021, Grundon have assisted the Club to improve its environmental performance. Working with us, Grundon will carry out waste disposal audits and use the findings to advise on alternative, cost-saving, and sustainable management of all waste produced at Gloucestershire.
By further supporting the Club in its drive to educate on sustainable living, Grundon will provide a valuable contribution to Gloucestershire’s wider environmental goals.
Will Brown, Chief Executive at Gloucestershire Cricket, said: “In 2020 we were lucky enough to celebrate our 150th Anniversary as a cricket club. This celebration gave us plenty of time to reflect on our past but even more time to think about the next 150 years that we hope to enjoy.
“It was clear to all of us that the impacts of climate change would play a major part in this future. By focusing in on issues such as food sustainability and transport as well as our shared lives with the natural world, we hope we can not only educate others but continue to educate ourselves about what we can all do.
“Working with Brunel Field Primary School, Sustainable Hive and Grundon Waste Management on projects such as the Community Growing Space gives us the chance to make small steps towards a greater understanding of how we can positively impact our environment to provide a sustainable and bright future for all.”
