Grant UK and Premiership Champions Bath Rugby have completed the delivery of their Kick The Carbon campaign into primary schools for a second year. Throughout the 2024/25 season, over 1,200 local school children took part, learning about sustainability and how we can all make changes to be more environmentally friendly.
Grant UK’s Kick The Carbon campaign with Bath Rugby Club has evolved over the years, starting as a light-hearted social media idea with some of the Club’s players and developing into an impactful initiative with local primary schools. The rollout of the Kick the Carbon Grassroots Community Sustainability Programme commenced in Spring 2024 with Bath Rugby and Grant UK visiting nine primary schools and nearly 900 children in Years 3 and 4. The programme extended into the 2024/25 season with even more schools and children from Years 5 and 6 participating, well over the targets set by both the Club and Grant UK.
Between the Autumn 2024 and Spring 2025, over 1,200 primary school children took part in the Kick The Carbon sessions, an increase of 35% compared to the previous year. The sessions were delivered into eleven new schools based throughout Wiltshire and Somerset, four of which were based in Swindon near to Grant UK’s Headquarters. Each session combined classroom activities, where the children worked in groups to create posters about the different ways to be more sustainable, with outside games which involved core rugby skills as well as engaging learning relating back to the classroom activities. In total, 88 hours of educational learning was provided, 20% more than in 2023/24.
Once again, the feedback from participating schools was very positive. One teacher wrote, “A great idea mixing sport with climate change. The coaches were great with activities as the lesson went on, which kept the children more engaged.” Another teacher described their visit as “Fantastic – the children absolutely loved it.”
Other feedback really highlights how impactful the Kick The Carbon sessions were. “The children were really engaged in both activities – the game element of the classroom task really encouraged the children to be active learners,” comments one teacher. Another wrote, “I thought the programme was amazing. The children from Years 5 and 6 are still talking about it.”
“We are incredibly proud of what the programme has achieved,” comments Anna Wakefield, Head of Internal Sales and Marketing at Grant UK. “Seeing it evolve into something that not only educates young people about sustainability but also inspires them to take action at home is incredibly rewarding. Partnering with Bath Rugby has allowed us to connect with local communities in a meaningful and lasting way, and the enthusiasm from both the schools and the children has been fantastic.”
Mike Fordham, Rugby Development Officer at Bath Rugby, commented, “I am incredibly proud to have played a role in developing a powerful and impactful programme with Grant UK, aimed at educating children about carbon reduction through rugby. Through our 'Kick the Carbon' initiative, I and other Bath Rugby coaches engaged with 1,216 pupils across 11 schools, sparking real excitement around both Bath Rugby and Grant UK. So much so, that students and teachers were asking how they could get more involved! This programme has been a fantastic example of how sport can be used as a vehicle to inspire, educate, and create opportunities for all children.”
For further information about Grant UK’s work in the local community, please visit www.grantuk.com/about/csr-hub.