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As we enter the Season of Creation we hope you'll find this latest EcoNews inspiring and informative. Scroll on down for details of our next Eco Forum, encouraging eco stories, welcomes and congratulations and details of useful resources, events and webinars to keep you all inspired! Thank you for all you continue to do in your parish or benefice to ensure that we strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
Your Eco team is: the Revd David Longe, Ed Cotterill, Barbara Bryant & Hannah Emmrich (members of the DofN Environment Working Group)
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Next Eco Forum: Ethical finance
17 September | 7 - 8pm | online
Come and engage with the sometimes complex issue of ethical investments and banking for churches and individuals. We're delighted that Adam Matthews, the Director of Ethics and Engagement for the Church of England Pensions Board will be giving us some insights and inspiration. There'll be time for discussion and questions.
Zoom link below. Meeting ID: 864 1942 0857 Passcode: 426258
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Possible November Eco Forum - reflective
12 November | 6:30 - 7:30pm
Norwich Cathedral
Hold the date for further details to follow!
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Rural net zero seminar videos now available
St Mary’s Wiveton hosted ‘A Pit Stop for Rural Churches’ day conference, in mid-June, designed to engage and inspire rural churches to positive action on their journey towards Net Zero by 2030. Primarily funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), the conference formed part of a wider conservation and activity project. Nearly 100 delegates attended the conference, coming from churches and partners across the Diocese. The conference live-stream has now been edited and each presentation is available to view separately HERE
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NZC funding resource - for church halls
The Thrive Renewables Community Benefit programme. programme gives grants of up to £4,500 to cover improvements such as insulation, draught-proofing, LED lighting or improved heating controls. The deadline for applications is midday on Tuesday 24 September.
It's only open to community buildings within a 20-mile radius of one of the 15 wind and hydro sites in which Thrive Renewables is invested so for us, that's postcode areas NR32 1UZ or IP23 8BW. Full details HERE
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New energy & carbon efficiency guidance from Historic England
"Our historic buildings must continue to change and evolve
if they are to both contribute to a greener future and be fit
for purpose for the people who live in, experience and care
for them. If done thoughtfully and carefully, these changes
can achieve the complementary goals of protecting our
heritage and adapting to a changing climate." Historic England
has produced a new Advice Note to provide clarity on key
considerations and to support consistent decision making.
Download the document here
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Eco Church awards & newbies | |
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Welcome to those who've just started and congratulations to those who achieved their awards.
SILVER - St Andrew's, Trowse
BRONZE - no new bronzes this month!
NEWLY REGISTERED - St Peter's, Gunton, St Cuthbert's, Sprowston, Holy Trinity Heigham, Norwich
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Our Diocese has first national net zero demonstrator church project
St Peter Mancroft in Norwich city centre is the first of over 100 churches to receive a grant as part of the £5.2M Demonstrator Churches project from the Church of England’s Net Zero Programme. This aims to help 114 churches in 2024 and 2025 pay for items such as solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, secondary glazing, LED lighting and infrared heating system.
Read full story or click on the image to watch the video.
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Eco Church Silver award for Trowse
Scones and Evensong with a creation care theme, and an Eco Messy Church session exploring bugs, butterflies and grasses were just some of the events that paved the way for St Andrew's in Trowse to achieve a Silver Eco Church Award recently. Sarah Toothill tells us more...
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Churchyard wildlife in Bradwell
Revd Steve Deall writes: Over the past few years, with the incredible support of both our church community and some dedicated volunteers, we’ve made a firm commitment to manage the nearly three acres of churchyard we are blessed with.
Our goal? Simply To encourage as much wildlife as possible and create diverse habitats. Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Grass Management: We’ve created areas of short and long grass.
Wildlife Havens: Some spots are left untouched for shy wildlife to hide.
Wildlife Superhighway: We’ve built a dead hedge around the perimeter using cut material.
We keep a log of all the species in our little paradise. While we don’t have pictures of all our visitors, we’ve also spotted hedgehogs, slow worms, grass snakes, a sparrowhawk, rooks, a pair of jays, and even a weasel or stoat! Highlights have been a badger spotted for a few weeks and a mother and fawn Muntjac deer who stayed with us last year.
