St. Oswald’s was proud to play its part in the Litter Free Leeds weekend at the end of March 2024, as a group of committed volunteers gathered to help clean up the churchyard and surrounding area.Armed with purple litter bags and pickers, the team focused especially on removing plastic waste — including fragments of single-use floral arrangements that had been scattered by mowing. These tiny pieces of plastic pose a significant threat to soil health and wildlife, and volunteers were keen to ensure the churchyard remains a safe, beautiful, and environmentally friendly space for all.The cleanup ties in with St. Oswald’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The church has already achieved the Silver Eco Church Award and is now working towards Gold, taking action across worship, land management, buildings, and community engagement.As part of this effort, the church is kindly encouraging families to consider alternatives to single-use plastics when placing tributes on graves. Biodegradable or reusable options offer more environmentally responsible ways to honour loved ones without contributing to long-term pollution.29/3/2025
Spring is just around the corner!Switch from chemical products where possible to natural. For example:-Bicarbonate of Soda is an all purpose cleaner that can absorb odours and scrub surfaces without scratching.Lemons are a natural deodoriser with antibacterial properties. The citric acid in lemons help to break down dirt.Lemon juice plus bicarbonate of soda:- Mix the juice of half a lemon with four tablespoons of bicarbonate to a paste to reduce stubborn marks. Remove any residue with water and a cloth.Search on YouTube for more ECO natural go green tips.
We now have solar panels on St Margaret’s Hall. Thank you to our Eco Church Group, donations and Leeds Diocese for the grant. This is part of our commitment to work towards zero carbon in the CofE. This will also help with our electricity usage and future plans to convert the gas heating to solar. 4/1/25
