A church in Durham Diocese is celebrating after achieving a silver eco church award.
St Mark & St Cuthbert’s Church at Cleadon Park, South Shields, was recognised by the charity A Rocha UK, which equips Christians, churches and dioceses to protect and restore God’s creation.
It acknowledges the church’s commitment to environmental priorities, ranging from worship and teaching to recycling initiatives.
Eco champion Olwen Smith said the honour is the fruits of a project which began during the coronavirus pandemic. Working alongside the neighbouring parish of St Peter’s, Harton, a group of people met for coffee to discuss church life following lockdown.
Environmental issues were high on the agenda and both parishes have excelled. While St Mark & St Cuthbert’s have been awarded silver, St Peter’s have received a bronze award.
“Both churches have really excelled,” said Olwen. “We have supported each other and both churches have different circumstances regarding land. Nevertheless, both have worked hard to maximise our environmental priorities.”
Olwen said that at St Mark & St Cuthbert’s, the congregation very quickly bought into a recycling initiative which included using toilet rolls made from recycled paper, collected and produced in Britain to reduce their carbon footprint on travel.
People went on to adopt such practices at home, and even brought everyday items such as paracetamol blister packs into church so they could be sent away for recycling, while the labelling of bins to ensure the correct disposal of rubbish proved to be highly effective.
The church has even issued top tips for recycling, which encouraged people to use peat-free compost at home.
“It has got everyone really switched on,” said Olwen. “I think that as a congregation, everyone has actively wanted to be involved and to do their bit. This award is for everyone.”
Education has been a big part of the success at St Mark & St Cuthbert’s. Revd Kate Boardman’s sermons have continually focused on God’s creation and how we can best look after it.
The younger generation have also been involved, with environmental themes at holiday clubs, while local Brownies have been making bug hotels for a small area outside the church entrance.
Olwen added: “I am really pleased at how the two churches have come together through this. Everyone is learning all the time. Even at the imminent St Peter’s plant sale, we will have bee-friendly plants. There’s also a focus on avoiding single-use plastic and finding alternatives to plastic, as well as less wrapping when it comes to Christmas presents.”
Durham signed up to the bronze award scheme in June 2021. To meet the criteria, the diocese needed 10% of its churches to be registered with A Rocha’s Eco Church scheme, and for 5% of them to have gained either bronze, silver or gold awards.
In January of this year, the diocese received a bronze eco award for its commitment to environmental priorities, in line with the Church of England’s goal to reach carbon net zero by 2030.
Of the diocese’s 261 churches, Durham has 84 registered (32%), with 41 of them (15.7%) awarded - 34 bronze, six silver, one gold – ensuring the diocese is well over the threshold. The diocesan head office at Cuthbert House, Durham, received a bronze award last summer.
In addition to St Mark and St Cuthbert's, Cleadon Park (silver), and St Peter's, Harton (bronze), the following churches are also among the latest recipients of the bronze award: Whitworth Parish Church, St Paul's Church, Spennymoor; St Paul's Church, Hunwick; All Saints Church, Eastgate; St Andrew's Church, Sadberge.