Church hosting 'thought provoking' events to mark Earth Day

Shrewsbury United Reformed Church (SURC) at English Bridge will be holding a number of public events to coincide with Earth Day – which takes place on April 22.

The events will take place under the heading ‘Guardians of Creation’.

Organisers said they will "explore ways in which we can all help to protect and enhance our environment both locally and globally".

The church, which has been a registered ECO congregation for more than 20 years, received a Silver Award under a national ECO church scheme last year.

The events build on the feedback from that award and are part of a plan to make the church a recognised local, focal point for people wanting to improve the local environment and tackle climate change.

The church’s Messy Vintage, which provides a monthly afternoon of fellowship for people in later life, has already had a meeting on the theme with members discussing what they remember about the environment they experienced as children, and comparing it to what today’s children experience.

Members said they remembered "walking on country lanes as children" and "listening to cuckoos in the spring", describing it as "a very rare sound in most of Shropshire now", adding "meanwhile country lanes are no longer safe for children due to increase in the number, size and speed of cars using them".

There will be three family orientated events during the week.

The first will be 'Messy Church with an ECO theme' tomorrow afternoon.

The Severn Rivers Trust drop in session will take place on Saturday morning, with a model of a catchment to try out.

And an outdoor church fun afternoon will take place on the Rea Brook on Thursday, April 24.

The main event will be a series of short talks on the evening of Earth Day itself, with speakers from Shropshire Wildlife Trust and CPRE on the theme of “Looking after our own back yard”.

Further details of all the events are provided on the church’s website ECO page and Facebook page.

Local Ministers Reverends Mark Rodgers and Camilla Veitch said: "We are delighted that members of Shrewsbury United Reformed Church have taken the lead in producing this thought-provoking week, highlighting the degradation of the local environment and the impact of climate change, and possible ways forward in helping to stop and eventually reverse our current situation.

"The climate crisis is something that affects everyone and here in Shrewsbury we are witnesses to this change, with ever increasing flood water becoming the norm. But it is the unseen, the people in other, poorer countries that pay the biggest price, not just losing their homes but in many cases, their lives.

"We would like to thank everyone who is taking part this week, making this an enjoyable and educational experience for all, and we look forward to welcoming you to these events."

Mike Streetly, co-ordinator of the church’s ECO group said: "Many people in Shrewsbury are very concerned about the state of our environment and the threat to our way of life from climate change. As a church we have been focussed on these issues for many years now. However, with the dearth of national leadership on this issue it is more important than ever for us to speak out.

"We hope that these events will be an enjoyable way for people of all ages to learn more about our local environment, the threats it faces and ways in which we can help to reverse these trends."