Eco Award for South Belfast Meeting

South Belfast Meeting has won an Eco-Congregation Ireland award

South Belfast Meeting has won an Eco-Congregation Ireland award, in recognition of its commitment to the environment. Kate Fletcher and Megan Corrigan accepted the award on behalf of the Meeting on 7 December.

The Meeting’s environmental commitment is of some years’ standing. An attender pointed out that it already fulfilled the requirements of Eco-Congregation Ireland, which gives awards to churches whose members take an ecologically conscious approach to worship, management of their buildings and personal lifestyles. Preparative Meeting at South Belfast appointed a small working group to make the award application.

‘We surprised ourselves when we took stock of what we were doing,’ working group member Tony Weekes told the Friend.

‘Our small Meeting house garden was supporting biodiversity; the children were being shown how to grow vegetables; we have made study visits to see ecological projects. We were already carefully watching our energy use and seeking to minimise our waste. We are supporting charities such as Growing Connections, a farm where young people can connect with nature and one another…

‘Receiving the award is a reminder to us to reflect on how all things are connected: the environmental, the social, the economic and the political. The award is a step, not the endpoint,’ Tony added.

South Belfast Meeting also recently won a Brighter Belfast award, a Green Initiative award, that recognises those working to make their local environment ‘a brighter, cleaner and greener place’.

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