Eco Church

The following measures should reduce our carbon emissions by 12% in the first year post-refurbishment.

🌿Installing 40 non-PV solar panels on the south aisle roof, supplying the church with electricity during both summer and winter via battery storage.

🌿New underfloor heating with an Air Source Heat Pump installed in the Thomas Magnus Room.

🌿Upgrading the heating system to heat areas of the church independently as required.

🌿New lighting scheme of low-intensity high-efficiency LED luminaries to the west of the Transept.

🌿Using the Energy Footprint Tool to measure our carbon emissions and savings as the model of evaluation used across the Diocese.

🌿Upgrading M&E, security systems and fire detection systems.

🌿Using lime (a net carbon absorber) in all bedding and pointing.

🌿Sourcing stone from local quarries to reduce ‘stone miles’

🌿Using FSC certified wood.

🌿Repairing/replacing broken coloured and stained glass throughout the building to ensure it is weatherproof.

🌿Repairing and replacing the south aisle roof and clerestory windows to minimise heat loss.

🌿Installing sensor control buttons on the West and South doors to minimize
heat loss (this will also improve access for people with mobility issues).

🌿Replacing water goods with water saving options such as low flush toilets.

🌿Minimizing travel by advertising locally for consultants, freelancers and contractors, using Zoom for meetings and encouraging the use of public
transport.

🌿Auditing the church café supply chain and switching to fair-trade and local products.

🌿Reducing the use of plastics (especially single use) at Church events.

🌿Review and rationalisation of energy providers, parish buying and SMART meters.

🌿Undertaking extensive ecology surveys to investigate bats in the vicinity, and planning for potential ecology encounters with contractors.

🌿Contractors required to demonstrate how they will increase positive environmental impacts and decrease negative impacts in their work.

The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham has adopted the Church of England’s ambition to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030. To meet this target, our churches need to achieve year on year reductions in emissions and to urgently examine what would be required to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030. Environmental sustainability guidance states that the Heritage Fund is supporting the Climate Change Committee’s aim to raise the UK’s climate ambitions for 2035, changing the UK for the better. Sustainability is at the forefront of Historic England’s vision. By 2040 they aim to have enabled people to live more sustainably and adapt to a changing climate, while conserving the nation’s irreplaceable heritage for future generations through information and support.

St Mary Magdalene is undertaking a Reawakening Project. Our vision is for our church to be recognised for the significance of its heritage, to highlight its history as part of Newark and wider regional and national histories, and to keep environmental sustainability at the heart of the renovations to reduce carbon emissions.

As part of our parish mission, St Mary Magdalene has been signed up as an Eco Church. The aspiration was to gain the Silver Award by the end of the Reawakening Project. However, the church has already obtained this during the Development Phase of the project and the Gold Award is now being pursued. We aim to obtain the Gold Award by minimizing the carbon footprint of our church and to shift the mentality of individuals and encourage them to make small lifestyle changes and take steps to make our buildings and facilities more energy efficient and sustainable. An ethos of environmental sustainability is embedded throughout our Reawakening Project. An Environmental Sustainability Action Plan has been specially developed to link the environmental sustainability achievements of the project to the relevant Eco Church themes of Buildings, Land, Community and Global Engagement and Lifestyle.

The Eco Church continues its work throughout, and in conjunction with, the Reawakening Project. As the awards are based on a ‘points’ system, the Eco Team understands that we will not achieve our Gold Award as a result of the Reawakening Project works, although we will be well on the way! Our plan is to focus on things like installing recycling facilities outside our building and to carry out annual wildlife surveys on our land. We aim to work with a sustainability movement such as Transition Town which will promote and support community engagement and link into local conservation work such as The Wildlife or Woodland Trust with the aim of involving and educating young people. We are working towards building a team around our Eco Church, and to use Bitesize News to communicate weekly with our church congregation, to inform and educate about sustainability.

We must all remember that we are only Leaseholders of this earth; God owns the Freehold! One of our Heritage Outcomes for this Reawakening Project is that our church of St Mary’s and the people of Newark will be in a better condition, and that we will all be more equipped and engaged as a community to look after God’s earth in a more energy efficient and sustainable way.