Eco church inspires sustainable living in their community fair

  • Chorlton Central Church hosts their sustainable fair just in time for this years Earth Day
  • The church actively focuses on promoting sustainability
  • Volunteers and organisers share the importance of being environmentally conscious

In celebration of national earth day this year, Chorlton Central Church hosted a sustainable fair open to the community.

The fair is part of their wider ethos to actively promote sustainability all year round. The church holds a silver award for their action in being eco-friendly.

The church promotes the importance of being environmentally conscious / Photo credit: Anna Klekot

Christine Howard, the church treasurer has said: “Rocha is all about climate change, so they’ve got a lot of churches who sign up.

“We do quite a lot in our services about the Earth and creation and the importance of caring for God’s creation. And then there are other things about the building and whether you’re well insulated, what sort of lights you use, what heating, and how you care for those.”

At the fair, there was an array of different stands such as clothes swap, upcycling repairs, cafe, Extinction Rebellion printing station, and a bike repair.

Christine running the refill station at Chorlton Central Church / Photo Credit: Anna Klekot

Reusing and recycling

Emma Sutcliffe, the children and family worker at the church shared the importance of including children in eco tasks. They involve people of all ages to teach them the importance of reusing and recycling.

Emma said, “Were decorating jam jars to give them a new purpose in the home. And also painting rocks to bring a bit of happiness into everybody’s garden.

“I often do crafts at most of our events. I try to think of things that are going to engage the children and I find that children will open up and talk whilst they’re crafting. It just brings you into a bit of a place of peace and enjoyment.”

Emma, the children and family worker at the sustainable fair / Photo credit: Anna Klekot

Besides the refill station and the craft area, the garden was filled with bikes waiting for the repair station as well as a plant swap. The church’s main priority is to promote eco-sustainability which centers around repairing and swapping rather than buying and wasting.