FrontPage
Splash out on a pond!
Generous supporters – with the backing of The Big Give Christmas Appeal – have just raised more than £15,000, exceeding the target to put in a pond at Wolf Fields. But there’s a chance to do more to make this a real wildlife ‘oasis’ for West London.
‘You did it!’ said CEO Andy Atkins, just after hearing the news. ‘Thanks to all our supporters and the Big Give Christmas Appeal, we can now build a pond at our Wolf Fields urban nature reserve. Our plan is to make a better home for hard pressed amphibians and enable more local children to have a great experience of nature.
‘We send a big “thank you” from all of us at A Rocha UK. The Challenge is now open until 12pm (midday) on Tuesday 6th December – so there’s still time to donate to our work.’
Supporters taking part in the campaign have been making twice the splash with every pound they donated. From 29th November-2nd December, The Big Give Christmas Challenge matched their gifts – at no extra cost. After being matched, the total counted up today (2nd December) was £15,630. Target was £14,000.
Snap, crackle and pop for the planet
It was a breakfast of champions for the environment – as more than 50 Anglican bishops joined Christian conservationists to launch Eco Diocese.
Part of A Rocha UK’s popular Eco Church award scheme, Eco Diocese acts as an incentive at diocesan level and encourages parish-level engagement. Through its bishop, a diocese can work towards Eco Diocese status by meeting set criteria.
A Rocha UK and Anglican environmental initiative Shrinking The Footprint launched Eco Diocese at a special breakfast on 14th September. Key speakers were Bishop of Salisbury Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam – the Church of England’s lead on environmental issues – Bishop of Dover Rt Rev Trevor Willmott and Bishop of Dudley Rt Rev Graham Usher.
Faith fills the fair
Passion for nature must lead to protecting nature. That’s the message A Rocha UK chief Andy Atkins gave delegates at Birdfair – the wildlife lovers’ ‘Glastonbury’.
Speaking at the Sunday worship service run by A Rocha UK and A Rocha International, Andy (pictured) said, ‘We’re to love what God has created as he loves it. And that love starts with enjoying creation – something birders know about – but continues through nurturing and protecting’.
Andy welcomed the fact that church leaders – from the Archbishop of Canterbury to Pope Francis – have recently emphasised how nature is important to God. Andy invited people to join A Rocha UK in seeking to restore and protect the nation’s once thriving nature.
London churches go for green
London’s Anglican churches are engaged in a concerted effort to snatch the green gong – the Eco Church award.
Ever since the launch of A Rocha UK’s Eco Church initiative earlier this year – when St Paul’s Cathedral scooped the first Bronze Award – the Diocese of London has been encouraging its congregations to embrace the scheme.
As a result, a further 16 churches in the diocese have registered with Eco Church – with seven in Ealing Deanery alone, where A Rocha UK’s office and Wolf Fields community reserve are located. Two more Bronze Awards have been confirmed for St Mary’s, Hampton, and St James’s, Piccadilly. St Mary’s received its award from A Rocha UK chief Andy Atkins during a recent Sunday service (pictured).
Eco Churches cover the country
Eco Churches are ‘springing up all over the place’. That’s the view of A Rocha UK’s Dr Ruth Valerio as her team launch an online map to show the extensive cross-country coverage of the charity’s award scheme.
From the Isle of Man to Margate, from Hexham to Hampshire, any of the 300 registered churches can be identified by pins on an electronic map (pictured right).
Supporters can back this growing movement by donating online (quote EC201605 in the comments box) or giving by post (FREEPOST RSSB-SCBG-CSKR, A Rocha UK, 18 Avenue Road, Southall UB1 3BL – use code ‘EC201605’ on the reverse of any cheque or charity voucher sent).