Eco Creation Care and Sustainability

Saint Mary's is focussed on caring for God's creation in a number of ways. We include a prayer for God's creation in the intercessions at every service, and specifically our Sunday Praise Service has such a prayer within the Order of Service. We include aspects of Creation Care and Sustainability as the main theme of specific services. We invite external speakers, open to the whole community, to talk on key topics such as reducing single-use plastics, and consuming LOAF or 'Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly, and Fair Trade' produce. We also invite speakers periodically to speak on the Climate Crisis. We are committed to a number of important Creation Care projects throughout the year, namely Earth Hour, an international movement, this year on 22nd March 2025 at 8.30 p.m.; Count on Nature (or Love Your Burial Ground) Week, a UK wide movement, this year from Saturday 7th June – Sunday 15th June 2025; Plastic Free July, an international movement, from 1st – 31st July 2025 (with Plastic Bag Free Day on 3rd July); and Fair Trade Fortnight, an international movement, in 2025 from 9th – 22nd September 2025. The last also coincides with Creation Tide, which is from 1st September – 4th October 2025. We aim to help develop understanding in the community through engaging in these challenges, talks and items in the Parish Newsletter.