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Summary of the year & Award

Early this year our Vine Eco Group,  CRISPAS,  received (on behalf of Vine) a grant for an Energy Audit and a Solar Feasibility study for our buildings. Getting the reports done, agreeing the recommendations and starting to look for funds for the work has taken up a good deal of the year!

Perhaps you may be thinking “Why focus on buildings? Our mission is surely with people!”

The reason is that heating and lighting the buildings contributes most towards our energy use, and that is what produces the gases which are heating up the planet. So, if we want to do what we can to care for creation “in our patch”, then we need to focus on our buildings.

We are focusing on the Halls for “Phase 1” of the work, as these get the most community use.  So far Synod has agreed to a grant of £37,000 and we are putting in funding applications to other bodies for the remainder, about another £40,000. When the work is complete the halls will also be warmer and cosier for our user groups.

Large Hall

This year the cost of energy bills has rocketed.  As part of the grant for the Energy Audit we also  got some money to train a group of volunteer energy champions in giving energy saving advice and signposting people who need help with energy bills. The group who were trained now run “energy Cafes” every other Saturday in Ilford Library and also at other community venues, and are going from strength to strength.

Energy Cafe
Energy Cafe

But the year has not all been about buildings! We have also been moving towards our dream of creating a nature friendly, beautiful and peaceful garden in Holstock Road.  We have a potential designer, and a potential group of volunteer gardeners. At the moment we are collecting ideas from
church members and user groups.

We have also been able to share our experience and encourage other churches. Several of the other ELG churches are also on a “green” journey and we gave a presentation to their  meeting in September, followed by a short “Eco Action” event showing people how they can do simple DIY energy saving work. Peter is also a member of the Synod “Green Apostles” group.

We were very pleased that  our work has been recognised by the London Faith and Belief Forum. The Church received a Sustainability Award from them. Sheila and Peter went to Westminster Abbey in November to receive the Award, which included £500 to put  towards the cost of the energy saving work.

Receiving the Award

Perhaps, most importantly of all, this year the church has held several services with a green theme. We know that we are in this work for the long haul, and that change in the wider world is very slow, so we need to draw water from the deep well of faith in order to sustain us. Let’s hope that by next year you will be seeing some of the fruits of this year’s planning and seed sowing, insulated halls, solar panels and a beautiful nature friendly garden.

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