As 2011 and the Archbishop’s ‘Year of the Environment’ comes to a close, the Winter update on the flora and fauna in the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace has been published today.
In the last of these seasonal updates, written by Garry O’Reagan, the Head Gardener, he explains that winter is just as important as any other season in the Palace grounds. The Archbishop of York added: “Whilst the conservation and environmental work will continue into 2012, I want to thank Garry not only for all his hard work in the garden but also for taking the time to write these updates for the website. We are custodians of a garden that has been created over hundreds of years and we hope to aid its growth and development for many generations to come. Let us have the same attitude to the fantastic planet God has given us.”
You can read Garry's Winter update here.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Friday, 9 December 2011
TendaGrave
We've been made aware of a new idea called TendaGrave - if you're someone who spends time in churchyards, you might be interested in this.
Tendagrave is a free service for people who cannot for whatever reason tend a family or friend's grave. It will put you in touch with other people in a similar situation. You then offer to tend a grave in your local area and, in return, your loved one's grave will also be lovingly looked after.
Eleanor.
Tendagrave is a free service for people who cannot for whatever reason tend a family or friend's grave. It will put you in touch with other people in a similar situation. You then offer to tend a grave in your local area and, in return, your loved one's grave will also be lovingly looked after.
Eleanor.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Churches urged to apply to new £10m Government green fund
The Church of England has welcomed the Government announcement today of a new £10 million Local Energy Assessment Fund which gives community groups, including churches, a chance to bid for money.
The new Fund, announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, DECC, will provide grants for around 200 community organisations, including churches, to undertake energy efficiency projects and renewable energy generation in their area. With a Christian presence in every community, the CofE's churches are perfectly placed to house local energy efficiency projects, said David Shreeve, the Church of England's national environment adviser.
"It is good news that DECC consider churches and other faith groups as vital parts of the local community. The deadline for application and delivery is tight but many churches are currently considering ways of harnessing renewable energy for their buildings and this may just be the spur they need.
“A recent communication I received from 10 Downing St stressed the Prime Minister’s recognition that Church assets often sit at the heart of the community Shrinking the Footprint the Church of England's national environment campaign, provides advice and toolkits for the local church as it rolls out vital green community projects as part of its ministry and mission."
There is around £50,000 available for each successful community to be used to help assess the potential for energy efficiency and local renewable energy generation and get things started in their area. This is a short-term scheme where work will need to be completed by end of March 2012.
Interested communities can apply via the Energy Saving Trust and money will be allocated in two rounds. The first round closes at noon on 22 December 2011 with successful applicants notified in the week beginning 9 January 2012. The second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with successful communities notified at the end January. Full details can be found at www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk.
The new Fund, announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, DECC, will provide grants for around 200 community organisations, including churches, to undertake energy efficiency projects and renewable energy generation in their area. With a Christian presence in every community, the CofE's churches are perfectly placed to house local energy efficiency projects, said David Shreeve, the Church of England's national environment adviser.
"It is good news that DECC consider churches and other faith groups as vital parts of the local community. The deadline for application and delivery is tight but many churches are currently considering ways of harnessing renewable energy for their buildings and this may just be the spur they need.
“A recent communication I received from 10 Downing St stressed the Prime Minister’s recognition that Church assets often sit at the heart of the community Shrinking the Footprint the Church of England's national environment campaign, provides advice and toolkits for the local church as it rolls out vital green community projects as part of its ministry and mission."
There is around £50,000 available for each successful community to be used to help assess the potential for energy efficiency and local renewable energy generation and get things started in their area. This is a short-term scheme where work will need to be completed by end of March 2012.
Interested communities can apply via the Energy Saving Trust and money will be allocated in two rounds. The first round closes at noon on 22 December 2011 with successful applicants notified in the week beginning 9 January 2012. The second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with successful communities notified at the end January. Full details can be found at www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project Autumn Newsletter
The Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project autumn newsletter is now available, with stories about bees and butterflies, the 2011 Open Churchyards, and news on headstone cleaning. You can download it here.
Eleanor Course
Eleanor Course
Friday, 18 November 2011
Surge of signatures on power feed-in tariff petition
The Church of England is calling on the Government to slow down their plans to drop the rate of returns on electricity grid feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic panels to give churches, and other community groups, more time to complete installation. It is also asking for a special community tariff.
