Halas Hawks Junior Football Club: Combatting Flooding Through Nature Based Solutions
- Save Today, Play Tomorrow
- Jun 23, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 19
Imagine a football season where matches are cancelled not by a single downpour, but by pitches that remain waterlogged for weeks. This is an increasing reality for grassroots football across the UK, as climate change brings more frequent and intense rainfall.
At Hingleys Playing Fields in Cradley Heath, home to Halas Hawks Junior Football Club, this challenge became critical. Expanding wetland areas, fed by a natural spring and increased runoff, began encroaching onto pitches, making parts of the site unplayable and threatening regular fixtures for 18 youth teams.
This issue reflects a wider national trend. The FA estimates that around 100,000 grassroots matches are postponed each season due to weather-related disruption, with many pitches unusable for extended periods.
In response, Birmingham County FA partnered with the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust to explore how nature-based solutions could address the problem while enhancing biodiversity. Supported by a £14,000 grant from the Heart of England Foundation, the project transformed a growing environmental challenge into an opportunity.
A targeted plan was developed following ecological surveys, introducing practical interventions to better manage water and improve habitats. These included the creation of a linear pond to capture spring water, a bund and ditch system to control flow, planting rare native Black Poplar trees to absorb excess water, and restoring hedgerows to support local wildlife.
The project also brought together volunteers, students and community partners, strengthening local engagement with both sport and nature.
Early results are encouraging. The spread of the wetland has slowed, drainage has improved, and new habitats are already establishing.
This project demonstrates how working with nature - rather than against it - can help protect grassroots football facilities while creating more resilient and biodiverse community spaces.
Download the full report below to explore the approach, challenges and lessons from this innovative project.
