Eco-Church

Eco Church2 The Eco-Church Sub Committee is answerable to the PCC in providing a think tank on ecological matters, overseeing our involvement with the Eco Church Project and its effects on Church and Congregation. This would include monitoring of grounds management, sustainability, transport, community links, buildings, Fairtrade compliance, carbon footprint, sustainable purchasing, lifestyle challenge and input of ideas into worship and informing and empowering the congregation.

Ecological Management of Church Grounds: We continue to be registered with Dorset Wildlife Trust Living Churchyard Project. The committee recognised all the efforts of Hilary Motson and the team in her period of leadership. We hope to continue to benefit from her expertise. Graham and Rod have taken over from Hilary in leading the team. It was agreed that it is important to explain the environmental aims of all areas of the Church and Church Centre grounds, particularly with regard to biodiversity and pollinators. Use by school pupils and families was discussed: tree surveys, art groups, curriculum links, stories in the woods. It may be possible to create a small pond. Compost heap was to be discouraged as it had become abused by the inclusion of non-native species.

Eco Church status and moving forward: Having achieved Bronze Award in September 2018 we are well on the way towards Silver and progress towards this will be the primary focus this year.

Creationtide: 1st Sept – 4th Oct 2019: The Committee was delighted that St Michael’s, again celebrated the full period of Creationtide this time with great craft contributions from Hilary Gooding which saw the Church beautifully decorated. (Click here to see more). We were also lent additional banners by Maggie and Eric Drennan. We had guest speakers, Poppy Jenkinson, an A’Rocha volunteer and Colin Brady the Diocesan Social Justice Programme Manager. The committee contributed intercessions and one of our home groups offered readings from Laudato Si the encyclical of Pope Francis on Our Shared Home.

Future steps towards our Eco Church Silver award and Living Churchyard Status are as follows…

We need to host more guest speakers to keep us informed on environmental matters.
Move to all LED Lighting for Church and Centre
Adopt a policy designed to limit the amount of energy consumed by security lighting around our church premises.
Consider the use of rainwater collection.
Ensure use of environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycled toilet paper
Consider the installation of wildlife feeders
Our Church should continue to be involved with various activities in Wimborne, notably the Wimborne Green Fair, Plastic Free Wimborne, Win on Waste Wimborne/Colehill, Greening Wimborne and Wimborne and Colehill Fairtrade Community.
Update our Fairtrade Church Status
Reduce the carbon footprint of transport to church.
Get the congregation more committed on a personal lifestyle basis through education and the use of personal audits
We should maintain contacts with the Colehill Parish Council regarding their push on Green Issues and their keenness to co-operate with other parochial bodies on such matters. To support them in the launch of Win on Waste Colehill and with litter picks and woodland conservation.
We need to pursue installation of cycle racks.
We are preparing to review our electricity and gas suppliers this year with a view to adopting renewable supplies.
Check the ethical credentials of any investments we hold
We are planning a more sustainable approach to the Parish Christmas tree next year in co-operation with the Parish Council.
We need to address the supply of instant coffee and tea to the kitchen so as to ensure that we are always using Fairtrade mark products.Hall hire agreements should reinforce the ethos of Fairtrade, recycling and minimum plastic,.
We are exploring sustainability advice and grants available from Low Carbon Dorset.
In the Churchyard Graham is looking to review the saplings planted last winter to see what holes need to be plugged.

John Spatchet Feb 2020

Climate Sunday 2021.
Click here for information about our service held on 11 July 2021. Click here for ideas for suggested actions.