Project Whitebeam, our group-wide environmental sustainability project, was among the final three in the Events Strategy category at Tuesday’s awards at Stamford Bridge.

We were shortlisted for our work to reduce the impact of food on the environment:

  • Over 50% of products sold at Ashton Gate travel fewer than 12 miles to the stadium.
  • FareShare South West have now distributed over 4.67 million meals worth of food from Ashton Gate – diverting over 132 tonnes of food from landfill
  • Surplus matchday food is transferred to a local women’s shelter operated by St Mungo’s– diverting an estimated 3,200 items of food per year from landfill
  • The Bristol City first team donate any surplus team food from away trips to a local charity. Over 2,950 meals have been delivered to 17 charities and 20 different shelters across the country over the last three seasons
  • Ashton Gate typically offers 19 vegetarian and 14 vegan food options to fans

Project Whitebeam was shortlisted alongside Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Southampton FC for the Events Strategy award, which ultimately went to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games for ‘Creating a Carbon Neutral Legacy’.

“Being recognised at a national level is testimony to the hard work of different teams across the group,” said Peter Smith, Project Manager at Bristol Sport.

“Our staff have thought creatively to reduce the environmental impact of our food in a way that also supports local businesses, charities and communities. 

“Being listed alongside other such wonderful projects shows the huge scale of our initiatives and that we’re engraining our sustainability programme, Project Whitebeam, into the fabric of our group. Congratulations to the team behind Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games for their amazing work and well deserved award.”

As part of Project Whitebeam, Bristol Bears, Bristol City and Bristol Flyers have all signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework which sets a target of reaching net zero by 2040 and meeting a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Find out more about Project Whitebeam here.