A CHURCH in Stratton has been recognised for its efforts to become more environmentally friendly.

Rev. Arthur Champion, the diocesan environmental advisor, presented the Parish Church of St Peter with a bronze Eco Church Award earlier this month.

The Eco Church Award is given by Christian charity A Rocha, which means “the rock” in Portuguese.

Stratton Church undertook work in 2007 to build an eco loo, involving a trench arch drainage system. Then in 2011, solar panels were installed on the church roof. These projects were all driven by David Edwards.

As a result of David’s hard work and vision, in 2019 the church became a net provider of electricity to the grid.

When registering with A Rocha in 2018, the church found it scored highly in the “building” section, but then needed to concentrate on other areas of church life in order to meet the criteria for an award.

They were already using fair trade products and supporting specific environmental charities, but they needed to go a lot further.

So they began reducing paper usage, organising communal recycling, using environmentally friendly cleaning products and installing a cycle rack. They use a communal Christmas card and have plans to further reduce their carbon footprint.

They are now considering working towards a silver award and collaborating with the other eight parish churches in the Churn Valley Benefice.

They are also hoping to meet with pupils from Stratton School to consider if any further initiatives can be made.