Earlier this year, worshipping communities were invited to register interest in receiving bird boxes to install in their churchyards or wider community space as part of a block funding application.Continue reading
Tag: Environment
Birds and bugs benefit from wildlife grant at St James the Great, Dursley
A diocesan wildlife grant has enabled St James the Great, Dursley, to establish multiple projects in its urban gardens and grounds.
Children’s book explains issues around bats in churches
Bats in Churches has published its first ever children’s book to explain the benefits and challenges of bats roosting in churches. The Bats in Churches project was formed in 2018,Continue reading
Bats in Churches: Pew cleaning and waxing workshop at St Mary’s, Edgeworth
St Mary’s Church, Edgeworth, is one of a small group of churches working with the Bats in Churches Project to survey its bat populations and come up with solutions toContinue reading
Blog from Christian Climate Action’s ‘The Big One’
The Revd Dr Cate Williams blogs about attending Christian Climate Action’s London demonstration, a peaceful and lawful climate protest which took place on Friday 21 April 2023. “The Big OneContinue reading
Pupils sowing seeds of hope at Oak Hill CoE Primary
As part of the Big Seed Sow, pupils from a Church of England school in Tewkesbury have been planting sunflowers to show support for the people of Ukraine. The BigContinue reading
Registration opens for Churches Count on Nature
Parishes in and around the Diocese of Gloucester can now register to participate in Churches Count on Nature, an annual scheme where people visit churchyards and record the plant andContinue reading
The Big One, Climate event in London
Blog by the Revd Dr Cate Williams Diocesan Environmental Engagement Officer ‘The Big One’, Climate event in London, 21 to 24 April Bishops Rachel and Robert said ‘This willContinue reading
Energy Footprint Tool – your questions answered
The Energy Footprint Tool needs to be completed as part of the annual returns routine. Our diocesan Environmental Engagement Officer, the Revd Dr Cate Williams, has put together the answersContinue reading
Divestment in fossil fuels – questions asked at General Synod
While General Synod has mostly been in the news for the LLF discussions, it was not the only item of business. Questions about divestment in fossil fuels, arising from ourContinue reading
Eco Church prayer forum
Join A Rocha UK for their first prayer gathering for 2023, to connect with the wider Eco Church community, and to reflect, share, and pray together. The A Rocha UKContinue reading
Message from Bishop Robert, 7 February 2023
I have just returned from a fabulous mission weekend with the Thameshead Benefice, a group of six parishes and nine churches located between Cirencester and Tetbury – a mix of larger villages such as Kemble and smaller communities that together create a lively church community reaching out to all who live in the area.
Using nature to reduce flood risk at Cam Hopton School
Expert engineers have created an innovative water management system to tackle a flooding problem at Cam Hopton Church of England Primary School. The hillside position of the school, situated aboveContinue reading
Shortcuts for completing your annual Energy Footprint Tool return
Tom Wood, from the national Church’s Research and Statistics Team, has created a practical video to demonstrate how to fill in the Energy Footprint Tool (below). Every church is askedContinue reading
Church of England appoints Julian Atkins as Net Zero Programme Director
Julian Atkins, currently the Countywide Climate Change Coordinator for the public sector partnership, Climate Leadership Gloucestershire, has been appointed Net Zero Programme Director for the Church of England. Having workedContinue reading
Funding for birdboxes – deadline end of February
Keen birder Bill Richardson would like to put in a block funding application to provide birdboxes for churches and church partnerships in the Diocese of Gloucester. Worshipping communities can installContinue reading
“Being an Eco Church has become a part of life” at Pip and Jim’s Leckhampton
In August 2022, St Philp and St James Church Leckhampton was awarded a Bronze Eco Church Award by A Rocha and is now working towards Silver. Helen Wolfson, a memberContinue reading
Journey to net zero – what impact is your church having?
Across the Diocese of Gloucester, we have committed to being net zero carbon by 2030. This is an ambitious target and one that we will need to work together toContinue reading
Message from Bishop Robert, 6 December 2022
A week ago, Cate Williams wrote on the deep reality of the nature crisis that is wounding the biodiversity of our world and how, as disciples of Christ, we might begin to respond. As we begin our Christmas celebrations, we are given, should we need it, another reminder of why it is so important that we respond.
COP15 – how can we respond to the nature crisis?
Ahead of the COP15 conference on biodiversity, Cate Williams, Environmental Engagement Officer shares how worshipping communities can help to protect wildlife and habitats where they are. COP15 is the fifteenthContinue reading
Eco projects at care home help residents connect with faith
Bishop Robert visited Badgeworth Court in Cheltenham to find out more about the environmental projects they use to benefit both their care home and their residents. Joana Matias, Activities Coordinator,Continue reading
Letting the wildflowers bloom
Sue Padfield, Churchwarden at St Mary’s, Witcombe showed Bishop Robert how the church team has been caring for the churchyard in a way that encourages nature. They leave two largeContinue reading
Cate Williams on COP27: politics, churches and community
Diocesan Environmental Engagement Officer, the Revd Dr Cate Williams reflects on COP27 and how our churches and communities can be part of the solution. As the COP27 discussions continue, weContinue reading
“People of hope can change the world”: Cate Williams
Cate Williams, Environmental Engagement Officer, wrote a ‘Thought for the Week’ to the Gloucestershire Citizen newspaper (as printed in the Citizen 11 November 2022) ‘As we go to print, theContinue reading