The Eco Targets for each year are approved and adopted by the PCC, so that they’re ‘official’ and as such owned by us all. We hope as many members of St Michael’s as possible will support and promote the targets and, where there’s opportunity and ability, be involved with action to further them.
The 2021 Targets, and their outcomes, were:
(1) Become a ‘Fairtrade Church’.
Achieved. St Michael’s is now a Fairtrade Place of Worship.
(2) Host a ‘Green Fair’.
Not achieved. Organisations and individuals were reluctant / would not commit sufficiently far in advance to being involved because of unpredictability of the Covid situation. Likewise individuals locally who might have attended opined it unlikely they would want / would be able to mix in crowds. Given the same considered were likely still to be a problem there are no plans to host a ‘Green Fair’ in 2022, but having one in 2023 will be considered in due course.
(3) Make a wildlife-friendly pond in the church grounds.
Not achieved. Covid limited activity in summer; projected financial deficit precluded hiring a digger; further discussions about various aspects was on-going.
(4) Be involved in the ‘Toilet Twinning’ charity by twinning all the toilets on the church / hall site.
Achieved. £725 was given, which meant we were not only able to twin all the toilets in the Parish Centre but also the toilets in the Vicarage and still have an additional amount to send to the Toilet Twinning charity for additional toilets in the countries where it operates.
(5) Work with SMBC to have a community clean-up campaign in Bramhall.
Not achieved. Covid considerations precluded this.
(6) Compile a list of national sustainability initiatives and implement involvement by St Michael’s where appropriate and practical.
Achieved. A considerable number of the recommendations / suggestions in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 Agenda are in place / have been actioned. Consideration and implementation of further items will take place in 2022.
(7) Review consumables used by St Michael’s, to ensure they are ‘green friendly’, and switch to better alternatives where necessary and practical.
Achieved.
(8) Install fifteen birdboxes in the church grounds.
Progressing. Sufficient birdboxes were donated to bring to fifteen those in the grounds, but when they were put up it was found those previously installed, some years ago, had not been cleaned and maintained, and had to be scrapped. Plans to replace the latter are in hand, and cleaning and maintenance of all the birdboxes has been included in the EAG’s annual calendar.
2022 Eco-Targets
1) Make a wildlife-friendly pond or marsh area / bog garden in the church grounds.
2) Install further birdboxes to bring total to fifteen.
3) Observe Fairtrade Fortnight (21st February to 6th March).
4) Run clothes swap events.
5) Hold workshops to demonstrate and encourage recycling and crafts skills.
6) Reduce gross CO2 emissions from the St Michael’s site.
7) Encourage green journeys to church.
8) Target(s) asking as many of the congregation as are willing to do [various things] at home / in daily lives.
9) Make two hedgehog ‘nests’ (or install hedgehog boxes). Make ‘nests’ for bees of solitary species. Plant summer-flowering bulbs.