The online petition from the Archbishops’ Council’s Cathedral and Church Building Division has already attracted almost 1000 signatures from both individuals and groups. Already 35 CofE churches have photovoltaic panels installed and more than 300 are actively considering a project.
Installing photovoltaic panels on churches is a complex business and the 50% cut in return rate proposed for December 12 will penalize churches who are committed to installing photovoltaic panels, but will not have time to complete, says the petition.
The installation of photovoltaic panels is promoted across the CofE’s 44 dioceses as a way of using natural resources to reduce the carbon footprint of a church. The Church, through its national environment campaign Shrinking the Footprint, is committed to the Government’s carbon reduction targets of 80% by 2050.
Martyn Goss social responsibility officer for Exeter Diocese said; “This news is very disappointing. Here in the Southwest we have been encouraging churches to install panels and many will be adversely affected by this cut in tariff resulting in having the rug pulled from underneath them by such short-term political decision making”.
David Shreeve the Church of England’s national environment officer said: “The returns on a photovoltaic project will not be as financially attractive as they were and take longer to pay back. Whilst in the life of a church building this is not a long time it will take us into the next generation. As well as enabling churches to use renewable energy, we see photovoltaic panels on church roofs as setting a brilliant example to their local communities.”
Eleanor Course
The online petition from the Archbishops’ Council’s Cathedral and Church Building Division has already attracted almost 1000 signatures from both individuals and groups. Already 35 CofE churches have photovoltaic panels installed and more than 300 are actively considering a project.
Installing photovoltaic panels on churches is a complex business and the 50% cut in return rate proposed for December 12 will penalize churches who are committed to installing photovoltaic panels, but will not have time to complete, says the petition.
The installation of photovoltaic panels is promoted across the CofE’s 44 dioceses as a way of using natural resources to reduce the carbon footprint of a church. The Church, through its national environment campaign Shrinking the Footprint, is committed to the Government’s carbon reduction targets of 80% by 2050.
Martyn Goss social responsibility officer for Exeter Diocese said; “This news is very disappointing. Here in the Southwest we have been encouraging churches to install panels and many will be adversely affected by this cut in tariff resulting in having the rug pulled from underneath them by such short-term political decision making”.
David Shreeve the Church of England’s national environment officer said: “The returns on a photovoltaic project will not be as financially attractive as they were and take longer to pay back. Whilst in the life of a church building this is not a long time it will take us into the next generation. As well as enabling churches to use renewable energy, we see photovoltaic panels on church roofs as setting a brilliant example to their local communities.”
Eleanor Course
Friday, 11 November 2011
Solar and photovoltaic panels
Solar and photovoltaic panels on Churches are the subject of much national discussion at the moment. Phil Thomas, Church Buildings Officer and Graham Andrews, Archbishop's Adviser for the Environment, have written some useful guidelines for churches thinking about solar and photovoltaic panels here.
Eleanor Course
Eleanor Course
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Peter Owen-Jones visits Pickering
Peter Owen-Jones is best known as the presenter of many BBC television series including ‘How to Live a Simple Life’, where he followed in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi attempting to live freed from material constraints and without money. Also for the BBC, Peter presented ‘Extreme Pilgrim’, in which he lived as a Chinese Buddhist monk, a Christian monk and an Indian ascetic, and ‘Around the World in 80 Faiths’, a travel documentary encountering different religions.
Peter Owen-Jones said, “The environment is the greatest issue Christianity faces today. If we believe that God created the world, we should love and cherish it, for the rest of the creation that we share the world with, and for future generations. At the moment our world is in crisis, and churches need to lead the way in changing that.”
The talk has been organised by one of Ryedale’s ‘Green Deans’, the Revd Bill Page. Bill said, “We’re looking forward to welcoming Peter to Pickering and hearing him speak on the church and the environment. The talk is part of the Diocese of York’s Year of the Environment, where we’re encouraging individuals and churches to make a difference to their environment in 2011.”
Peter is the vicar of three parishes on the edge of the Sussex Downs and also a founder member of the Arbory Trust (the only Christian woodland burial site in the country) and has recently instigated the ‘Life Cairn’ Project.
Eleanor Course
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