SSE Airtricity, in conjunction with the Football Association of Ireland, have announced Sligo Rovers as the overall winner for this season's 'A Common Goal' project.

As part of the programme, SSE Airtricity committed €50,000 to support League of Ireland and Women’s National League clubs in environmental initiatives offering a grant of €2,250 to each participating club.

As the club that took the biggest steps on their sustainability journey, Sligo Rovers have been rewarded with a €25,000 retrofit of The Showgrounds to make it more energy efficient and to reduce the club's carbon footprint for years to come.

Sligo Rovers' sustainability plans include providing more bicycle facilities in The Showgrounds to encourage supporters to travel by bike to matches as well as using the facility on non-matchdays to cycle to work. The club also plans to upgrade bins within the stadium to encourage recycling and reduce waste and eliminate invasive knotweed, which has grown around the club's training pitch.

As part of the 'A Common Goal' programme, SSE Airtricity created an online hub to show each club's monthly performance and their actions taken towards sustainability. The platform hosted information and was a communication tool for each club to engage with the programme. As part of the programme, six players competed in challenges each month as they took on different green themes and championed the positive action we can all make towards our common goal. Among the themes covered were Biodiversity, Water Efficiency, Sustainable Transport, and Energy Efficiency.

The 'A Common Goal' ambassadors included David Cawley of Sligo Rovers, Cork City's Sarah McKevitt, Tadhg Ryan of Treaty United, Keith Buckley of Bohemians, Shelbourne's Shauna Fox and UCD's Jack Keaney.

Making the presentation on behalf of SSE Airtricity, Leanne Sheill, Sponsorship and Marketing Manager SSE Airtricity said: “I’m delighted to present Sligo Rovers with the inaugural A Common Goal sustainability award and retrofit prize. We all want to live in a cleaner, greener world and at SSE Airtricity, we’re delighted to support the clubs and their communities in making greener choices that benefit the environment.

“A Common Goal was launched this year to improve the environmental sustainability of football clubs and the wider communities and over the course of the season, we introduced expert tips and advice, promoting positive discussions on how we can make our league one of the most environmentally sustainable in the world.

“SSE Airtricity committed to support League of Ireland and Women’s National League clubs in environmental initiatives offering a grant of €2,250 to each participating club and the €25,000 retrofit prize. We’ve been delighted with the response from clubs and their communities, it’s been fantastic to see clubs all over the country taking huge strides with sustainable initiative this season and supporting their communities to do the same.”

League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon said: "We are delighted to work with SSE Airtricity on this fantastic environmental programme and I congratulate on Sligo Rovers on their award as ‘A Common Goal’ winners. Their project and their ongoing work around green themes at The Showgrounds are an example to every League of Ireland and Women’s National League club. I want to thank SSE Airtricity for their continued support of our national leagues and we look forward to next year’s progamme."

Sligo Rovers Chairman Tommy Higgins said: "Everybody at Sligo Rovers was delighted to be involved with the SSE Airtricity' A Common Goal' initiative. I would particularly like to thank our staff and volunteers for their great work with this programme."

Join the conversation and tell us what A Common Goal means to you using the hashtag #ACommonGoal on Instagram (@SSEAirtricityLeague), Twitter (@SSEAirtricityLg), and Facebook (@SSE Airtricity League).

SSE Airtricity are on a mission to build a greener world. For us, it starts with supplying 100% Green Energy to homes and businesses across Ireland. Still, it's also about recognising that the small actions that we each take as individuals can make a massive difference to our environment and the communities we love.

That's why we've been working with partners to work towards a common goal of building a greener and cleaner future for everyone. We're delighted to bring this goal to the vibrant football community that we've been proud to be part of for the last 11 years.

A Common Goal is a programme by SSE Airtricity aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of football clubs and the wider community. We help clubs with advice that can help reduce their carbon footprint, engage with their local community, and reach new audiences.

Throughout the season, clubs introduced expert tips and advice, shared success stories, promoted positive discussions, and exchanged ideas on how we can make our league one of the most sustainable in the world. However small at first, these changes can have a transformative impact on our league, reducing our carbon footprint, energy costs, and negative environmental impacts whilst inspiring our communities to work together for a common goal.