Category: Environment

Environment

Environment

Eco Church

We are thrilled to have achieved our Bronze Eco Church accreditation with A Rocha and are working towards achieving our Silver Award.

Eco church

St Michael’s Eco Group was formed in October 2021 on the back of celebrating Climate Sunday the previous month. In the two years that have followed, we have achieved a lot and come a long way.

The following things we have set up and happen regularly:

  • Repair Café happens monthly
  • We buy Eco-friendly washing up liquid in bulk and sell at Repair Cafe and upon request.
  • We grow some of our own vegetables
  • We have recycling facilities in every room and in the churchyard
  • We use ECO friendly paper
  • Our toilet paper is either recycled or Eco friendly
  • All our toilet roll holders are made from recycled tetra paks

We have put the following things in place:

  • We no longer use disposable cups in any of our Church Services
  • We have twinned all our toilets through a toilet twinning charity
  • We have held Clothes Swap Events
  • We have held Plant Swap Events
  • We have held community litter picks
  • We have installed solar panels on our Church Centre
  • We have put up a Bee pole in the Churchyard
  • We have a water butt on site
  • We have held a 5-week sermon series on God’s Creation
  • We have created, published and analysed a sustainable travel survey
  • We have updated our travel page to include all forms of sustainable transport
  • Left an area of the Churchyard un-mowed and wild
  • We no longer serve individually wrapped biscuits

It is hoped that by all of us making small changes we can help to influence the culture at St Michael’s to help us look after our Environment. If you would like any more information on the Eco Group please contact eco@stmichaelsbristol.org

Going forward we are looking to:

  • Have an energy audit on all our buildings
  • Plant wild flowers to encourage more wildlife
  • Buy more Eco-friendly items in bulk to sell
  • Look into having an electric charging point installed in our car park

Eco Group Lifestyle Survey

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Eco Group Lifestyle Survey

We have made an Environmental Commitment as a church and are currently working towards the Silver Eco Church Award, having gained the Bronze award in 2022.  To support our Environmental Commitment, the Eco Group is conducting a lifestyle survey. This survey aims to understand how we care for creation, find the best ways to share environmental information, and gather suggestions on how we can all reduce our environmental impact.

Our sustainable transport survey in 2022 had 125 responses; we would love to equal or exceed that amount!

We hope you will participate in this survey, which will close in July. The survey is also available in paper form if you cannot complete the online form.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE FORM

Plant Swap

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Plant Swap

On Saturday 10 May we are hosting a Plant Swap from 10am to 12pm in St Michael’s Centre. It’s running at the same time as the Repair Cafe and will be in the Lower Hall.

A great opportunity to share any surplus plants with others and swap for something different or buy plants, for a small donation, if you don’t have any to swap. If you have grown too many seedlings or have divisions of plants then bring them along to share with others.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to share surplus plants and pick up new plants. We ask for a small voluntary donations if you don’t bring any plants to swap. All proceeds will be donated to North Bristol & South Gloucestershire Foodbank.

If you have grown too many seedlings or have divisions/cuttings of plants or self-sown seedlings, then bring them along to share with others.

All plants welcome: Tomatoes, Veg, Flowers, Herbs, Houseplants etc.

Please label plants and bring them in single containers ready for people to take away. 

If you have plants to share, or if you would like more information, please contact Rebecca Bishop via the office, or just bring along your plants on the morning.

Clothes Swap

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Clothes Swap

On Saturday 28 March we are holding a Clothes Swap 10am – 12pm in the Lower Hall in St Michael’s Centre.

What is a Clothes Swap? 

It is described as “where people gather to exchange clothing that they no longer wear.  This helps in responsibly rehoming clothes that no longer have value to you but could be just the right thing for someone else’s wardrobe. In a world thriving on overproduction of clothes, a clothes swap is a way to extend the lifetime of the clothing we already own, and making our wardrobes more economic”. 

For this event, please bring up to 10 items to swap and update your wardrobe!  Men’s, women’s or child’s clothes ( ages over 5 only), shoes or accessories that are of good quality, clean, dry, and wearable (no underwear please) 
 When you bring some clothes, you will be given a token to us to “buy” items that other people have brought along!

Donations in aid of St Michael’s Stoke Gifford Primary School, who will also have pre-loved uniform for sale.