We have an active group who meet to address environmental issues within the Deanery. This is run by Revd. Geoff Jaques from Great Ayton. If any of the Deanery churches are interested in joining this network (and aren’t already involved), please contact Geoff directly, who would be delighted to talk to you. You can e-mail him at jaques132@gmail.com
Latest news from the Deanery Environmental Group
Late Spring 2024
Update: Latest News
More Good News on Eco Church!
Congratulations to St Cuthbert’s, Kildale on being awarded our latest Bronze Award, bringing the total to 7 across Stokesley Deanery!
The York Diocesan Eco Church video is now available to view. Do take a look via this link https://vimeo.com/942358890 See how many people you recognise – especially in the final few seconds!
The Church of England has published a 2024/2025 Environment Days Calendar featuring key awareness days, weeks and months which are associated with the environment:
Schools:
All Saints Church Of England Academy, Ingleby Barwick, has now got a community garden space, initiated by consultation with St Francis’ church Creation Club. The headteacher has plans to consult with all 6 primary schools in the town to see how this space can be used collaboratively. At church, they hope to mirror the school space, using the same elements of raised beds for growing things, a ‘shed’, prayer seating area and an area to recycle and create things. The aim is to have intergenerational working across school and church sites, creating much needed community space in the town, which is currently lacking sufficient amenities for the relatively new community.
Kirkby and Great Broughton, Ingleby Greenhow, Kildale and Chop Gate are working together across the Benefice with their 4 church schools. Their Sunflower Challenge took place over the Easter holidays – decorating a paper plate on the theme of the sunflower, and writing a few words to describe it. To widen the theme, they invited a local Ukrainian boy, currently at Hutton Rudby school, to introduce the project in each of the schools. Mark, aged 9, spoke to around 250 of his peers over two lots of morning assemblies. He described how the sunflower has special significance for Ukraine since the Ukrainian yellow-and-blue flag symbolises sunflowers and sky. He also answered questions about the war, and told how the dam that was blown up and caused huge flooding had one remarkable environmental result: flamingos came to nest in Ukraine for the first time ever, and have returned again this year. It was very moving to hear such a positive story from the tragedy of war. The Sunflower Challenge will be exhibited and each school will receive a packet of sunflower seeds to grow over the coming months. More photos next time!
Silver Soon: There are now 1,000 Eco Churches nationally with a Silver Award. Currently Newton under Roseberry is currently the only Silver in the Deanery, but Chop Gate and Ingleby Barwick are both working towards theirs, maybe you are to? If so please let me know which areas you’re working on, and if you need any help.
Busy Bees: Yarm Parish Church Bee Project.
During the winter beekeepers are often busy making preparation for the following year and especially the first few months of the spring when the bees wake up from their slumber and their queen starts laying eggs to create the foragers for the new year. Just as experienced old hands have been cleaning hives and smokers and building frames of wax so we at St Mary Magdalene have also been doing our bit! Much of the work thus far has been in the preparation. They have managed to clear the northwest corner of the church yard of all brambles and nettles; and one tree has been severely pruned in order to prevent too much moisture from falling onto any future hive. So, the area has certainly been primed.
And there has also been a fair bit of fundraising taking place in order to get the project off the ground.
They are now at the stage of waiting for a date for the landscaper to come and prepare things a little more fully and once that date is known we will be applying for a faculty.
However – time and tide (and bee hives!) wait for no-one! So various Plan Bs have been put into place… if you’ll pardon the pun!
Over the last few weeks, Rector Darren have been attending the Beginners’ Bee Keeping Course that the Association runs every March/April at Middlesbrough Bowling Club. The course is designed to provide the basics regarding the theory of bee keeping with plenty of interesting input from those who have been keeping bees for the best part of three decades in some cases.
On completion of the course, Darren will be appointed a mentor who will make sure that the theory learned on a Saturday morning will be accompanied with plenty of helpful hints and tips – so the bees plus the newbie keeper will not be entirely on their own… thank goodness!
Now is the time when beekeepers are building hives and making preparations to begin the beekeeping year.
Given their, hopefully short term, location problems they needed to think of some options which was where the Cleveland Beekeepers Association, once again, came to the rescue.
Various members of the Association have always been keen to set up projects around Middlesbrough and Stockton to encourage new beekeepers. One such project has come to fruition just this year, at Ropner Park. With the help of
Stockton Borough Council, a very experienced beekeeper, Ian Peacock, has established the apiary, and it is now set up and ready for hives to take up residence.
The main aim of the Ropner Park Apiary is to provide a safe and secure environment for new beekeepers from May to the following May, thereby giving them plenty of hands-on experience and encouragement for a twelve-month period.
So, the Yarm Parish Church Apiary will begin its journey as part of the Ropner Park Apiary.
