Beighton Eco-Community win Sheffield Telegraph Award 2007

 

Beighton Eco-Community was the big winner at the first Sheffield Telegraph Environment Awards, held at the Magna Science Adventure Centre, carrying off the overall award sponsored by E.ON UK.

 

The Beighton entry was in a 'class of it's own' with many initiatives taking place in the community such as:

  • Two of the three local schools have achieved the top international Eco-Schools Green Flag Standard
  • Regular litter-picks
  • Creation of wild flower meadows
  • Cultivation of Beighton Marsh wildlife area
  • Bulb planting and flower basket displays
  • Ochre Dyke clean up
  • Cultivation of Beighton orchard

 

 

Beighton Environment Group win Silver Gilt Award for 2007

 

St Mary's was one of a number of organisations, groups and individuals who together received a Silver Gilt Award for Beighton in the 2007 Yorkshire in Bloom - Urban Community Category.

 

 

 

 

St Mary's Wins Eco-Congregation Award for 2006                              

 

 

 

Eco-Congregation is an ecumenical programme helping churches make the link between environmental issues and Christian faith, and respond in practical action in the church, in the lives of individuals, and in the local and global community.

 

 

 

Thanks to the tireless work of the Environment Group and others, St Mary's have been awarded an 'Eco-Congregation Award' for 2006.

 

 

 

Alongside the mission statement for our church (see our Homepage) we recognise the need to:

  • Speak of the Gospel and follow our mission statement
  • Continue to develop the church as a focus for community; a place where everyone will feel comfortable and enjoy visiting
  • Provide a flexible building, open to all and better used by the community
  • Provide the building with modern facilities, heating and lighting
  • Retain and where possible enhance the gentle simplicity of its ancient structure

 

 

St Mary's was able to submit a comprehensive presentation on the various activities and plans at our church including:

  • Environmental concerns are included in worship, particularly at Harvest Festival, and services dedicated to issues such as Fair Trade and Make Poverty History given
  • Members of the church work closely with local schools, scouts and guides groups to encourage and help on eco-projects such as cleaning up local areas and a Beighton Tree Dressing
  • The church is used as the venue for meetings to discuss issues such as recycling, badger conservation and hedge laying
  • The church yard is home to a number of bird boxes including an owl nesting box, as well as a wide variety of flowers and other wildlife. Described by a study of the area as a 'local treasure worth preserving and enhancing'.
  • The upcoming work on the church will see a move towards greener types of energy use such as under floor heating using limecrete
  • The Parish Magazine regularly runs articles on green issues
  • Members of the congregation and the Environment Group have forged links with other local groups and helped to develop positive projects such as:

            Beighton in Bloom

            Eco-Schools

            The Orchard

            Ochre Dyke Clean up

Crystal Peaks Meadow management

Beighton Marsh

 

 

 

As a church, St Mary's has had a long-term interest and concern for the people and environment in other parts of our world. For example:

  • A candle has burned constantly for the last seven years to mark the church's concern for poverty
  • Fair Trade products are used for refreshments, as well as other items permanently available to buy
  • Church collections and giving to natural disasters such as the Tsunami and annual involvement in Christian Aid, the Children's Society and others

The Eco-Congregation Award gave the following feedback when recommending our church for an award:

  • Environmental concerns are taken as a natural part of worship, especially based at Harvest times and also Environment Week
  • Intercessions (prayers) contain a strong environmental element as well as other global concerns
  • A candle symbolising global debt and poverty has burnt continuously in the church for seven years as a focus for thought and prayer
  • Occasional services in the churchyard
  • Recycling of the christmas tree at Easter, burning twigs as a symbol of the Spirit of God
  • The use of creation songs in hymnology
  • Resources available within the church for people to read and consider environmental issues in the context of faith
  • All these things with an ethos within the church that sees creation care as important has helped to create a high awareness of environmental care as part of Christian Discipleship

 

 

 
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