Woodkirk Valley FC has become one of the latest clubs to sign up for the Greener Game Programme, an initiative from the FA (Football Association) and energy provider E.ON Next.
The Greener Game Programme is one of the many ways that the FA and E.ON Next plan to help ‘drive decarbonisation, promote sustainable practices, and reduce energy costs for clubs across the country’.

On the Greener Game Programme, The FA’s Head of Clubs and Facilities Phil Woodward said: "Our Greener Game programme is a significant milestone for grassroots football and sustainability.”

“Improving facilities is a key part of our grassroots strategy, and our partnership with E.ON Next allows us to give associations like Woodkirk Valley FC practical tools and knowledge to embrace energy-efficient practices that will not only improve their operations and benefit the environment but will also enable them to save money.”

Woodkirk Valley FC is one of the latest organisations to benefit from the first year of this new programme, which plans to improve the sustainability credentials of grassroots football clubs, as they have received a free energy audit from E.ON Next.

The audit and its follow-up report will make the club better equipped to manage its energy usage and reduce costs in the hopes of preserving its place within the local community.
On the impact that this programme can have, E.ON UK’s Director of External Affairs Scott Somerville said: "As a business committed to social impact, our objectives are to help communities become more prosperous, more cohesive and more sustainable.”

“There are few better ways for us to achieve those objectives than supporting grassroots football clubs. In partnership with The FA, we’re excited to help teams across England embrace new energy solutions, reduce their bills and cut back on the carbon they use.”

The next four years will see the programme help grassroots clubs by not only giving them a ‘wealth of educational resources and energy-saving guides’ but also offering them funding opportunities for sustainable upgrades.

The Greener Game Programme is set to invest £1.5 million annually into grassroots football, with between 75-100 clubs set to benefit each year.

Further clubs are set to benefit from advice and guidance on energy and cost savings from E.ON Next, whilst clubs that sign up for the programme will receive an ‘Energy Support Pack’ in hopes that it will allow them to make positive changes to their club’s energy needs.

For more information go to www.englandfootball.com/greenergame