Eco Church Update

Eco church has had a good 2023 so far with fantastic results from the upgraded allotment - Christine and Paul have had an excellent crop of Courgettes, potatoes, tomatoes and runner beans and now carrots seem to be about to appear. Despite a regular visiting deer we have grown enough to regularly donate to the food share at the Church on the Old Dean estate which is really productive.

The whole area now has chairs and a table and a bench and the bug hotel, bird feeders and nest boxes thrive. Each month, on the third Sunday, we hold forest church outside and this month talked about leaves, what they do, how they do it and why they might fall off the tree in Autumn.

The bee hives are also thriving and we are extending their reach into the village as a whole with a lovely bee evening. We won't be taking honey this year whilst the colonies bed in and settle but we hope to do so next Autumn.

Recycling of items that cannot go via the kerbside collections is ongoing in the corridor to the kitchen but we are still having to pause collecting the pill packets.  However, this week we have lobbied a decent number of local councillors as well as Surrey County council environment committee members and also Mr Michael Gove, on this particular issue. We have asked our new area dean (Ellen!) to also pass on the details of who to lobby, to all local churches to see if we can get a real change implemented. We know it is something of a long shot but certainly well worth the effort and should help us reach our year end target of the silver A Rocha award.

Always happy to have help or new ideas for Eco Church

Kate.