‘Eco Church’ – Caring for the environment at St Mary de Haura

Who hasn’t at some stopped for a moment in the churchyard at St Mary’s? It is one of the few places where you can escape the bustle of our busy town. Over the years, the trees have grown tall and it has become a haven for wildlife.

The Shoreham and District Ornithological Society have put up bird boxes, and they monitor birds nesting in the churchyard. Volunteers tend and garden both the graves and flower beds, and have planted gorgeous plants. It is not surprising that churchyards are often referred to as God’s acre.

Sitting in the churchyard, you can’t help be reminded that St Mary de Haura is more than just an ancient building – it’s an entire eco-system. The churchyard is now closed for burials and responsibility for its major upkeep rests with Adur and Worthing Council, who undertake regular grass-cutting and all the tree maintenance. Nonetheless, the church remains committed to protecting and preserving the beauty of the natural environment in and around the church and to reducing our environmental footprint as much as possible.

To take forward this environmental commitment, St Mary de Haura is involved in a project called ‘Eco Church’: a nationwide scheme which encourages churches to be greener and more environmentally aware. At St Mary’s we are examining our commitment to environmental responsibility in different areas of the church’s life, including our buildings and the churchyard. Part of this includes meeting a commitment set by the Church of England to attain net-zero emissions by 2023. But it also involves a wider plan to show how we can become greener and more environmentally aware. For example, we are hoping to attract more wildlife to the churchyard by avoiding the use of pesticides and weed killers and are looking at keeping some areas of the grass unmown during May to encourage more wildflowers.

Of course, this environmental mission carries unique challenges when it comes to the historic, Grade 1-listed building! For example, how can you insulate 900-year-old walls and masonry? How can you ensure energy-efficiency when electrical and heating systems are several decades old? Working in partnership with the Council, voluntary groups and local community is essential for making progress. So too is the contribution made by the Friends of St Mary’s, who seek to support the costly work needed to update and improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.

To find our more about our environmental mission at St Mary’s or to become more involved, please contact the Vicar: vicar@ stmarydehaura.org.uk. Details of the Friends of St Mary’s can be found below and on our website.

For more information, please visit the website: www.stmarydehaura.org.uk

ARE YOU A FRIEND OF ST MARY’S?

It only costs £10 a year to support the maintenance and restora�on this building in the heart of Shoreham

Find out more on the Friends page: www.stmarydehaura.org.uk

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