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Six Inches of Soil film screening
7 October | 6 - 9pm | East Harling
St Peter & St Paul, East Harling is holding an eco church-themed screening of this film popular film exploring regenerative agriculture. Following the film there will be a marketplace of eco stalls and a Q&A panel session about the topic which will include Bishop Graham in his role of lead bishop on environment.
Get your free tickets here:
www.ticketsource.co.uk/harlingguiltcross
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New eco church survey coming soon - be prepared!
A reminder that A Rocha UK will be refreshing the Eco Church Survey this Autumn. They say: A transition phase will allow churches to finish their work on the current survey - you have until the end of 2024 to apply for an award using the existing survey.
We are currently working on finalising the new questions and all the technicalities of loading the new survey into the Eco Church platform. Everyone who is registered on the Eco Church platform will receive an email notifying them when we have a launch date.
For more information, take a look at this recent article.
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Recycling candles
We occasionally get queries about recycling candles used in church services. St John's, Timberhill in Norwich says: "We don't like unnecessary waste, so every few months we send all the stubs from the candles burned at our altars and shrines to The Society of St Margaret - Walsingham where the energetic Sister Carol melts them down to make new candles, which are then sold in aid of the Sisters' charitable projects. Today's delivery consisted of 21lb 8oz of wax, or fractionally under the weight of a red deer at birth. #EcoChurch" To see if you can do likewise, contact ssm.walsingham@gmail.com
Alternatively there is this national company:
https://therecycledcandlecompany.co.uk/
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Global engagement: garden twinning
If you're looking for a global engagement idea, you might light to explore "garden twinning." With Ripple Effect’s garden twinning campaign a donation of £60, allows you to twin your garden with another in rural Africa. "The donation could help a family living in rural-Africa with three-years training in sustainable organic farming. In return you’ll receive a sustainable wooden plaque to hang in your garden and further information on gardening both here in the UK and in rural Africa."
The Ripple Effect - Garden Twinning
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Eco Church national online prayer forum
26 September | 12 - 1pm | online
Join the UK Eco Church community online to encourage each other through prayer. "We’ll share a reflection together and pray in smaller groups for local, national and global issues, including the Eco Church work we are doing in our churches. All are welcome, whether you are new to Eco Church or have been on the journey for a while!" Register to attend their next lunchtime gathering here.
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Racism and climate change
This compelling read sets out the inter-twining of racial justice and climate justice. It is the text of a talk presented at the General Synod Environmental Group Fringe, which was held during the Church of England General Synod in July 2024. You can read it on the Diocese of London's website HERE
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Faith, Peace and Justice Forum: A Call to Action
14 September | 10am - 5pm | Mile Cross
Inspiring talks and discussion on the key social justice issues of our time: * The Housing Crisis * Climate Justice Now * Peace Making and Non-Violence in a Violent World * Missing in Action * Liberation Theology and Social Justice * A Call to Action *
Speakers: Rev Chris Howson (A Just Church/University of Sunderland) Kate Doran-Smith (Head of Network, Hope into Action) Rev Vanessa Elston (Pioneer Priest for Climate Spirituality and Action) Dr Lee Marsden (Pioneer Lay Minister/Professor Emeritus Faith & Global Politics, UEA) Venue: St Catherine's Church, Norwich, NR3 2RJ
Get your FREE tickets HERE
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Music, Faith, Ecology and Climate
19 September | 12pm - 1pm | online
Register here: https://churchofengland-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-pnb1mKTSFq50a3C0dofvA
How does music complement and enhance our faith and our environmental action? Including guest speakers:
Alison Eve from Ancient Arden Forest Church
Emma Pennington, Canon Missioner for Canterbury Cathedral
Barbara Keal, guardian of the Coat of Hopes
Joel Payne from Resound Worship, who produced the Doxecology album.
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Remember to share your eco stories with us! You can see latest environmental stories from across the diocese here | |
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