Sustainability

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

The Pythian Club provide donations of food and refreshments at many of our sessions understanding how the cost of living crisis negatively impacts many of those within our community.

We provide weekly hot dinners are distributed from our community centre to those in need.

During COVID, the Club delivered food parcels to community members.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Our Secret Garden Project is wholly devoted to the growing of both plants and vegetables, and supporting attendees’ well-being.

At our sessions, we place emphasis on the ways nature can impact our well-being and mental health.

In addition to using well-being workshops as an opportunity for reflection and self-improvement, we also promote healthy lifestyles and good physical health at our sessions.

Goal 4: Quality Education

The Pythian Club has made connections with a variety of schools, colleges and universities to ensure we can provide the young individuals whom we engage with solid opportunities and pathways into further education as well as support to remain in the education system.

For those who struggle with formal education, The Club offer the opportunity to gain nationally recognised sports accreditation

We also give our attendees at our sports sessions the opportunity to get involved in leading activities and allow them to explore their interests in sports coaching.

This has allowed us to instil important values of responsibility and resilience in our attendees.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

At The Pythian Club, we are passionate about providing support to everybody, regardless of gender identity, as we believe in equality and spreading the message of inclusivity across the communities we engage with.

The Pythian Club’s ‘Open Up The Badge’ initiative specifically targets women, and other under-represented groups, encouraging them to participate in sports. Opportunities to widen participation can be demonstrated where The Club took a group of 9 women to watch the FA Women’s Cup Final at Wembley in May 2023. The group were delighted to be part of a record breaking 77, 390 people attending at a women’s football final.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

With the addition of the pergola in our community garden, The Secret Garden, constructed by volunteers from Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), we have been able to collect our own rainwater using a water butt.

This has helped us to water and cultivate a variety of plants in our garden, while saving water use in our community centre.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

With the fast-growing development of our community garden, The Secret Garden, we are working towards installing many different features to facilitate access to reliable and modern energy, such as solar and wind power.

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Through our wide array of activities, we strive to promote youth employment, education and training to implement economic and social policies aimed at eradicating youth poverty.

We have worked incredibly hard to create a safe, inclusive work environment; we always work towards eradicating substandard working conditions such as inequality and discrimination.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

As an organisation, we always aim to encourage forward thinking and help support our attendees to help turn their ideas into reality.

At The Secret Garden, we encourage even our youngest individuals to get involved in construction and creating features for the garden; we always try to nurture creativity and self-expression.

We also support our attendees with pathways into employment, including support in C.V. development, writing job applications as well as searching for work opportunities.

Through the volunteering opportunities we provide as well as work placements, young people are encouraged to get involved in designing and delivering sessions or being involved in qualitative and quantitative research to inform our strategy.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality

All our employees are extremely passionate about equality and inclusion; we cater our activities to those that may feel disenfranchised socially or financially, helping them to find a sense of community and camaraderie at our sessions.

The Pythian Club’s ‘Open Up The Badge’ initiative encourages equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging by targeting under-represented groups, e.g. women, those with disabilities etc. to participate in sport.

Our Outreach team focus on engaging with those facing material and social deprivation, providing opportunities to those that may not have access to them otherwise.

Due to generous funding from the Youth Hostel Association (England and Wales), Nottingham City Homes and CT4N Community the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, The Pythian Club took young people from 2 local Alternative Provision schools on a 3 day residential trip to YHA Derbyshire enabling some young people, who had never been to the countryside, to experience outdoor activities including weaselling, abseiling.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The Pythian Club sits on the Nottingham Climate Assembly steering group and were activity involved in supporting Nottingham’s first Youth Climate Assembly which took place in Summer 2022. On-going support is provide in helping to disseminate the 4 key areas of the manifesto created at the assembly, namely Transport, Shopping & Consumption, Food and Nature all firmly focussed on supporting sustainable cities and communities.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Our Secret Garden over the past year has grown and distributed its own produce, such as fruit and vegetables.

During our sessions, we aim to use as much recyclable materials in our craft activities as possible not only to reduce material consumption but to also encourage innovation and reusing everyday objects such as bottle caps and plant pots.

Whenever possible The Club produce digital marketing material to help reduce their carbon footprint.

Goal 13: Climate Action

The Pythian Club is actively involved and sits on the steering group for Nottingham Climate Assembly who supported Nottingham’s first Youth Climate Assembly which took place at the University of Nottingham in Summer 2022 and was attended by some of The Club’s Young Leaders.

At The Secret Garden, we use educational materials to teach the young children we engage with the importance of being environmentally friendly.

Goal 14: Life Below Water

Our Secret Garden Project has benefitted from the introduction of a pond which aims to help preserve life below water through nurturing different breeds of plant life, providing a sanctuary for different wildlife such as dragonflies and frogs and is a wonderful opportunity to educate all attending the garden sessions about pond life.

Goal 15: Life on Land

With the wide array of plant life in our garden, we attract and provide a sanctuary of breeding for dwindling populations of native pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

We have also made connections with many of the dog walkers at Heathfield Park so we can work together in making the space safe for dogs and other animals.

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

We have worked in conjunction with the British Transport Police, NET tram as well as the Nottinghamshire Police to keep our community as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible.

Our Outreach team interact with people in the local community helping to maintain order and also encourage people to move away from anti-social behaviour though involvement in positive pathways we provide.

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

We have collaborated with many different organisations across Nottingham to keep our community sustainable.

Many local businesses, such as Selco Builders Warehouse, Active Notts, Street games, and more, have provided in-kind donations to assist us in running our activities. In addition we have also have volunteers from other organisations participate in our sessions as well as providing work experience for local school pupils, work placement for University students.

Establishing connections across our community is vital to ensure so we all work together to build a safer and more sustainable world.