Our Eco Church journey
In autumn 2016 Bradford on Avon Quaker Meeting became the first church in town to join A Rocha UK's Eco Church scheme. We instantly won a bronze award for what we had already done by then. Since May 2018, we hold an Eco Church Silver Award.
Our efforts to become more sustainable started with an environmental audit in 2010. Since then we have made the following improvements:
All our gas and electricity now come from Ecotricity. We are constantly monitoring our energy use and trying to find ways to further reduce it.
To reduce heat loss, we have insulated our attic, draught-proofed several doors and windows and installed double-glazed windows on the ground floor. A particularly big project was the wall insulation for our small meeting room, carried out in 2012 with help from a LEAF grant, in collaboration with Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon. In 2019, we received financial assistance from the Meeting Houses Fund of Quakers in Britain towards the installation of secondary glazing in the Warden's Flat. In 2023 we replaced our side entrance with a new construction that offers much improved insulation and keeps our corridor from flooding during extreme downpours.
Our efforts to become more sustainable started with an environmental audit in 2010. Since then we have made the following improvements:
All our gas and electricity now come from Ecotricity. We are constantly monitoring our energy use and trying to find ways to further reduce it.
To reduce heat loss, we have insulated our attic, draught-proofed several doors and windows and installed double-glazed windows on the ground floor. A particularly big project was the wall insulation for our small meeting room, carried out in 2012 with help from a LEAF grant, in collaboration with Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon. In 2019, we received financial assistance from the Meeting Houses Fund of Quakers in Britain towards the installation of secondary glazing in the Warden's Flat. In 2023 we replaced our side entrance with a new construction that offers much improved insulation and keeps our corridor from flooding during extreme downpours.
Gas consumption in 2023 was almost 35% lower than five years earlier.
To save electricity, we replaced almost all of our light bulbs with energy-saving LEDs. Getting rid of the immersion heater for the small amount of hot water required on the ground floor was our biggest electricity saver.
Compared to 2018, our electricity consumption in 2023 was 20% lower. We are currently in the process of trying to install solar panels on our Meeting House roof.
To save electricity, we replaced almost all of our light bulbs with energy-saving LEDs. Getting rid of the immersion heater for the small amount of hot water required on the ground floor was our biggest electricity saver.
Compared to 2018, our electricity consumption in 2023 was 20% lower. We are currently in the process of trying to install solar panels on our Meeting House roof.
Changes to our outdoor lighting also helped us to keep wildlife happy. We replaced our garden flood light with an array of unobtrusive solar-powered garden path lights, and we now have our exterior lights by the side entrance usually switched off from midnight until 6pm to reduce light pollution. This benefits moths, bats, and other wildlife.
Our garden is managed in a way that attracts bees, butterflies, and slowworms. A couple of swift nesting boxes were put up on our west gable wall.
Our garden is managed in a way that attracts bees, butterflies, and slowworms. A couple of swift nesting boxes were put up on our west gable wall.
One of our members tirelessly campaigned to extend Wiltshire Council's garden waste collection scheme to narrow lanes like ours. The campaign succeeded in 2014.
We support Plastic-Free Bradford on Avon. We buy milk in returnable glass bottles, and our cleaning products are all environmentally friendly and bought as refills wherever possible. Our plastic waste from cleaning products has reduced from over 50 bottles per year to 2 per year.
To help give clothes and other things a second (or third, fourth, ...) lease of life, we are holding 'give & take' events at the Meeting House.
Outside our building, we installed three secure cycle stands (including one made of recycled steel). Two of these are sited on what was until then a car parking space.
We support Plastic-Free Bradford on Avon. We buy milk in returnable glass bottles, and our cleaning products are all environmentally friendly and bought as refills wherever possible. Our plastic waste from cleaning products has reduced from over 50 bottles per year to 2 per year.
To help give clothes and other things a second (or third, fourth, ...) lease of life, we are holding 'give & take' events at the Meeting House.
Outside our building, we installed three secure cycle stands (including one made of recycled steel). Two of these are sited on what was until then a car parking space.
Our monthly newsletter regularly features articles on sustainability including practical tips for making personal lifestyle changes. Many of our members are involved with environmental groups, such as Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon or Extinction Rebellion. Since the beginning of 2024, we host regular Climate and Community Café evenings.
We still have a long way to go to make it to an Eco Church Gold Award. Our journey continues.
We still have a long way to go to make it to an Eco Church Gold Award. Our journey continues.