A church in Durham Diocese has scooped another major award in less than a year.
St Stephen’s, Willington, has received a gold Northumbria In Bloom award following a successful planting project in the churchyard.
It comes just 10 months after St Stephen’s was awarded eco gold by A Rocha UK, the charity which equips churches and dioceses to protect and restore God’s creation.
In addition to the churchyard’s honour in the places of worship category, Willington itself has won gold in the small town competition, while Our Lady & St Thomas School was awarded a silver gilt for its allotment.
The Venerable Shirley Griffiths, Associate Priest at St Stephen’s, said: “As a church we are delighted. We have an eco-group which is very dedicated and works extremely hard. The churchyard is located on the edge of town. It’s nice and quiet and is a wonderful, peaceful place.
“It’s great for Willington that we’ve received these awards from Northumbria In Bloom and it reflects the efforts of all involved.”
In their comments, the Northumbria in Bloom judges said: “St Stephen’s provides a beautifully maintained and very ecologically aware welcoming community space around the old church, beneath a canopy of magnificent mature trees.
“It provides floral interest in both spring and summer for the visitor, which includes bulbs, shrubs, wild flowers, annuals and two planters. It is not only a place of beauty but also of interest. This is clearly a much appreciated and used community space with a lot of care and thought going into its management.”
Speaking generally on the appearance of the grounds at St Stephen’s, the judges added: “Its grounds are beautifully maintained and include wonderful spring and summer floral displays. It is home to many fine trees and contains many bird boxes, insect environments and a hedgehog house. It hosts many community events whilst also providing a space for quiet reflection.”
St Stephen’s has good links with the community and the church eco group works closely with the Greater Willington Environment Group.
Carole and David Parker, co-chairs of the St Stephen's eco group, said that the success with the gold awards (both Northumbria in Bloom and A Rocha) was down to great teamwork from members and friends of the church together with support from Greater Willington Town Council.
Pictured above: The Mayor of Greater Willington, Councillor Dorothy Hales (left), with David and Carole Parker, the Venerable Shirley Griffiths and Councillor Charles Hales.