Village Sustainability Newsleter, April 2025

Going for Gold (well, Silver first…)

Recently I was asked to attend the Newbury Deanery Synod to talk briefly about the work that we have been doing here in Chieveley towards the Church of England's target of achieving carbon net zero by 2030. Having achieved our Eco Church bronze accreditation via A Rocha last year it was a good opportunity to take stock and list our achievements so far, as we start work on the silver accreditation. Improvements we have made so far include:

  • Correct recycling of food and other waste
  • Contribution to Plastic Free Newbury award by swapping out three regular pieces of single use plastic – no plastic disposable cups, no Oasis for flower arranging, use recycled loo rolls wrapped in paper.
  • Swift boxes installed on the church tower.  Let’s hope the birds come back this summer!
  • Insulation and installation of heat reflective material of some iron heating pipes.
  • Cushions and rugs for pews in church.
  • Added to our financial giving to support both a UK environmental protection organisation and an overseas charity helping those adversely impacted by climate change.
  • “Lending library” of environment books placed in church.
  • This monthly article in the parish magazine on an environmental topic! This is now also included on the parish - https://www.eastdownland.org.uk  - and village - http://www.mychieveley.co.uk  - websites, and there is interest in extending the conversation to the Village Hall community. To achieve any of the goals we as a global society (not just a small English village) need to reach we must be sharing, communicating, learning and acting/improving sustainability in all aspects of our lives.
  • The parish magazine also includes a wildlife article every month from Caring for God’s Acre, an organisation which encourages the care of burial grounds nationally.

We are now tackling the silver award questionnaire.

Survey areas are:

  • Worship and teaching
  • Buildings and energy
  • Land and nature
  • Community and global engagement
  • Lifestyle

This covers all the activities of the church and very thoroughly provides a framework and a plan for reducing our collective carbon footprint. Measuring our carbon footprint annually – for buildings and individuals –means we can measure and build on improvements. This is a community initiative!

I can highly recommend Making Your Church Sustainable by Nigel Walter, a slim, readable paperback that provides practical and sensible guidance from an expert who is also well acquainted with the life of an English church, so understands the challenges we face.

Julia Hoaen