University Church wins A Rocha Silver Award

The historic University Church of St Mary the Virgin, located in the heart of Oxford, is proud to announce that it has been honoured with the Silver Award from A Rocha Eco Church. This recognition is a testament to the church's steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

A Rocha Eco Church, a respected Christian environmental organization, offers its awards to churches that demonstrate a holistic commitment to caring for God's earth in every area of their life and mission. The Silver Award is one of the most sought-after forms of recognition. It is given to churches that have gone beyond the basic measures to incorporate eco-friendly practices in their operations, outreach, and community involvement.

The Revd Canon Dr William Lamb, the Vicar, said: “Over the past year, the University Church of St Mary the Virgin has implemented various eco-friendly initiatives. The church has also been actively engaging its congregation through educational events about the importance of environmental care. A Rocha Eco Church's Silver Award is not just a badge of honour but a call to put faith into action.”

The University Church of St Mary the Virgin is already looking forward to achieving the Gold Award by further deepening its commitment to ecological responsibility.

Janie Bickersteth said: “So much of achieving Silver was about sufficiently documenting all the great work that had gone on with the Green Team in the preceding months - once we had pulled all the info together it became clear that we were very close to Silver! The hard work in Holywell Cemetery documenting the wildlife, securing new bird boxes, an awareness of our domestic products, a strong push on less printed material, more online material and the ongoing prayers and referencing of stewardship in our sermons meant that we were able to cross the line earlier this year.”