Once the paperwork has been sorted out the hive will be sealed and transported to its new church yard site, but in the meantime, it should have a very contented introductory period within the confines of Ropner Park.
Hopefully by July/August Yarm will indeed have an apiary within the boundary of the church walls in Yarm but we are all looking forward immensely to starting this project in Stockton.
A dry hedge
St Francis Ingleby Barwick began construction in November 2023, with a session each week. All of the underbush that was dead was removed and piled up ready to slot into the hedge. Once the area was cleared and after making sure they weren’t disturbing any habitats, the tree poles were inserted. This was done by using 5ft wooden stakes and a post rammer. They are spaced roughly 150cm apart and 0.5 metres away from the existing fence and about 40cm deep. The dead bushes/branches were then inserted length ways and pushed back into each other to lock it in and make it more secure. When placing the next branches its important to place
between two poles as it will fall out the side if not. As you go along the length creating the hedge always push down making it as dense as possible.
If there is land that doesn’t have a fence you can build against you can weave it in, I’ve attached a link so you can see this, https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/garden/pledge/hedge
Dead hedges benefit a wide spectrum of wildlife for habitats and safe runways for small mammals such as mice and hedgehogs. It’s also great for the birds as they can pinch smaller sticks for nesting and eat insects that live in it. It’s also good as reptiles and amphibians use it too as well as being great foraging sites for squirrels and hedgehogs too. You can plant climbing plants such as clematis and Buddleia to attract pollinators.
Diocese & National News:
The Diocese Eco Church video is expected shortly, you’ll remember Lou Dover from the Comms Team shot some footage at our 2023 Deanery Environment Service. I’ll let you know when I have more news!
York diocese has a new website. You can find the Green page through this link https://dioceseofyork.org.uk/support/for-churches/social-transformation/environmental-justice/
The inaugural meeting of Green Christian North East took place on zoom this week. They are planning a face to face meeting in June. If you’re interested in knowing more, do let me know.
World Environment Day is on Wednesday June 5th
Great Big Green week, Love your Burial Ground Week & Churches Count on Nature
Sat 8th – Sun 16th June click on the link for more information https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/churches-count-on-nature-faqs/
The church season of Creationtide is from September 1st to October 4th
Fairtrade fortnight Monday September 9th to Sunday September 22nd
Deanery Environment Service: will be at St Francis, Ingleby Barwick at 3 o’clock on Sunday September 15th.
Spring 2024
We had a great visit to the Allerton Waste Recovery Site in January and were proposing a zoom meeting in February – please let me know if you’d like me to set that up.
Some of you will have been at the Deanery Synod meeting earlier this week and joined my carousel discussion ‘Let’s talk about Food’ , a resource prepared by the Diocese of York Rural Life & Faith Group for small groups to aid discussion on Food, Farming and the Environment. If you know of a group or are interested in gathering one together please let me know and I would be happy to offer to facilitate the discussions.
What environment plans are you making in your church / parish / benefice this year?
Are you greening your buildings; your worship; your churchyard or garden; your eating; your personal carbon footprint?
Please share your ideas & plans – we can all learn from each other.
Here are some dates to work around
Lent – there are several ‘green’ lent courses available https://greenchristian.org.uk/lent-2023/
Earth Hour 2024 is scheduled for 8:30 to 9:30 pm on Saturday March 23rd
International Earth Day is on April 22nd
Bluebell Sunday is on May 5th in Great Ayton & Newton Under Roseberry
Environment Sunday is June 2nd
Great Big Green Week June 8 to 16
The church season of Creationtide is from September 1st to October 4th
Fairtrade fortnight Monday September 9th to Sunday September 22nd
We are planning to hold the Deanery Environment Service in Ingleby Barwick this year – look out for more details!
Will your parish be registering as an Eco church this year? If you’ve already registered, are you going to submit for your Bronze 🥉 Award? Will any other Bronze churches be joining St Oswald’s Newton on the Silver 🥈 Award? Will 2024 be our first Gold 🥇 ??
For further Information and resources, search for
Earth Hour
International Earth Day
World Environment Day
Creationtide.
More links by searching for
Green Anglicans
A Rocha UKOperation Noah
Christian Aid
Tearfund.
Christmas 2023
Silver Eco Church Award: Congratulations to St Oswald’s, Newton under Roseberry for gaining their SILVER Eco Church Award! This is the First for Stokesley Deanery and only the 6th in York Diocese!! As a deanery we are making great strides as we Treasure God’s creation.
1 Silver – Newton
5 Bronze – Bilsdale, Great Ayton, Ingleby Barwick, Kirkby, Yarm
7 Registered – Brookfield, Hutton Rudby, Ingleby Greenhow, Kildale, Kirklevington, Nunthorpe, Swainby
December 2023
Bronze Eco Church Award for St Mary Magdalene, Yarm! Stokesley Deanery now has 12 registered ECO Churches and 6 have gained their Bronze Award. Will we have a Silver to celebrate before Christmas?
