Football for good:
Environmental Sustainability
Moving towards a sustainable future
We need to act now
Climate change is the defining issue of our generation and Lewes FC, supported by Football For Future, is committed to fighting for the survival of the beautiful game and our beautiful environment.
It is estimated that 25% of professional clubs in England will be threatened by partial or total flooding by 2050. The Dripping Pan itself is under threat. Sadly, extreme weather events are more likely to impact women’s and non-league men’s football matches, an intersection that has our club at its heart.
Creating a better circular economy
We regularly sell second hand merchandise to our fans to ensure that stock doesn’t go to waste.
In the summer, we also organised a clothes swap in partnership with the Great Dolly Clothes Swap, promoting sustainable fashion.
“The way the women’s game is growing, it’s so in line with the problems going on in the world right now and we need to use our platform and our voices to make people aware of that. Education is so vital and we want to get on board. As athletes, there are a lot of question marks over what type of diet is good for you, and eating plant-based certainly is. If we all just make small changes, it will make a massive difference. If we don’t soon, there won’t be much football at this level.”
– Rhian Cleverly, player
“Our sustainability efforts often fly under the radar because we know that as a club we could be doing so much more. Lewes FC has always been about bravery and proactively responding to the findings of our carbon footprint is one of the biggest and bravest steps towards ensuring the club is at the forefront of sustainability in football.”
– Maggie Murphy, CEO
“One of the most important things for the board is to set out a concrete sustainability plan. We’ve already got the solar panels, the community garden, and are upcycling resources instead of sending them to scrap. But we want to do more. It’s about constantly having that sustainability mindset and creating a robust green strategy.”
– Joe Short, director
What we're doing
Carbon Footprint
Lewes FC commissioned a carbon footprint review for the 2021/22 season, offering the club a clearer picture of where it stands and where it can improve regarding sustainability. Football For Future presented the findings on the club’s energy and water usage, travel impact, biodiversity, operations and more.
The club is taking consultation on updating our carbon footprint and will publish the findings in due course.
Green Matchday
The Green Football Weekend takes pride of place in the Rooks’ calendar. The initiative, is an annual opportunity to encourage fans to travel to the ground by bike or public transport, volunteer to get their hands dirty in our community garden, sample our fully-vegan menu, and purchase pre-loved merch in the club shop.
Our Community Garden
Lewes FC men’s midfielder Bradley Pritchard set up ‘Brad’s Pit’ in the summer of 2021, a community garden overlooking the southeast corner flag at the Dripping Pan. Volunteers and players help to grow crops for the local community like pumpkins, kale and spring onions, utilising a revolving composter and water butt to reduce waste.
Solar Panels
Roughly 170 solar panels on the Dripping Pan’s South Stand generate approximately 36,000 kWh of electricity per year.
Approximately 65% of electricity that is not used by the club itself is sold back to the national grid.
Board Responsibility
We encourage all of our supporters to do their bit, whether that’s travelling to the Dripping Pan by foot, bike or public transport, trying our plant-based food options on matchdays, or lending a hand at Brad’s Pit.
So it’s only fair that we do our bit too. Environmental sustainability will be central to our strategy moving forward, alongside championing the women’s game and tackling gambling promotion in football.
Looking to the future
We will shortly be presenting an improved green strategy that sets out achievable goals for the club and the community.
Our aim is to make Lewes FC a more sustainable ecosystem for fans, players and staff.
Work with us
Become our Sustainability Partner
Is your company as passionate as we are about ensuring football has a future to be proud of?
We are actively looking for a Sustainability Partner to support Lewes FC and help drive us forward towards our green goals.
Drop us a line here if you want to find out more.