Welcome to our latest local Eco newsletter. 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)

Eco Forum updates

May Eco Forum - Demystifying food choices

Our first hybrid Eco Forum was held in St Stephen’s Church, Norwich and online in early May, to consider the complexities around food choices and their environmental impact.

Chair of the Environment Working Group, The Revd Canon David Longe chaired a panel discussion with three experts with some lively discussion ensuing in small groups and online. For full report, useful further resources and recording of the event follow this link: Eco Forum on demystifying food choices

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

Zoom link

Net Zero

Welcome to Ed Cotterill

Ed joined the Diocese as our Net Zero Carbon Adviser in April. He introduces himself:

Hello, I’m Ed the newly arrived Net Zero Carbon Adviser for the diocese. This role has been set up, in part, to help parishes with their journey towards Net Zero Carbon because we recognize that reducing the carbon emissions of any building, not to mention a medieval church, can feel like a daunting task. I’m here to help with advice on the information you need to gather, the things you should consider and the pro’s and con’s of solutions you might be investigating.

I’ll also be keeping up to date on all the relevant funding stream that could help you finance your net zero projects. So whatever your question, please do get in touch and I’ll do my best to provide you with an answer.

Phone: 07827 130247

Email: ed.cotterill@dioceseofnorwich.org

Sam explains the importance of completing the EFT

Last call for Energy Footprint data!

The deadline Wed 31 July for filling on this year’s Energy Footprint Tool is fast approaching, and I can’t stress how important this information is to us. As the saying goes – ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’ and at the moment the EFT is the best tool we have for understanding our energy use across the diocese. It would contribute enormously to our ability to plan ways to help you on your journey to Net Zero Carbon if you could please complete it. Find all the help you need HERE

NZC funding resources

Funding your carbon reduction project can be a daunting prospect. Energy efficiency measures will reduce your energy bills but the up-front costs can be significant. There are a number of sources of funding potentially available with more planned. You can start by looking at the National Church Funding page : Charitable-Grants-for-Churches-July-2023.pdf (parishresources.org.uk)

We will shortly be hosting a page on the Diocesan website with information and links to all the latest funding streams, and as always, please contact us if you would like any more information or help with applications.

Text Link

Rural Net Zero conference recording available

Just under 100 people attended the day conference in June focusing on Net Zero for rural churches, hosted wonderfully by Wiveton Church. You can view the livestream recording of the whole day currently at www.Dofn.org/ruralnetzero which will soon be edited into the six separate sessions.

Eco Church awards & newbies

Welcome to those who've just started and congratulations to those who achieved their awards. Pictured above are some of the team from St Andrew the Apostle, Holt being congratulated on their Silver award by Bishop Graham.

SILVER - St Andrew the Apostle, Holt; St Mary's, Newton Flotman; St George's, Colegate, Norwich; Fakenham Parish Church

BRONZE - All Saints, Wood Norton; St Giles, Bradfield, St Mary's, Southtown, Gt Yarmouth

NEWLY REGISTERED - St Mary's, North Elmham; St Peter's, Ickburgh; St Andrew's, Congham; All Saints, Horstead

Still to start your Eco Church journey? Find out more here

Parish news

Community eco engagement encouragement

Paul Newman shares his recent experience and lessons learnt from his involvement with the first ecumenical climate change event in Sheringham.

read full story

Great Big Green Week vicar's clothes swap appeal

A Norwich vicar was calling on young people to choose pre-loved over fast fashion in a unique clothes-swap shop in the city. The Revd Heather Cracknell, has adult children and explains her inspiration to encourage them and others to take this action.

Porch prayers in Surlingham

Barbara Bryant, Diocesan Environment Officer, recently joined a group of people praying in the porch of St Mary’s, Surlingham, south of Norwich. The simple service struck a chord with her about connecting two spaces.

A quiet, reflective service in the Celtic tradition...

Resources and events

Bishop's First Nature Award open for applications

Are you putting nature first for children?

If you are helping young people discover and enjoy the natural world you could win £1,000. The Bishop of Norwich First Nature Award aims to recognise and celebrate a Norfolk project or organisation which is helping children and young people connect with the natural world. Find out how to apply: The Bishop of Norwich First Nature Award.

New eco calendar resource to help plan your Eco Church strategy

A new interactive calendar marking days and weeks of the year celebrating the environment has been published by the Churh of England Environment Programme. Find out more and download the pdf here: Keeping climate change on the agenda with new resource | The Church of England

Free trees from Woodland Trust

Free trees for schools and community groups (including churches) are available from The Woodland Trust. The free tree packs come in various pack sizes and different varieties of native broadleaf to suit all needs and environments. The current round of applications for free trees closes on 26th August for November 2024 delivery (with some handy planting tips too).

Free Trees for Schools and Communities - Woodland Trust

Help with community orchards

The East of England Apples & Orchards Project promotes the planting of local orchard fruit varieties and the preservation of orchards in the east of England. They run community and school workshops on the growing of fruit trees and help source local trees. Apples & Orchards Project | Local heritage fruit varieties in the East of England (applesandorchards.org.uk)

Conservation Volunteers available for churchyards

Follow the link below to hear Mark Webster of The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) explain how they are working with local communities to improve their environment and are keen to help in more churchyards.

The Conservation Volunteers

Season of Creation resources

The Celebration Guide is now available to download from the Season of Creation website. It gives a comprehensive context to this year's theme To Hope and Act with Creation, and fulsome resources for prayers, services, pilgrimages and more.

EN_Celebration Guide_Season of Creation.pdf - Google Drive

Give your input to county nature recovery plans

The Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership is a collective of organisations convened by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. The Partnership has come together with the goal of supporting and inspiring action for nature recovery across Norfolk and Suffolk through healthier and more resilient natural systems on land and coast. We have recently launched public and landowner surveys as we want to find out which aspects of nature are most important across the counties.

You could respond as an individual or a church parish. This is an opportunity to represent local ambition at a national level. Evidence collected in this survey will help define the future of the counties nature network. The surveys (via the links below) are open until 14 July.

Norfolk LNRS Public Survey

Suffolk LNRS Public Survey

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