St James The Great

​Old Milverton, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

​Geoff's Eco Tips

​​​2026 ECO-TIPS & ECOCHURCH UPDATES

This year our monthly Eco-tips are provided by A Rocha UK’s Easy Eco Tips 2026 Calendar (Easy Eco Tips 2026 Calendar - A Rocha UK). It has fresh ideas each month and will help to foster a lasting commitment to a greener lifestyle and keep you inspired throughout the year.

Sustainability isn’t a one-time effort; it’s a continuous journey. Small actions can lead to significant impact, which is why the calendar focuses on easy-to-implement tips, so that everyone can contribute, regardless of their lifestyle or schedule. You can access the full calendar via the link above and there is a copy on the porch noticeboard, but here’s the tip for the month of February:

FEBRUARY ECO-TIP Lent begins on February 18th. This Lent, take part in Climate Steward’s Carbon Fast. Lent is a time when Christians traditionally fast and focus on God. The Carbon Fast will help you consider ways to live more simply, give you new ideas to cut your carbon footprint and invite you to focus on God and consider the whole of his creation. If you sign up online, beginning on 18th February, you’ll receive a weekly email containing key facts, suggestions for how you could reduce your carbon footprint and a prayer to lead you through this Lenten season. Each week features a different theme designed to help us take climate action in manageable ways that bear witness to a God who has promised to restore all of his creation. Find out more and sign up at Carbon Fast for Lent | Climate Stewards

For more practical ways to enjoy, nurture and defend nature, sign up to A Rocha UK’s Wild Christian email: arocha.org.uk/wild-christian

ECO-CHURCH UPDATE: February 2026

It’s now just over 3 years since we were awarded the Bronze Eco Church Award. This year, we are planning to apply for the Silver Award. Since we made our Bronze application, the Eco Church survey has been updated and so our Silver application will relate to a new questionnaire, with slightly more factors to consider.

We will be looking at this over the coming months, and the monthly church updates will include more information on how we are progressing, news on our Eco initiatives and information on how you might be able to help or become involved. Please watch this space….

​The chief item of news this month is that we have had a first meeting with the Diocesan Biodiversity and Natural Heritage Team. Along with nine other churches in the Diocese, we are part of the first phase of an exciting new project with the aim of enhancing wildlife and highlighting natural heritage and wellbeing in churchyards. The project involves undertaking baseline wildlife surveys from which future improvements can be measured. Community engagement, activities and events, will also be planned to bring greater awareness of the biodiversity that out wonderful churchyard supports. Some of these will enhance or coincide with existing initiatives already in place in the churchyard, such as Muddy Church, the Old Milverton Show and Carols in the Churchyard.

In the meantime, if you spot any unusual wildlife in the churchyard, please do let me know!

​ With love, Geoff