Two postgraduate Keele University students have worked closely with a local professional football club to help improve its energy consumption performance and enhance biodiversity around their stadium.
Over the past year, Kamron Singh and Charlotte Becker – both on Keele University’s Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology MSc – have worked alongside Port Vale on a number of projects.
They are designed to help the club become more environmentally friendly and sustainable moving forward.
Working with sustainability expert Dr Sharon George, and a team of Keele technicians, the students created a strategic energy and sustainability improvement plan, as well as carrying out a biodiversity audit on the club’s premises.
They presented their findings at Keele Hall recently to the club’s Chief Strategy Officer, Patrick Shanahan, and Community and CSR Director, Matt Hancock.
The guests also toured some of Keele’s key sustainability projects such as the Low Carbon Energy Generation Park, and the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, to learn more about the university’s pioneering smart energy activities and sustainability research.
Kamron said: “As a passionate football fan myself, working closely with PVFC to help reduce their energy consumption and improve stadium sustainability has been an incredible experience and one which I thoroughly enjoyed throughout.”
Charlotte Becker said: “Football, like every other industry is under increasing amounts of pressure to improve sustainability and consider its impact on the environment.”
Patrick Shanahan, added: “Port Vale FC is delighted to be working alongside Keele University on such an exciting project, it really allows us to assess where we currently are from an environmental perspective and build the roadmap to becoming an environmentally sustainable football club.”
