‘Thinking sustainably and simply’ seesWelsh church win eco award
ASMALL village church in Snowdonia has become the first church in Wales to win a new eco award for its energy efficient lighting and heating.
St Gwyddelan’s Church in Dolwyddelan was awarded the Bronze Eco-Church award by the environment charity A Rocha.
Changing the light bulbs to LED bulbs, putting the lights on timer switches and changing the old storage heaters for more efficient ones were among the additions that helped the church to attain the award.
Sue Layland, the eco-church coordinator at St Gwyddelan’s, said: “We are naturally thrilled to be the first Church in Wales to receive our Bronze Eco-Church Award.
“It has come about thanks to many people doing a little bit, and a desire to keep costs sustainable in a church building that remains true to its 16thcentury simplicity.
“We also support FairTrade and use eco-cleaning products which are not subject to risk assessments.
“Thinking sustainably and thinking simply has been a guiding framework for this church for a long time and is the essence of environmentalism.”
Outside the church, a new method of strimming the graveyard now allows wild flowers to grow, and bird boxes have been installed with helpful advice provided by the RSPB.
The local primary school has also been helped, with volunteers from St Gwyddelan developing part of their woodlands as a teaching resource.
In congratulating St Gwyddelan’s, the Bishop of Bangor, the Right Reverend Andy John, said: “It is wonderful that 30 years of people’s commitment to loving God and creation has led to this church being the first in Wales to receive this award.
“I do congratulate the people of St Gwyddelan’s for their work and their example. I’m sure that other churches in the diocese will want to follow in their footsteps.”
Deirdre Southgate is a warden at St Gwyddelan’s and says the environment has long been a consideration for the church.
“It all started back in 1984, when we had to build a shed in the churchyard for storing equipment,” she said.
“It was designed with a turf roof to give good insulation and reduce dampness, but it also allowed it to blend into the scenery and made it more acceptable to neighbours. A start has now been made on introducing wild primroses in our churchyard and more could be done with wild daffodils and other native species.”