As part of the Church of England's Eco Church project, Charlton held its first Eco Picnic & Nature Count on 16 June. Local villagers ranging from 2 to 90 gathered at All Saints' Church to hear more about the project, whilst eating some delicious cakes donated by our talented cake makers. The Give & Take stall - give what you don't want and take what you do want - was a very popular extension of our Phone Box Swap Shop, and in line with the principle of recycling.Next up was the installation of two bird feeders, to be checked, washed, moved and filled daily with sunflower seeds by volunteers, with the aim of encouraging more birds into the churchyard. We hugged our large yew tree near the porch and found the girth to be about 2.7m, including the ivy covering of the trunk. After consulting the Ancient Yew Group, who surveyed our yew trees in 2008/9, our tree is a female and a juvenile. Accurately ageing a yew tree is an inexact science, but it is likely that she was planted around the time the Church was built, in 1851. Yew trees can live for 2,000 to 3,000 years.Our youngest villagers delighted in building a bug hotel using donated and recycled materials, for use by Charlton's insects. As it looked so splendid, we decided to upgrade it from a hotel to a castle, much to the pleasure of the children.The final part of the afternoon was to join the Nature Count, for Churches Count on Nature. This is a citizen science project, similar to the Big Butterfly Count and the Big Garden Birdwatch. Using paper and pencil, and identification guides, or the iNaturalist app, participants noted all the plants, animals, insects and birds that they could see or hear in the churchyard. This information has been forwarded to Churches Count on Nature/Beautiful Burial Grounds and will be included in the National Biodiversity Network's Atlas of nature data.Very many thanks are due to all who came and supported this new event, to all who made cakes, donated items, and those who helped behind the scenes.#EcoChurch Permissions have been sought and granted to use the image above
Eco Church is an initiative from the Church of England and other Christian organisations, to encourage churches and parishioners to help tackle the great environmental challenges of this decade. It is run by the A Rocha UK organisation.There are five areas identified where we can change what we do in order to help us achieve this. These areas are * Worship & Teaching* Buildings* Land* Community & Global Engagement* LifestyleThe suggestions are presented in the form of questions in an online survey. Depending on how you answer the questions from the choices available, you are awarded points. And as we know, points mean prizes. A coloured scale alters when you reach the required points for bronze, silver or gold. This is an innovative use of the game theory approach, which has worked well to encourage us in Charlton.Examples of the changes we have made* Complete an energy audit as the first step in reducing energy use* Encourage biodiversity in our churchyard with bird feeders & bug hotel* Make a new churchyard maintenance plan, with meadow areas, to encourage wildflowers* Use Fairtrade products when we can* Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle* Commit to pray for climate justiceThese are just a few of the inexpensive things we've done. If you'd like to learn more, please come along to our Eco Picnic & Nature Count on Sunday 16 June 3-5pm and join in our first wildlife survey for Churches Count on Nature.We look forward to seeing you there!#ecochurch #churchescountonnature
01 Switch off standbyYou can save around £45 in GB and £70 in NI annually just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. Standby savers allow you to turn all your appliances off standby in one go to save electricity.Check the instructions for any appliances you aren’t sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record.Find out which appliances use the most energy in your home.02 Draught-proof windows and doorsUnless your home is new, you’ll lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney.Professional draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can save around £80 in GB and £100 in NI on annual energy bills. Getting professional help can cost around £250, but DIY draught proofing can be much cheaper.Find out more about reducing home heat loss.03 Turn off lightsTurn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £7 in GB and £30 in NI on your annual energy bills.Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more.04 Careful with your washingYou can save around £24 in GB and £36 in NI a year on your energy bill by making small changes in how you use your washing machine:• Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures.• Reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.05 Avoid the tumble dryerAvoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes. Drying clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather can save you £50 in GB and £75 in NI a year.06 Spend less time in the showerKeeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £55 in GB and £70 in NI a year on their energy bills. 07 Swap your bath for a showerSome of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath. But swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower could save you £9 in GB and £15 in NI a year on your energy bills.Find out how saving water at home can help your wallet and the environment.08 Be savvy in the kitchenKettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. But many of us will admit that we occasionally boil the kettle with more water than we’re actually going to use.Avoid overfilling the kettle and you can save yourself £10 in GB and £14 in NI a year on your electricity bill.You could also consider fitting an aerator onto your existing kitchen tap. This will help reduce the amount of water coming out without affecting how it washes or rinses. An aerator is a small gadget with tiny holes which attaches to the spout of your tap. It’s cheap and easy to install and could save you £19 in GB and £20 in NI a year.09 Fill your dishwasherOnly run your dishwasher when it’s to full reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £12 in GB and £18 in NI.10 Top up the insulationEffective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important. If you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket (80mm thick). Doing this will help you save £40 in GB and £45 in NI a year.Insulating your water tank, pipes and radiators is a quick and easy way to save money on your bills.Source: Quick tips to save energy at home - Energy Saving Trust, accessed 19/5/24The calculations here were accurate at 30/4/24, using a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house on a standard tariff paying by direct debit in England, Scotland and Wales. You can download a PDF version of this article if you wish.
Over 80 people including teenagers and toddlers enjoyed a weekend of prayer, reflection and fellowship in the beautiful surroundings of the North Devon estate on which Lee Abbey is situated. The theme was "Growing to Fullness". Prior to the weekend we were asked to think and pray about this question: "What is the next small step I could make to build community and make Jesus known in the Chalke valley and wider circle?" After Sunday Holy Communion, a Benefice meeting was held in the Chapel to discuss ideas and there were plenty of suggestions.The children and several very brave adults swam in Lee Bay. There was an art workshop led by Graham Oliver and another workshop where participants created beautiful cloth flowers sewn from scraps of material and buttons. Those wanting solitude wandered freely around the estate, full of ewes with their lambs - over 100 born this spring - or simply appreciating the stunning views and the biodiversity of the coastal rainforest with its beautiful wildflowers. The energetic walked the coastal path to Lynton and climbed up over the downs back to Lee Abbey.We departed after lunch on Sunday having made or renewed acquaintances, deepened our faith and replenished our spirits. A great experience.
