Scholars from Newcastle United’s Academy recently took part in a Football for Future (FFF) workshop as part of the Premier League Academy Lifeskills programme, learning about their role in creating a greener game.
The workshop with Newcastle's Under-18s squad covered climate change and its impact on football, helping to educate the next generation of footballers about the importance of sustainability.
The session showcased the principles of climate change and sustainability through the lens of global football, before the young players took a hands-on approach to create their own vision for a greener future.
"Sustainability is becoming more important to players’ everyday life. It touches on everything they know: the food they eat, the way they travel, and even – through weather effects - the game that they play," commented Elliot Worsop from Football for Future.
"I was really impressed with the players’ pre-existing knowledge about sustainability: their receptiveness towards the topic was awesome. It was really exciting to see all of the energy and ideas that have come out of the room.
"This is the first time that we’ve had this type of contact with Newcastle United Academy players, so it’s just the beginning and I’m excited to see how their conversations develop."
See more about how the Premier League is committed to sustainability
Helen Hughes, Sustainability Manager at Newcastle, added: "The workshop provided an effective introduction to the subject, inspiring our young players to consider how they can support the club to become more sustainable.
"It was encouraging to uncover the players’ existing knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic, while deepening their understanding about how the club encourages sustainable actions from staff and supporters.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the Under-18s squad to implement some of the great ideas that they generated during the session."
The Premier League’s Academy Lifeskills programme aims to support holistic development in Academy footballers.
One of the players who took part said: “I think it’s really good the Premier League organise sessions like this to benefit our education moving forwards. Even in normal life, I’m going to start putting the right things [in place].”
Download the Premier League Environmental Sustainability Strategy