News

As part of Nike's eco-sustainability agenda, students at Bourne Education Trust's founding school, Epsom and Ewell High School, were recently invited to take part in a workshop with Nike and the Chelsea Foundation.

In collaboration with sustainability experts, Football For Future, and hosted at Stamford Bridge, 100 young people from 7 local schools took part in the educational event exploring the relationship between football and the environment.

Centred around Nike's 'Next Nature Football' (a football constructed entirely from recycled waste and yarns destined for landfill), the overriding aim of the workshop was to demonstrate how the concept could inspire young minds and help to reframe and kick-off the conversation about environmentalism and sustainability in a new and creative way.

During the day students were given the opportunity to think about environmental issues that affect everyone, the impact on wildlife and what football is doing to start to make real sustainable change. Participants were then asked to focus on what positive changes they could make as an individual, in their schools and to think about what Chelsea Football Club could also do.

Chelsea FC Foundation Head of Education and Innovation, Sam Gaskin-Kemp, said: ‘I think football is a really powerful vehicle to engage young people, with such a current and important topic as climate change.'

Assistant Headteacher, Aisleen Sheehan said: 'Our students absolutely loved it and worked incredibly hard in school to produce an advert for the new Nike sustainable football.'