Greener Sports Fixtures
At AoC Sport we wanted to link National Colleges’ Green Week and the idea of a Green Sports Fixture for the games that will be taking place during that week, and beyond. We have created thoughts and suggestions for colleges that were interested in running a ‘Green Fixture’
🏃♂️ Active Travel Options
- Cycle / Walk-to-Game Incentives: Offer rewards for students who walk or cycle to fixtures.
- Route Maps: Share safe walking and cycling routes to sports grounds.
🗑️ Litter-Free Policy
- “Pack In, Pack Out” Awareness: Encourage spectators and players to take their rubbish home if bins are full.
- Volunteer Litter Patrols: Assign student volunteers to monitor litter and encourage others to use bins properly.
- Half-Time Cleanup: Organise a quick clean-up during halftime breaks to reduce litter build-up.
🚫 Plastic-Free Events
- Reusable Water Bottles: Encourage players and spectators to bring their own water bottles and provide refill stations.
- Ban Single-Use Plastics: Prohibit the sale of plastic straws, cutlery, and cups at events.
♻️ Recycling Stations
- Clear Signage: Use color-coded bins with simple labels for paper, plastic, metal, and general waste.
- Bin Placement Strategy: Position recycling bins next to general waste bins to encourage correct use.
- Game-Day Recycling Volunteers: Assign students or staff to monitor recycling stations and assist spectators.
- Incentive Schemes: Reward teams or year groups that collect the most recyclables during fixtures.
👕 Kit Donation Schemes
- Partner with Charities: Collaborate with local or national charities that distribute sports gear to underprivileged communities.
- Swap Shops: Set up a college-based swap system where students can trade gently used kits and gear.
- Awareness Campaigns: Educate students on the environmental benefits of reusing sportswear.
To download and view more information about these suggestions click on the below
Colleges Green Ambassadors Projects
At AoC Sport as part of the the Student Leadership Programme, Colleges have recruited their own student Green Ambassadors to take climate action in their community, receiving leadership training from AoC Sport and their own chosen online CPD training.
As part of the Student Leadership Programme the ambassadors could bid into a project fund worth up to £250 to fund their activity at their college.
The following colleges have been successful in receiving funding to support their Climate Action projects.
Barnet and Southgate College - Sustainable Travel & Eco‑Engagement Campaign (2026)
This project encourages students to adopt environmentally friendly travel habits through a series of fun and interactive sustainability activities. These include a walking and litter‑picking competition, a Carbon Footprint Reduction Day, nature walks, planting sessions, eco‑games, and a student survey exploring travel behaviours. Funding will support incentives, campaign materials, and equipment for environmental activities. The project aims to reduce the college’s carbon footprint while promoting health, wellbeing, leadership development, and community engagement. By collaborating with Student Voice reps and local partners, the campaign fosters long‑term behaviour change and embeds sustainability into everyday student life.
Queen Elizabeth’s Sixth Form College - Colleges Green Week (2026)
Green Week is a five‑day sustainability programme designed to engage the whole college in practical, creative, and educational environmental activities. Throughout the week, students will take part in workshops on food miles and Fair Trade, plastic‑alternative challenges, campus litter picking, sustainable bake sales, and tote‑bag design sessions. Funding is allocated across each themed day to support resources, marketing, and ambassador‑led delivery. The initiative raises visibility of sustainability on campus, provides hands‑on opportunities for students to learn and lead, and builds long‑term environmental awareness. Green Week exemplifies the Green Ambassador Programme ethos by inspiring collective action and sharing best practice across the college.
Blackburn College - Planet Earth Games Activity Day
The Project will be linked to their Planet Earth Games - College challenges. There will be 4 different activities that we will run on different days:
- A beach walk/run with litter picking.
- Eco friendly Yoga class - Outdoor Yoga class on the college gardens. Avoiding use of electricals and paying for room booking.
- Timed walk litter clean up contest- Go to local park (Witton)/town centre in teams of 2. Whoever collects most rubbish wins a prize.
- Planting flowers or vegetables in local area- stealthily in superhero costumes.
The project is running to increase physical activity whilst having a positive impact on the environment.
These activities look to increase physical activity in students who may not usually be very active, with the added bonus of having a positive impact on the environment. staff will support delivery but these activity will be led by their student ambassadors
Winstanley College - Reducing Plastic waste within college
The project is providing re usable water bottles to the sporting students at Winstanley college.
The project will be run by giving sporting students water bottles for achieving in their desired sports over a period of time. So that no excess plastic is left within the sports hall or on the field
Winstanley are very passionate about helping the planet and they feel that by offering sporting students reusable bottles they will be doing our bit to help reduce the amount of litter and bottles being wasted.
their Sports, Wellbeing and Events Officer will distribute these bottles to the sports team students in the first instance and encourage students to bring them to training sessions and match days for fixtures.
Joseph Chamberlain College - Adventure Sports
The project is setting up a trip to Ackers Adventure park. In this park They will introduce students to a variety of sports engaging them to experience rock climbing, canoeing and team building exercise.
They have planned to have 15 minute sessions throughout the day spreading awareness of climate change and how students that participate in sports can change to help better the environment. This event is to help students to connect to nature and help to engage more student to do active sports.
At the end of the trip they will take up a survey to see how well this had impacted students and see if they would be more active in sports by having them to sign up to clubs of their choice.
