Bristol City Women Bring Biodiversity Experts to Bristol to Educate Young Fans
Bristol City Women have invited wildlife experts from environmental consultancy Nature Positive, part of the RSK Group, and staff from Bristol City Robins Foundation to inspire the next generation to take action for local wildlife.
As part of an initiative to boost sustainability through sport, biodiversity experts visited Ashton Vale Primary School this week to educate pupils about enhancing the natural environment.
Children from Ashton Vale Primary School in South Bristol were given hands on lessons about how to protect local wildlife. This included interactive presentations by leading environmental experts and an opportunity to contribute ideas to support a high-level biodiversity review.
Bristol City Women earned the visit from Nature Positive as part of their prize for topping the Pledgeball League - a sustainability competition in sport. The league, run by Bristol charity, Pledgeball, the BBC Grassroots Organisation of the Year, celebrates efforts within sport to tackle climate change. As the Official Lead Partner of Pledgeball, the RSK Group included the services of Nature Positive as part of a £15,000 package of environmental services for the Pledgeball League winner, to be co-developed with the local community.
“We’re delighted that our amazing fans won this fantastic opportunity for children in the BS3 area” said Peter Smith, Head of Change and Sustainability at Bristol Sport. “This is about inspiring the next generation to care not only about sport in the city but also about preserving the nature and wildlife that make Bristol special. We want fans to celebrate our local heritage on and off the pitch and protecting our green spaces is a big part of this."
“It’s great to see Bristol City Women building on the progress that earned them the Pledgeball League championship title for the second year in a row” added Katie Cross, Pledgeball CEO. “It’s clear to see that town pride in Bristol goes beyond support for the team and that the club and fans alike really care about the environment.”
On the visit, Nature Positive’s biodiversity experts captivated schoolchildren, helping them discover the plant and animal species thriving around Ashton Gate and the surrounding area. Students were inspired by stories of Bristol’s rich natural habitats and learned about the local impacts of climate change and why safeguarding Bristol’s ecosystems, from the Brooks connecting the River Avon across Bristol to the local grassland and wetlands that provide crucial habitat to bats, birds, mammals, and insects, matters now more than ever.
“Empowering organisations to make sustainability second nature is our mission” said Molly Scott, Senior Environmental Consultant at Nature Positive. “It’s been a pleasure to offer our expertise in biodiversity, and to support Bristol Sport to engage with local communities with this topic.”
Bristol Sport is delivering a range sustainability initiatives across the city to demonstrate to how even small actions can enhance the city’s unique wildlife. This includes their pioneering Project Whitebeam to recognise, measure and mitigate their impact on the environment which earned Bristol City Football Club the EFL GreenCode accreditation for environmental sustainability.
“We hope that other clubs will replicate this approach and use their platform to educate young people about sustainable practices” added Peter Smith. “This really shows the power of partnering with organisations and communities to foster an understanding of and passion for the environment among fans that will inspire them to take action to protect local ecosystems.”
Image: Pupils at Ashton Vale Primary School with representatives of Nature Positive and Bristol Sport. ©Bristol City Robins Foundation
