Fillongley hoot with delight as they swoop on our award

TANYA ALDRED celebrates the success of the latest winners of the Ortus Energy UK's Greenest Ground competition - Fillongley Cricket Club

Tanya Aldred | 20/12/2024 at 09:01

It was the pair of barn owls and their three owlets, with their heart-shaped faces and fluffy white drawers, who reassured Stephen Gardner that they were doing the right thing at Fillongley Cricket Club. The roosting birds were a sign that their hard graft in making the ground more nature-friendly, and the club more sustainable, had been worth it.

Fillongley, nestled in the Warwickshire countryside between Birmingham and Coventry, are the winners of this year's Ortus Energy UK's Greenest Ground competition, sponsored by Ortus. They are the unanimous choice by our judges, the very best of an inspiring set of entries sent in from all around the country.

Their ground was originally part of Fillongley Hall and the club had been trying to secure ownership for years. In 2018 they eventually got the opportunity and, included in the deal, was a pond, a slope and another field that lay between the main pitch and the lane, giving them an opportunity to create a second pitch that would make home cricket available to all three teams. Cue a green-fingered and green-powered transformation.

"We have always prided ourselves on being very picturesque," says Gardner, "but also aware that cricket is played on a barren piece of grass where nothing can exist except batsmen and bowlers. We wanted to change that around the edges."

fillongley_cr_jack_simmonds_(1)

^{Spectators and even some players are drawn in by the wildlife (Jack Simmonds)}

They set up a sustainability sub-committee and asked the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to survey the land and advise them how to improve the ground for wildlife and help prevent flooding in the village. From there, they planted more than 200 metres of hedging, 20 trees to fit in with the surrounding ancient Arden forest, and a wildflower meadow where owl-tasty voles quickly moved in.

With help from the WWT and the Highways Agency, they cleaned out the neglected pond, which in turn was soon inhabited by coots. Deer, buzzards, red kites and a kestrel also started to make an appearance.

They tackled the human ecology too – first with the quick wins: switching to LEDs with motion sensors in the clubhouse, adding insulation to a water tank, timers to the showers and improving the sorting of their recycling.

Later on, after evaluation, they installed an 18-panel 7kW PV system to the pavilion roof, with a battery and a charger which can power the groundsman's car and in the future, after the current models wear out, electric mowers. The solar panels, operational since May, have reduced the club's energy bills, saved the equivalent of 1.9 tonnes of C02 and given them an income of £220 to date.

And they're not stopping there. In the pipeline are more fruit trees to join their established 'blossom ring' as well as rainwater harvesting. It's not surprising our judges were blown away. "It is so exciting to see the Ortus Energy UK's Greenest Ground competition go from strength to strength but even more so when you learn of clubs like Fillongley, where the community are making such extraordinary efforts for people, for wildlife and for the future of both," said naturalist Mark Cocker. "Many congratulations to our truly deserving winners."

solarpanls181201

^{Among the measures taken was adding 18 solar panels to the club's pavilion (Wikus de Wet/AFP via Getty Images)}

Crucially, the club were able to get funding for various stages of the development – money for the solar panels came from the Warwickshire Cricket Board, and all the hedging and trees planted have been provided by WWT. The new fruit trees will be funded by the Community Orchard Fund.

Although Gardner is the driving force, the sustainability drive has had support from all ages, as well as help from the WWT and the parish council. Not everyone is full of boundless enthusiasm, but timely help comes from 'Joe Hoot'.

"The working days have been good for team spirit but it is the owls that have made a highly visible difference," says Gardner. "People come for the cricket and drift over to the owls hunting over the wildflower meadow. Even the players stop to watch.

"We've been involved in the National Village Cup since it started in 1972 so it's really special for us to win this award from The Cricketer and Ortus Energy."

The competition runners-up are Langside Sports Club in Glasgow, who set up their BIO (Be Involved Outdoors) club during Covid, and still meet twice a week. It provided companionship during the lockdowns but also kickstarted a biodiversity revolution as the volunteers built a bog garden, planted a community fruit orchard, a habitat hedge and a wildflower bank.

Feel inspired? The 2025 competition will open next spring.