Eco Church: “Caring for God’s Creation”

At St Michael and All Angels, we continue to look for ways to minimise our carbon footprint, consider our impact on the environment and uphold our responsibility to be stewards of Creation.

In 2023 we formulated our Eco Mission Statement:
“We the PCC of St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park, recognize the climate emergency  and commit to improving our environmental credentials by undertaking work towards an Eco Church award”.

Our annual Green Days weekend has been waste-free since 2005, with all waste being fully recycled. We’ve also ditched disposable beer glasses in the Beer Tent, and our Cycle and EV Zone provides advice and guidance on alternative methods of transport. You can read more about Making Every Day a Green Day here.

We are a registered Eco Church working towards our Bronze Award. This scheme, run by A Rocha UK, supports churches to care for God’s creation through their worship, buildings, land, community engagement, and individual lifestyle. We’re well on our way but there’s lots more to do!

We have recently improved recycling in the Vestry, and are looking into alternatives for disposable coffee cups, non-recyclable flower oasis, fossil-fuel energy and water wastage.

There are also a number of actions we can all take as individuals:

  • Calculate your own carbon footprint using WWF’s Footprint Calculator
  • Replace the lightbulbs in your home with low-energy models (LEDs)
  • Ask your energy supplier if they have a ‘green’ tariff and consider switching to it
  • Buy organic, local, or packaging-free produce when you can
  • If you have a garden (or even a window-box!), plant some bee-friendly flowers

If you would like to know more, please contact Helen Dods via the Parish Office.