Across Ireland, communities are already feeling the effects of the climate crisis, but the benefits of the green transition often remain out of reach. While some sectors profit from decarbonisation, many households experience climate action as an added cost in a pressured economy. Retrofitting, solar power, or other solutions that cut emissions are often inaccessible to those who would benefit most.
At Bohemian Football Club, we set out to change this. Our climate justice initiative is designed to ensure the transition delivers real local benefits: good jobs, lower household costs, and a stronger sense of agency.
Building Skills and Trust
This work began with The Spark, a three-year initiative in Dublin 7 funded through the Community Climate Action Programme. Led by Bohemian FC and 13 partners, it trained more than 140 people through an eight-week practical skills programme in off-grid solar, energy efficiency, and bike repair, reaching groups often excluded from climate programmes, including migrants, prisoners, and older people. With more than 200 people now on the waiting list, the demand is clear.
The Spark also created a community “library of things,” a bike library for children, and an after-school programme teaching climate action as a story of cooperation and hope. The project’s focus on culture, trust, and awareness reflects Phase 1: Building Confidence and Visibility, of Philanthropy Ireland’s new resources, A Roadmap for the Future of Ireland’s Philanthropy. The lesson from the Spark is simple - when climate action is framed as a shared opportunity, communities engage deeply.
Why a Football Club?
A football club may seem an unlikely place for this work, but it is one of the most practical. Clubs carry deep trust and provide a place of belonging, especially in working-class communities often missed by traditional environmental campaigns. Importantly, since our founding in 1890, Bohemians has been a fan-owned club. Our existence, shows that democratic ownership can compete in a system dominated by corporate wealth. Football specifically, and sport more generally, holds cultural power and broad networks that make it a powerful vehicle for shaping a fairer, more sustainable future.
Developing Economic Infrastructure
Our climate work is now entering a critical second phase: developing the economic infrastructure to support a cooperative ecosystem rooted in Community Wealth Building (CWB). CWB is based on the simple idea that communities should hold a real stake in the economy shaping their lives. By embedding shared ownership, fair employment, and local control, it keeps wealth circulating locally.
With support from Community Foundation Ireland and their donors, we visited successful CWB models in Mondragón, Spain, and Cleveland in the US, where once-disadvantaged communities are now building economic resilience. These experiences show that with patient support, transformative change is possible when local people have ownership and agency.
Dublin City Council has now made CWB a central pillar of its economic strategy. Building on this momentum and working with Ted Howard, architect of the Cleveland Model, we are finalising a business plan for a Dublin-based ecosystem
This phase of development is focused on building infrastructure and capacity that will allow the ecosystem achieve economies of scale. In that sense, it is in keeping with Phase 2 of the Philanthropy roadmap. Developing a shared services platform to support new cooperatives with legal, financial, and governance expertise, as well as training needs, is the priority, while wo initial cooperatives are already moving forward. An insurance mutual could provide affordable coverage while generating revenue to help build a wider ecosystem. A food cooperative could create inner-city jobs, support local farms, and deliver healthy meals to schools and public institutions.
Other models under consideration include a solar installation cooperative and an employee-owned laundry, each rooted in proven international practice, each a targeted response to local needs.
Climate Justice at the Core
What makes our approach distinctive among the global CWB movement is the integration of climate action into the model. These cooperatives are not just about ownership structures; they are designed to tackle climate and inequality together. The aim is a just transition where climate policy reduces inequality, supports family incomes, and empowers communities to shape their economic futures.
For philanthropy, this offers a credible, cost-effective pathway to climate justice: community-led, practical, and grounded in real demand. The institutions we are building are designed to generate long-term public value, far beyond the lifespan of any single grant.
Looking Ahead: Toward Transformation
If the startup phase succeeds, we will move into the transformative stage of our work—aligned with Phase 3 of the Stewarding Irish Philanthropy roadmap. The precedent for successful CWB models is strong: Mondragón now employs over 70,000 people and generates €11 billion annually; in Cleveland, Evergreen is successfully dismantling entrenched intergenerational poverty through building equity for poor households; in Preston CWB has redirected over £200 million into its local economy since 2013, creating thousands of living wage jobs.
With sustained philanthropic support, similar outcomes are possible here. At a time of low trust in government systems and rising urgency, this work offers a practical alternative: a fairer, greener economy rooted in place and participation.
Movement building, whether that’s growing a movement for philanthropy or growing a community of local changemakers breaks down to the same steps. For Bohs, the groundwork is laid. The structures are forming. With the right partners, we are ready to take the next step.