750 trees planted thanks to Saints 'Home Grown Initiative'
Another 750 trees in the ground, taking the Southampton FC Home Grown Initiative total to 2,750 planted so far. The latest round of tree planting took place at Bitterne Park School, with students being helped by Saints first team debutant, Dominic Ballard.
The initiative launched in 2021 as part of the club’s sustainability strategy, The Halo Effect. For every Academy or Regional Talent Club player who makes their Men’s or Women’s First Team debut for Saints, we’ve committed to planting 250 trees in a local school as well as preserving a further 250 in the Amazon region.
The tree preservation in the Amazon region is part of a tree buddy scheme with Carbon Footprint which is independently verified to the Verified Carbon Standard and enables the club to offset unavoidable emissions, such as player travel. The initiative aims to offset over 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over four years.
The planting, which took place last week, celebrated the debuts of players Lewis Payne, Dom Ballard and Diamond Edwards. A wide range of trees, including Beech, Elder, Hawthorne, Hazel and Maple were planted, which as they mature, will eventually help absorb noise pollution and carbon emissions, improve privacy, and enhance the school’s environment and biodiversity.
You can learn more about The Halo Effect and what we’ve achieved over the last 12 months on our dedicated.
