Thornbury Parish

Eco Church Award Presentation at St. Mary’s

Presentation at St. Paul’s

We are proud to be an Eco Church – we received our Silver Award in December 2020 having been awarded the Bronze Award in November 2018.  We are now working towards our Gold Award.  We have decided to apply for the award together with Oldbury Parish as part of our joint benefice.  Oldbury Parish achieved Silver in 2020

Our guiding principle is the Fifth Mark of Mission: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”.  It is the essence of our Parochial Environmental Policy and guides us when planning all Church activities; from worship, through our management of our land and buildings, to purchase of cleaning materials.  

St Mary’s & St Paul’s gained Bronze through a range of projects: LED lights, heat pump, Church Hall insulation, conservation areas in our Church yards, Muddy Church, Environment based sermons, serving ethical refreshments and our congregation’s awareness of Christian concern for the environment.  To help us achieve the Silver award: we twinned four of our Toilets; we took part in the local Churches One World week event, working with Sustainable Thornbury (ST)/Climate Action Thornbury and Surroundings (CATS);  Eco tips were added to our weekly Newssheet - many thanks to all. Support of this nature from the wider congregation all helped us reach Silver.

We now plan to start working towards the Gold standard with a re-focus on Church yard Biodiversity (parochial policy clauses 9 &10) working with Holy Mowers, Town Council, School and Museum. Clause 10 - “We will continue to encourage appropriate use of church buildings, churchyards etc to support wildlife and encourage young people to be involved with this”.

Also, when Covid restrictions allow, we will renew our Fairtrade status.

Clause 11 - “We are proud to be a Fairtrade church and seek to purchase food and drink that meets the LOAF principles (Locally-sourced, Organically-grown, Animal-friendly and Fairly-traded), avoid over-catering, and use seasonal foods whenever possible.”

Two toilets twinned at the Church Hall

Hearing via Zoom from Tea and Coffee growers we learn first-hand how climate change and other environment issues are contributing to poverty in many countries right now.  Unreliable weather patterns, due to climate change mean planning when to plant or harvest food crops is becoming increasingly difficult.  Deforestation and floods are causing devastation.  To find out more and discover what practical steps we can do in Thornbury, to help the worldwide climate challenge, please see the links below this article.

A toilet twinning certificate for St. Paul’s + one for St. Mary’s

We urge everyone to pray for the world and pray for guidance in our own lives to discern how we may each fulfil our responsibility to love God and our neighbour.

Marian S. & Guy R. Appointed Environment Champions

Links –

 St. Mary’s & St. Paul’s Parochial Environment Policy

 Environmental Policy (thornburycofe.org.uk)

 Eco Church https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/

 Local Environmental groups Sustainable Thornbury/CATS  http://www.sustainablethornbury.org

 Gloucester Diocesan Website Environment pages and Diocesan Environment Officers.  

 http://www.gloucester.anglican.org/church-outreach/environmental-and-rural-life/environment/   

 The Church of England Environment Programme https://www.churchofengland.org/environment

 Organisations working around the world

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/

https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/

www.fairtrade.org.uk