We are delighted to share the news that over 100 of our churches in Manchester Diocese have now received Eco Church accreditation. This marks a huge milestone in our journey to becoming a Net Zero Carbon Diocese by 2030, and we would like to thank each and every one of our churches that continue to take steps towards becoming more eco-friendly and energy efficient.
Eco Church is an awards scheme run by A Rocha UK, a charity that encourages churches to care for God’s creation and work towards a more sustainable world for all. Eco Church uses assessments, guidance, action plans, education, community engagement and raising awareness of environmental issues to help churches take concrete steps towards caring for our environment.
Our first church to achieve Eco Church accreditation back in 2018 was Christ Church, Friezland, which has since progressed up to a Silver award, while the most recent and one-hundredth church to be awarded is St Anne’s, Tottington.
To mark this great achievement, we spoke to churches from across the diocese to learn about what they did to achieve Eco Accreditation. Maybe some of these ideas can be implemented on your eco journey too!
• St Anne’s, Tottington installed bird and bat boxes, uses Fairtrade products and upgraded to an energy-efficient heating system.
• Oldham’s Church, Bolton transformed a dumping area on Oldhams Estate into a thriving 'Secret Garden' and secured funding for an eco-friendly hut.
• Bury Parish Church raised environmental awareness through articles, guest speakers, and an eco-themed photo exhibition.
• Christ Church, Brunswick installed solar panels, insulated the building, and improved energy efficiency.
• Holy Trinity, Horwich reduced its carbon footprint by monitoring energy use, forming a Parish Eco Team, and engaging the community on eco issues.
• St Michael and All Angels, Lawton Moor uses renewable energy, recycles, and is a candle recycling drop-off point through The Recycled Candle Company.
• Nelson Street, Rochdale is a no-gas site that uses LED lighting, recycles, reduces plastic, and hosts eco activities like litter picking and plant swaps.
Congratulations too to Manchester Cathedral, which was boosted to Silver this week thanks to carbon literacy training, Fairtrade certification, and reducing waste with food redistribution programs!
Click here to learn more about the A Rocha Eco Church Award and for more tips on becoming an eco-friendly church.