Chelsea FC Environmental Push
Chelsea men's football stars Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell recently swapped their football boots for Wellington boots to engage in a local environmental regeneration initiative.
Chelsea FC has partnered with MSC Cruises, its official global cruise partner, to spearhead a project aimed at revitalizing an area along the banks of the River Mole in Cobham, Surrey. This initiative includes planting 100 trees, which is expected to offer significant ecological benefits to the local habitat. The project enlists the participation of both male and female football players from the club, including Kadeisha Buchanan, Ben Chilwell, Alfie Gilchrist, Hannah Hampton, Melanie Leupolz, and Raheem Sterling. Together with members of the MSC Cruises UK team, they launched the initiative with a tree-planting event. The primary goal of this initiative is to establish a "vital ecological corridor" and enhance biodiversity within the local environment.
Additionally, it aims to improve various environmental factors such as water quality, habitat diversity, and flood management. Claire Cronin, Chelsea FC's Chief Marketing Officer, highlighted the broader vision: "Not only will the MSC Meadow create valuable benefits for the local environment, but we hope it will inspire our millions of fans around the world to play their part in making a positive impact in their own communities."
Chris Goodwin, Environmental Social Governance Manager at Chelsea FC, added: "The MSC Meadow represents a long-term commitment to biodiversity improvement between Chelsea Football Club and MSC Cruises. The trees at our training ground will offer positive environmental and social benefits for years to come. With biodiversity in the UK having declined by an average of 19% since 1970, every initiative—even small ones—counts. Through the MSC Meadow, we hope to raise awareness about the importance Chelsea places on nature." In related news, it was recently announced that the Football Association had donated bibs and drawstring bags—recycled from the 2022 FA Cup final pitch cover—to youth football clubs across the UK.