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Agency for Nature and VCCP blend foraging with football to inspire a deeper connection to the environment

Research shows that the UK ranks lowest in Europe for connectedness to nature, and a new initiative aims to change that by bringing amateur footballers and fans closer to the natural world.

Derby-based foraging expert Jamie Quince-Starkey, of Down to Earth Regen, and former England U21 captain turned Sheffield United midfielder Tom Davies visited players at Field Lane Football Club to introduce them to the nature just beyond the touchline. Their experience, captured in a new film, is launching across social media.

Together, they create and enjoy their own matchday pie for the community club’s players, using foraged ingredients including oyster mushrooms, nettle seeds and mugwort from their local area, blending the world of football with a newfound connection to nature, and sharing the results on social media.

The film, which will be shared on TikTok and Instagram, sees Jamie and Tom foraging for nettles pitchside and boiling them up to make nettle tea - which wasn’t to everyone’s taste! The players also tucked in to handmade vegetarian pies made with foraged ingredients which helped power the team on the pitch.

Jake Wiseman and James Ginn, creatives at VCCP, said: “Amateur footballers spend time in nature every weekend, yet their connection with it rarely goes beyond the 90 minutes they spend on a grass pitch. Extra Time with Nature aims to change that, encouraging them to appreciate the things around the pitches in the parks they play in a little bit more.”

The activation is part of a wider ‘Extra Time with Nature’ campaign which features players from the community football club across billboards nationwide to encourage football enthusiasts to notice the natural world beyond the lines of the pitch.

Traditionally, footballers are engrossed in the action on the pitch, often overlooking the natural surroundings that host their games. ‘Extra Time with Nature’ rewrites this narrative, inspiring players to deepen their bond with the environment. Football is the most-watched and most-played sport in the UK, with 2.1 million people participating monthly. Yet, many players and fans don’t associate time spent outdoors with actively connecting to nature. Research shows this connection enhances mental health, improves well-being, and encourages pro-environmental behaviours that benefit the planet.

Alongside his football career, Tom is Managing Director of ChopValue UK, and is on a mission to divert over 20 million chopsticks per week from landfill in the UK and Ireland - saving around 1 million kgCO₂e in the process. His circular economy business transforms discarded bamboo chopsticks into high-performance materials for furniture, interior design features, serveware, and more.

Tom Davies, footballer and MD of ChopValue UK, said: “I’m proud to support initiatives that can redefine how we should be interacting with our planet. By incorporating sustainability into everyday passions like football, we can foster a culture of appreciation for nature and how it can benefit us all.”

The campaign was developed by creatives Jake Wiseman and James Ginn from global creative network VCCP, in collaboration with the Agency for Nature, a pop-up initiative focused on transforming young people's relationship with the natural world by embedding it into youth culture.

‘Extra Time with Nature’ will appear on billboards across the UK, and the matchday foraging experience will reach online communities through platforms including TikTok and Instagram.

Award-winning photographer Catherine Hyland, known for capturing people’s connections to the land they inhabit, shot the campaign’s imagery. Working with three Field Lane Football Club players, Hyland documented moments of distraction where they became mesmerised by the everyday nature surrounding their pitch. Playful headlines like “eyes on the cloud, lad”, “absolute state of this pitch” and “caught bird watching again” tap into classic football vernacular, adding humour and relatability.

Find out more at agencyfornature.com

Credits

PURPOSE DISRUPTORS

CO-FOUNDER: Lisa Merrick Lawless

PROJECT DIRECTORS: Holly Wyatt & Ceri Jones

COMMUNICATIONS: Aimee Brewerton

VCCP

CREATIVES: Jake Wiseman & James Ginn

HEAD OF ART: Ali Augur

GIRL&BEAR

ARTLAB MANAGER: James Perry

HEAD OF ARTLAB: Mark Stone

ARTWORKER: Jana Hajkova

VISUAL DIRECTOR: Ben Cole

RETOUCHING: Stanley’s Post

CREATIVE LEAD: James Turner

LOCATE PRODUCTIONS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Angus Light

PRODUCER: Alex Hill

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Amanda Jenkins

DIRECTOR & EDITORS: Jack Boniface & Alex Dickinson

PHOTOGRAPHER: Catherine Hyland

DIGITAL TECHNICIAN: Jorge Luis Dieguez

LOCATION: Field Lane Football Club, Derby

AGENT: James Gerrard-Jones at Wyatt Clarke & Jones

TALENT: Jamie Quince-Starkey, (Down to Earth Regen) & Tom Davies