Why not join in with one of these initiatives, either on your own, at work or with your local church? https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/sustainability-calendar-pdf-version.pdfSt Helena's will be getting involved with many of them over the year so keep watching this space and our Benefice Eco page on Facebook.
What would it be like to have no toilet, no clean running water or safe place to wash? This is the experience of millions of people around the globe, as Tearfund explains:"We believe that breaking free from poverty is extremely difficult for communities if they are unable to access clean water, use safe sanitation services and practise healthy hygiene habits.WASH approaches include:building and rehabilitating facilities such as water points and community-based toilet blocks supporting the management and maintenance of water supply services, such as a handpump mechanics association and technical response groups using social and behaviour change approaches to promote healthy WASH behavioursThese approaches carefully consider sustainability and aim to minimise our impact on the environment. We prioritise the inclusion of diverse voices in WASH planning and provide contextual solutions that are both climate resilient and conflict- and gender-sensitive. Central to Tearfund’s WASH work is how the church can help facilitate these approaches.The WASH resources explore how these approaches are adapted and implemented across the humanitarian-to-development spectrum".Help us to love our global neighbours by leaving us your clean, crushed aluminium cans at St Helena's church, or any churches in our Benefice, and all the money raised will be sent to Tearfund in support of this essential work in bringing equity to those without safe hygiene facilities. So far, we have raised £340!!!THANK YOU!
We are collecting the round plastic tubs that contain chocolates again this year, to be recycled instead of going to landfill or being around forever. Drop your empty tubs off to St Helena's and we will make sure they get recycled, in turn raising money for this very good cause.
St Helena's has been journeying with ARocha, an organisation that champions churches to put creation care and environmental issues at the heart of their worship, building, land, lifestyle and community engagement, achieving both a Bronze and Silver award and now is working towards Gold. The creation of our Eco garden has inspired us to continue to reflect creation care at the heart of all we do as a church community, seeing this as our offering and worship to the God who made the world and called it 'good'. If you would like to see all that we have done practically to embed this in our church community, drop into church at any time and learn what you can do to make this world a safe and equitable place for all people. Or spend some time in our peaceful garden, full of natural diversity and plastic free!