Congratulations also to St Oswald’s Church at Newton under Roseberry! They have won the North & East Yorkshire’s Best Churchyard Competition for 2023! Read all about it in The Journal.
COP28UAE reached agreement on Loss and Damage to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries hit by Climate Disaster – a positive start to the gathering!
King Charles tells the summit ‘hope of the world’ rests on Dubai climate talks. “I pray”, he said, “with all my heart that COP28 will be another critical turning point for genuine transformational action.” I’m sure we’re all joining in that prayer!!
November 2023
I’m sure you’re well aware that COP28 is taking place from November 30th to December 12th and that both King Charles and Pope Francis will be addressing the assembled leaders. Both have been vocal about Climate Issues for many years.
The prayer below is from Cafod and recommended for use by the Church of England throughout the summit.
Prayer for the COP28 climate summit
God of blessings,
the universe sings of your glory.
Deepen our gratitude for all you have made
and awaken in us a renewed commitment
to care for the earth and each other.
Inspire world leaders at COP28,
with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change
and with courage to act urgently and wisely,
so that our common home may be healed and restored
and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it.
Amen.
Newton under Roseberry wins Best Churchyard Competition
I’m delighted to be able to report that Saint Oswald’s Church at Newton under Roseberry has won the North & East Yorkshire’s Best Churchyard Competition for 2023! A great result for the area – hopefully it will encourage others to enter next year!
You’ll recall that the competition is run by the Council for the Protection of Rural England and looks at how Churchyards are being cared for and managed, as well as all the community involvement. There were three Churches on the shortlist.
Here’s what they said, “I did manage to visit all three Churchyards a number of times as seasonality is key… .
“St Oswald’s, Newton under Roseberry, however just had the edge in the competition with all judges in agreement. Simply put, a classic country churchyard, exemplifying seasonality and community work.”
Big thanks to John Stinson who has led this work, involving others in building bird boxes, sowing seeds, planting trees, composting waste, knowing when not to cut the grass so we can spot the wildflowers and see the visiting birds. There will be a Presentation in York on 25th November.
You can read more in the latest edition of Spire https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/5f3e97addb8f1/content/pages/documents/09-november-spire-2023.pdf
September 2023
Latest Awards:
St Hilda’s Church, Bilsdale Priory has achieved an Eco Church Bronze award!
We’d only just celebrated St Francis of Assisi, Ingleby Barwick becoming the 3rd Bronze Award for the Deanery.
Now we have 4! Well done to everyone who has contributed to gaining these Awards.
Who will be next? Who will be our first Silver Awards? It could be you.
Deanery Environment Service
Many thanks for your active support and participation in our first Deanery Environment Service on September 3rd. 12 folk enjoyed John’s walk along the riverbank – and I believe 3 walked back! Welcomer Vicky told me we had 74 adults, 7 children and a dog at All Saints!
Next meeting
Our next Network Meeting is on Wednesday October 4th at Yarm Parish Church. David Yates invites us to explore the churchyard from 6 o’clock onwards – with refreshments available in church. Our meeting in church will begin at 7 o’clock (refreshments still being served).
In addition to hearing what’s going on in Yarm and Kirklevington it would be great if St Francis’ and St Hilda’s could say a little about their experience with the A Rocha process. Any other suggestions for discussion or news from anyone please let me know.
Summer 2023
Summer is here (really!) and we’re just 4 weeks away from our first Deanery Environment Service on Sunday September 3rd – All Saints churchyard, Great Ayton.
Our musicians & singers (ably led by Nadine Brown) are working on Creation / Environment songs for all ages for us to sing. There will be shakers & rattlers available for children (and all who are young at heart).
Lay Dean, John Dickinson, is getting everything set for the Prayer / Environment Walk / Pilgrimage from Stokesley Parish Church (assemble at 2 o’clock) – John Stinson will be our Environment Guide (if you have binoculars do bring them).
Helen Land has the baking well in hand for our refreshments (available from 3:30)
Members of the network will be leading prayers and readings – if you would like to volunteer please get in touch.
It would be great to have a display featuring photos (and a few words) from each of the parishes – please let me have copies by Monday August 21st at the latest (or if you prefer to bring your own copies on the day please let me know how much space you’ll need!)
We will be recording more footage for the Diocesan Eco Church video(s) – Lou Dover from the Diocesan Comms Team will be there and would like to chat to activists from across the patch.
I want to thank all the churches who have completed the Energy Footprint Tool – an excellent response, the best Deanery in the Diocese!
I know several of our churches are working hard on their Bronze Eco Church programs – and I believe Newton are aiming to go for Silver this autumn.
If you have any news to share or any questions to ask please get in touch,
Geoff Jaques
Dean of Green
Stokesley Deanery 