We have further strengthened our partnership with Candriam following the announcement of a new Candriam Training Ground, which will form the first part of the new sustainable Eco Park development.
The Candriam Training Ground will be a hub for the whole Forest Green Rovers family, where the first team, women’s team and Academy will all train. It will also be made available to community groups. Development of the new training ground is due to commence in Spring 2022.
The training ground is a core part of the club’s new Eco Park development, which embodies the future of a sustainable football industry and is regarded as the ‘greenest stadium in the world’.
Eco Park will provide the club with additional stadium capacity, training facilities and other infrastructure, all designed and built to be as energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and socially inclusive as possible. It will also feature a Green Technology Cluster for like-minded companies from the green economy, that will support around 3,000 jobs within the Stroud District.
As innovators in sustainability across their industries, the new training facility reflects the two organisations’ shared values and ongoing commitment to responsible environmental and social development. It builds on the existing partnership and other community initiatives such as the Candriam Kids Fund, which sees £10,000 per season allocated to support disadvantaged children and young people.
Naïm Abou-Jaoudé, CEO of Candriam, and Chairman of New York Life Investment Management International said: “Candriam and Forest Green Rovers share similar values based on a deep commitment towards sustainable development and social inclusion.
"The universal dimension of football makes it a powerful channel for spreading ideas: by supporting Forest Green Rovers in its growing ambitions, Candriam aims to accelerate the awareness of the climate emergency and other sustainability issues. As such, the Candriam Training Ground is an exciting next step in our journey together."
Dale Vince, Chairman of Forest Green Rovers, added: “Candriam are a major partner of FGR and it’s great to build on our relationship. The new training ground, which will bear their name, and the Eco Park more generally, will be a world class development for Stroud and a beacon of what is achievable for sustainability in sport.
"It will be the perfect new home for Forest Green Rovers and everything we stand for, as well as a centre of excellence for sport, creativity, innovation and green technology in Gloucestershire.”
