A Suffolk church has raised more than £23,000 to refurbish its parish room thanks to a green match-funding scheme supporting carbon-cutting projects.
The Church of England in Suffolk is taking part in the Give to Go Green campaign, which sees the national CofE match any money raised for eco projects – and is urging more churches across the county to join up.
The community of St Peter and St Paul Church in Pettistree has raised a total of £23,910, including match-funding and gift aid, to revamp and update its parish room, which was built in the churchyard in 1891. The building is being fully insulated and a ramp installed for disabled access.
Churchwarden Martin Corrall said: “The idea is for it to become a useful community resource and bring it into the 21st century. It is sometimes easy to feel powerless in the face of climate change, but our church and its community enthusiastically embraced the recent opportunity of Give to Go Green and its matched funding. The objective, to reduce our carbon footprint and make the parish room a warmer, cheaper to heat space for the wider use of the community, was simple to understand and very well supported.”
For every £1 a church raises during the scheme’s window, the Church of England will match it. The scheme is completely digital, run through the online contactless giving platform ‘Give a Little’.
Mary Garner, who is part of the fundraising committee, said: “The fundraising events have been really well supported. The idea is to make the most of the parish room for the whole community.”
James Rolls, Net Zero Carbon Officer at the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, said: “The Church of England has pledged to be net zero by 2030, so this scheme is a great way to move forward with those plans. Pettistree St Peter and St Paul have raised a fantastic amount of money to improve and reduce the carbon emissions of their church hall by taking part in Give to Go Green. They have really shown what is possible, and we would love more churches in the county to join up and ‘go green’ themselves.”
The second phase of Give to Go Green campaign is now open for applications.
For more information please click here or contact James Rolls.