by Nina Davies
Last year we announced a partnership with England Athletics (EA), helping clubs and running groups take positive environmental action within their communities.
The partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to run without the footprint, supporting both individual and collective action. EA is a not-for-profit membership and development body for grassroots athletics and running in England. With nearly 2,000 affiliated clubs and 170,000 registered athletes, the partnership is a unique chance to upscale our efforts to support runners in their Green Runner journey.
Armed with a new Sustainability Strategy, EA is committed to driving positive change and demonstrating good governance but they lack resources on the ground to encourage engagement and community support to bring about meaningful action.
This is where we, and you, have stepped up to help.
What have we achieved so far?
- 35 clubs signed up to the pilot- Kit swaps for unwanted kit held across a number of clubs
- Meeting locations for club runs changed to enable active transport and public transport
- Vegan food options at club socials and AGMs – and real cutlery, no single use
- Used shoe collections
- Sustainability leads on club committees
- Sustainability values incorporated into club mission statements and constitutions
- Car-sharing initiatives and proper advertisement to make things easier for everyone!
- Reusing kit – kit is often a bit of a stumbling block as club colours and logos are important. One pilot club has been exploring sublimating (a type of heat press printing) badges for events and club logos onto existing kit. This is a really clever way to produce some desirable and unique club kit without buying new – while still generating income. Definitely something to explore further.
“Club kit and race tees are a great way to get some free marketing out there. We didn’t want to lose that but also didn’t want to create too much unnecessary merch. Logos are heat pressed onto existing kit…it creates theatre at the events, too!”
Mark, from Derwent Valley & Greener Miles Running
What have we learned?
The pilot has served really well as a pilot! We have learned a lot and are excited by the approaches tested.
The tools to help clubs amplify what they already do and identify what they could do more of have been well-received. Pledging definitely helps turn intention into action, and the ability to personalise these for individual clubs is important. Some clubs have used polls and surveys to choose pledges as a community, finding out where the energy is and leaning into that.
Helping clubs embed behaviour change in their culture and supporting fair governance before mandating is an approach that we want to continue with.
All of this takes time and energy, largely from volunteers. If we are to get serious about these initiatives and upscale them, we need support
The Greener Clubs initiative is one of the key projects we hope to resource via the Race for Change crowdfunding campaign. Similarly, EA are recruiting for internal staff and engaging their existing teams to support, particularly with regional connections.
We have also learned that we need to celebrate more. Like individual action, this is not about being perfect. We need to share more stories of progress. The little wins matter.
“We know that creating change isn’t easy, but thanks to the passion and energy of some amazing people in these clubs we can start to see how small ideas can quickly gather momentum. This is especially so when they are local and actions are easy for people to get involved with.”
Harry, England Athletics
What next?
We are currently regrouping with our Green Champions, gathering learnings, reviewing the approach, expanding the resources and getting ready to invite more clubs to get involved.
Then, with EA, we will build the right team, expand the resources, make connections and work together to provide clubs with the full support and community they need to make change happen.
And what does the future look like?
Exciting, positive, progressive! There is so much potential to grow this initiative. England Athletics are 100% behind it and so are we.
To date The Green Runners has primarily focussed on individual membership but we know that collective action and community support is vital. Clubs and running groups are a huge part of the running community. They not only inspire best practice but also help individuals make more positive choices and live out their pledges. This is why it is so important for us to support clubs on their greener journey too.
Thank you to all our pilot clubs, Green Champions and volunteers.
