The Scottish Episcopal Church is committed to achieving Net Zero, and St Mary’s is joining this vital journey too! Here at St Mary’s, we believe in making positive changes for three key reasons – the Three Cs:
- Cost: Reducing our energy bills.
- Climate Change: Minimising our impact on the planet.
- Comfort: Ensuring St Mary’s is a welcoming, comfortable space for worship, socialising, and gathering.
What We’ve Done So Far
We’ve made some small but significant steps to get started:
- Energy Efficiency: Most of our lighting has been upgraded to LED.
- Improved Heating: Radiant heating in the church helps protect our building, reducing the need for expensive repairs. We’re still figuring out the best ways to make it work for us.
- Maintenance: Regular upkeep and repairs keep our buildings in excellent condition.
- Biodiversity: Our garden plans include native species to encourage local wildlife.
- Recycling: We separate rubbish into recyclables, landfill, and compostables.
- Sustainability: We’re phasing out paper plates and plastic cutlery in favour of reusable alternatives and using real towels instead of paper ones.
- Eco-Friendly Flowers: We’ve reduced the use of floral foam (oasis) in our flower arrangements.
Ideas for the Future – We Need Your Input!
We have some ideas for the next steps, but we’d love to hear your thoughts too! Here are some possibilities:
- Underfloor Heating: To supplement our radiant heating (potential funding could help make this possible).
- Zoned Heating: Using specific areas, like the chancel or back of the church, for smaller services.
- Heated Seat Cushions: Rechargeable cushions for individual use, whether on the pews, your lap, or behind your back. Alternatively, adding wool carpets or cushions to all pews.
- Curtains for Doors: Installing curtains at the front and back doors to reduce heat loss.
Share Your Ideas
We’d love to hear from you! Here’s how you can share your thoughts or suggestions:
- Write your ideas on the boards at the back of the church.
- Email us using the church email address: stmaryscardenplace@gmail.com
- Speak to a Vestry member directly.
Together, we can make St Mary’s a sustainable, comfortable, and welcoming space for all. Let’s take these steps towards Net Zero as a community!