The Parish has decided that we will always use Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar and will use other Fairtrade products where possible.

Fairtrade is one simple way to spark change – and it starts with our choices. Choosing Fairtrade means standing with farmers for fairness and equality, and against some of the biggest challenges the world faces.

Fairtrade means fairer pay and more power in the hands of farmers, so that they can create change for us all, from investing in climate friendly farming techniques and  clean water for their community, to nurturing women leaders and making sure children get an education. When you choose Fairtrade, you’re choosing the world you want to see.

With Fairtrade you have the power to change the world every day. With simple shopping choices you can get farmers a better deal. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.

For more details please visit https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

The toilets in the three churches in the Parish are all part of this scheme.

By donating £60 to twin a toilet, you help fund a project in a poor community that will enable families to build a basic toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene – a vital combination that saves lives.

When you twin, you are sent a certificate to hang in your loo – showing a photograph of your overseas toilet twin and GPS coordinates so you can look up your twin’s location on Google Maps!

For more details please visit https://www.toilettwinning.org/

LOAF stands for food which is:
Locally produced, Organically grown, Animal friendly and Fairly traded.

As a Parish we would like to encourage you to think LOAF when buying food.

To read more about this please visit http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/loaf-principles.html

The amount of waste we recycle has increased. But we are still behind some of our European neighbours, some of whom recycle over 70% of their waste. Plenty of recyclable waste still ends up in our landfills. Think of it as a waste hierarchy: 

As well as basic paper, plastic, and glass recycling, think of ways to reduce and re-use your household or church waste:  

• Food waste (see above). 

• Textile waste: many councils and charities have textile recycling collection points (https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/clothing-textiles-0) 

• Household item waste: do you have things that could be repaired rather than thrown out? You could take them to a repair café, or even set one up yourself. Or, if they are no longer needed, think about donating them to a charity shop or advertising them on Freecycle [link].  

• Water waste: treating water is an intensive process which contributes to our carbon footprint. Take a look at Water Wise (https://waterwise.org.uk/save-water/) for their tips on how to save water. 

• Energy waste (see below).

Part of reducing our waste is switching to a ‘circular economy’ mindset; working to get the most out of resources, rather than operating with a ‘use and dispose’ mindset. 

The Parish has committed to pray for a specific overseas environmental project and will select a different project each year. 

In 2024 the selected Project is the charity WaterAid UK

When a community gets clean water for the first time, it’s the start of something truly life-changing.

Right now, millions of children around the world like children in Ethiopia don’t have clean water to drink, decent toilets to use or good hygiene to protect themselves. Without these basics, breaking the cycle of poverty is just a dream.

But when you help WaterAid dig a well or install a tap in a community, you’re changing the lives of children for the better. Your donation today, can help children to stay in school instead of wasting their precious childhood walking to collect water.

Together, with your help, we’ll keep working until everyone, everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

For more information or to make a donation please visit the WaterAid website  – https://www.wateraid.org/uk/

How to calculate and reduce your carbon footprint

James Martin

Content editor

Carbon – we’re all responsible for it. From the food we eat to the way we travel, every one of us leaves a carbon footprint trailing in our wake.

How to calculate your carbon footprint

Working out the emissions associated with every aspect of our lives is difficult, but government figures suggest the average UK person is responsible for 5.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per year.* If you include other factors such as overseas flights and UK consumption of imports, plus the impact of other greenhouse gases, this figure may effectively double.

You can use Carbon Independent’s calculator to give you an indication of the impact of your diet, journeys and household energy. And Eco Passenger compares the energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and other environmental impacts of planes, cars and trains.

How to reduce your carbon footprint

We’re all responsible for emissions, but there are things we can all do to reduce our carbon footprint too. Some key areas to think about are:

• Energy – Becoming more energy efficient will help to reduce your footprint. Limit waste and consider switching to a supplier that provides renewable energy.
• Food – Consider what you eat and where it comes from. Studies show that meat and dairy are the most environmentally damaging food types. Food produced in the UK is generally less carbon intensive than imported products.
• Retail – From fashion to furniture, everything we buy generates emissions. The easiest way to reduce your emissions is to simply buy less. When you do buy, choose second-hand items or purchase from sustainable retailers.
• Travel – Walking, cycling and public transport are all better alternatives to driving. Flying is carbon-intensive, so limiting the number of flights can really help reduce your footprint.

The power of trees

You can help fight climate change further by harnessing the power of trees. Each year an estimated 20 million tonnes of CO₂ are absorbed and locked away by the UK’s existing trees and woods. The 1,000 woods in our care across the country make a significant contribution to this total.

Through a donation you can help us to look after our woods and ensure they lock up carbon for generations to come. Every £25 donated helps us protect and care for an area of woodland that has the potential to secure roughly 1 tonne of CO₂. A donation of £137.40 would allow us to look after enough woodland to capture and store 5.5 tonnes of CO₂, matching the figure for the average UK person’s yearly carbon footprint.

Making a donation will not directly reduce your carbon footprint, but it will help to mitigate your environmental impact. Of course, the woods you will help protect are much more than just carbon stores. They also provide homes for wildlife and places for people to visit and enjoy; a true win-win.

Ever heard of the Ecosia search engine?

Why chose Ecosia as your default search engine?

They use all their profits for climate action, with at least 80% financing tree-planting projects around the world: over 165 million trees planted to date. The remaining 20% is invested in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture and protecting trees around the world. Once planted, Ecosia continues to work with local partners and uses satellite tech and field visits to ensure the trees survive. Transparent financial reports are published on their website monthly.

But the not-for-profit business model and transparency is not the only thing that makes Ecosia a somewhat unusual search engine.

Ecosia has become one of the most privacy-friendly search engines out there – which means they don’t do creepy things like selling your data to advertisers or creating a personal profile of you. It doesn’t use any third-party tracking tools, meaning that any search made on the service won’t be seen by any party other than Ecosia. And any search made on Ecosia becomes anonymised after one week. (In contrast, Google and Bing will hold onto bits of search data, even after deleting browser history and cookies).

If you would like to make Ecosia your default search engine, go to https://www.ecosia.helpscoutdocs.com and click on the “Using Ecosia” button.