Featured image credit: Brentford FC
English Premier League football club Brentford has added to its sustainability and community efforts by opening a garden space at its Gtech Community Stadium.
The Gtech Community Garden is designed to be a space for fans and the local community to enjoy when visiting the stadium. The garden, located near the steps to the west stand, was created to cultivate nature within the community and forms part of Brentford’s efforts to protect and enhance the environment.
The space’s development was supported by Gtech, Brentford’s stadium naming rights partner since July 2022, and designed by Cultivate London, an independent social enterprise and charity looking to improve the natural environment in London.
The garden showcases approximately 25 different plant species as detailed here, including wildflowers such as common knapweed and cowslip. The space also has various ornamental and herb species like rosemary and thyme, with plans to plant an apple tree in the coming months. Additionally, the scheme has repurposed floodlights from Brentford’s previous stadium, Griffin Park, for planting.
Many of the plants have been planted by fans from Brentford’s sustainability working group who regularly meet with the club to discuss sustainability-related initiatives. The working group consists of fans from Bees United, Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS) and the Sustaina-Bees, an independent group for Brentford supporters with knowledge and concern about the environmental crisis.
The various species in the garden will seek to attract different pollinators such as hoverflies, moths, as well as bees, which are declining across the UK and globally. Brentford’s nickname is ‘The Bees’ and to support the bee population, a solitary beehive has been created which offers them a safe nesting place.
The Gtech Community Garden is also home to the club’s memorial bed. Brentford’s sustainability manager, James Beale, said: “We are pleased to have transformed this space on Lionel Road into a community garden that everyone can enjoy.
“Nature is integral to our efforts to become more sustainable. We wanted to create a healthy environment around us for our community. This garden helps support that idea with its plant species which attract many different pollinators.
“We’re excited to see how this garden develops and know that our fans will be at the heart of its evolution.”
Mansfield gets green light for padel facility
In other news, League One club Mansfield Town has received approval to develop a padel facility close to its One Call Stadium.
The £1m (€1.17m/$1.27m) development has received council approval after being first proposed by the club in November, according to the Nottingham Post. The facility will be located southwest of One Call Stadium on a plot of currently unused wasteland.
It will comprise four new padel courts alongside a clubhouse containing a reception, a food and beverage outlet and a retail store.
The development is part of a broader £10m investment by World Padel Academy to promote the sport in the UK.
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