The Nuneaton Community of Christ Church will soon have a beautiful new green space thanks to the Warwickshire County Council Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund.
Green Shoots is a £1m fund, allocated from Warwickshire County Council to support a wide array of small, community-powered initiatives across Warwickshire in addressing climate change.
The Green Shoots funding will enable the church to develop an area of grass at the rear of the church on Whittleford Road, Nuneaton into a beautiful eco-garden complete with a labyrinthine pathway that will have, at its centre, a water feature and will be surrounded by large trees, sensory displays and wildflower plantings. The core aims of this new green space are:
- To increase bio-diversity, by establishing a range of habitats and plantings that encourage wildlife such as birds, bees and small mammals.
- To create a garden that will be a place of rest, relaxation and reflection; and
- To involve the local community in creating, maintaining and developing the project whilst promoting awareness of the impact of climate change.
Beyond the biodiversity net gains of increased wildlife habitats, the design for the eco-garden will include 12 large trees which, when fully grown, will have the following positive environmental impact:
- Remove an average of 252 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year;
- Capture an average of 311 kg of harmful particulate matter from the air per year; and
- Produce an average of 408 kg of oxygen per year.
It is hoped the eco-garden will be open for members of the Community of Christ congregation and the local community to enjoy in the summer of 2022.
Wayne Farmer, Pastor at the Nuneaton Community of Christ Church, said:. “We have in the last twelve months passed a climate emergency resolution within our church that calls us to unite with others in acknowledging the need for urgent action to reduce or halt climate change. As part of this we enrolled our Nuneaton church in the Eco church community (An A Rocha UK project) which is an award scheme in England and Wales for churches who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s Earth.
“We are delighted and so very grateful to have been awarded this funding from Warwickshire County Council Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund, which will now enable us to make our dreams become reality in making a huge difference to a piece of land at the back of our church.
This will be done by creating a safe and enjoyable place for the community, whilst increasing bio-diversity and encouraging our congregation and the local community to take the appropriate action regarding climate change in the process. We are very excited to see the development and final result of the garden and look forward to sharing this with our local community over the coming months and years.”
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture, said: “The plans for the eco-garden at the Community of Christ Church in Nuneaton, which we were happy to provide Green Shoots Funding for, are a wonderful example of making a difference to the climate change emergency whilst also creating something that is beautiful and that will be enjoyed by generations to come.
“It is very positive that the Church is looking beyond the creation of this garden and see that as a means of having important conversations about climate change with their congregation and local communities. I am thoroughly looking forward to the opportunity to visit this garden when it opens in 2022!”
Further information about the Nuneaton Community of Christ Church can be found here: https://www.cofchrist.org.uk/new-to-community-of-christ/item/81-nuneaton
A full list of projects that will receive Green Shoots Community Climate Change funding can be found here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/2324/green-shoots-will-soon-be-springing-up-across-warwickshire-as-projects-set-to-receive-a-share-of-wcc-s-1-million-community-climate-change-fund-are-announced
For more information about the Fund, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/greenshootsfund
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/strategies-policies-legislation/facing-challenge-climate-change-warwickshire
Get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are facing the challenge of the climate emergency and how you can get involved: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf