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Going
Green in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich
There is no
escape!
Even the church
is getting the Green Bug!
Here are all sorts of ways of how you too can be involved from
How can your vicar put on a Green Service?/ What is the diocese
doing about it ?/ Where can my own church make a start or do more?
There is so
much going on. Have a look at the links provided, so that you
too can make a difference in your church and community
Download a list of things you can do
Download a copy of the Diocesan Environmental policy
here
Other
useful web sites:
CRed: www.cred-uk.org
Christian Ecology Link: www.christian-ecology.org.uk
Conservation Foundation: www.conservationfoundation.co.uk
A Rocha UK: www.arocha.org.uk
Time for God’s Creation: www.ctbi.org.uk/creationtime
Living Simply: www.ecologicalfootprint.com
Fairtrade: www.fairtrade.org.uk
Recycling: www.recyclenow.com
www.freecycle.org
Energy Saving Trust: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Energy Performance Certificates: www.direct.gov.uk/epc
Renewable energy supplier: www.goodenergy.co.uk
Creating the Greenest County: www.greensuffolk.org
Suffolk Strategic Partnership: www.transformingsuffolk.co.uk
Churchyards: www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Hugo
de Waal Fund Appeal
Bishop Hugo
De Waal spent his early years as a refugee after the Japanese
invaded Java and imprisoned his father. In later years he retired
to Suffolk, and did a lot to help refugees and asylum seekers
until his death in January 2007. A few months before that the
Church Leaders, led by the Rt Revd Richard Lewis (then Bishop
of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich) and inspired by Bishop Hugo,
had set up a fund for destitute refugees and asylum seekers. Following
Bishop Hugo’s death, the Church Leaders named the fund after
him. The fund is held and administered by the Ipswich-based Refugee
Council.
There were
many generous donations, including from individuals, individual
churches, and from Churches Together groups. These donations totalled
about £4700. They were mostly given in 2007. The Refugee
Council were very grateful, and made good use of the money.
Churches Together
in Suffolk recently received the following request from the Refugee
Council:
“First of all I wanted to say that the chair of the Refugee
Council Trustees in London is very impressed with the support
from the Council of Suffolk Churches. He would like to thank the
Council and the Bishop personally.
Secondly, it is Christmas time and I would like to mention that
our Hugo De Waal's fund has gone down a lot and it will be dried
up by March. We have reduced our giving out already in order to
save for urgent cases in winter. Could I ask you to put your appeal
for destitute asylum seekers again this year?”
Fathieh Yazdi, Project Worker, Refugee Council Eastern Region
I have contacted
the Refugee Council to find out more about their needs, and received
the following:
Hugo de Waal Fund: some ways the money has been spent during 2008:
There was an influx of clients from African countries earlier
this year and by providing phone cards they are able to call home
and tell family and friends they are safe. We are able to support
clients in the early stages of pregnancy to buy appropriate clothes
and help when the baby is first born if they have no extra money.
At this time of year we will buy clients warm winter clothing
and we hope to provide seasonal gifts, eg toiletries, socks and
fruit and nuts, to enable them to feel part of the Christmas festivities.
We also make up gift parcels for families with young children.
Throughout the year we keep a food cupboard stocked with basics
such as rice, UHT milk, tinned goods to give out to destitute
clients who have no recourse to any money at all. We also try
to keep bowls of seasonal fruit in reception for clients and their
families.
We have received personal donations and donations from churches,
which have been very generous in the past. Our reserves are now
beginning to run low and further donations would be very welcome.
Marie Weatherall, Volunteer Co-ordinator
Refugee Council, 4-8 Museum Street, Ipswich IP1 1HT
Direct Line: 01473 297902 Switchboard: 01473 297900
Donations
should be sent to: Refugee Council, 4-8 Museum Street, Ipswich
IP1 1HT, saying it’s for the Hugo de Waal Fund, and marking
the envelope for the attention of Sharon Holden. Cheques should
be made out to ‘The Refugee Council’. Thank you very
much.
This paper
has been compiled by Margaret Condick of Churches Together in
Suffolk
Tel: 01394 448576 email:
ctsuffolk@btopenworld.com
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