Rochester Cathedral awarded prestigious Silver Eco Church Award

Rochester Cathedral is delighted to announce it has been awarded a Silver Eco Church Award for its efforts towards sustainability and conservation.

Dean Hesketh and Dr Valerio with the Eco Church Award

Benjamin Darlington / benjamindarlington.com

The Eco Church awards have been initiated by the Church of England to encourage churches and cathedrals to do their part to help climate change. They are managed by A Rocha UK. The scheme celebrates the ways that church communities have been engaging with caring for the earth as a key part of the Christian faith.

The award comes as the Cathedral hosts the spectacular art installation Gaia. Luke Jerram’s Gaia is an installation representing the Planet Earth floating in the Cathedral’s Nave. The Cathedral has used the exhibition as a way of inviting conversations about climate change. The announcement of the award was made at a lecture under Gaia by Dr Ruth Valerio, Canon Theologian at Rochester Cathedral. Dr Valerio is Global Advocacy and Influencing Director at the Christian relief and development charity, Tearfund.

The Cathedral has made a number of changes  recently in their journey to become more ‘green’. The Cathedral gardeners have been working hard to boost the biodiversity of our gardens. Grassy banks have been allowed to grow longer to encourage wildflower to grow. Habitats have been created for beneficial insects to use including bug hotels and managed wood piles. The Cathedral even has two bee hives which create the beeswax used in candles sold in the Cathedral shop. An extensive new LED lighting system has been installed reducing energy output. An ageing gas-fired heating plant is also being gradually replaced. The Cathedral is even exploring the possibility of using solar power on part of the roof.

Canon Precentor of Rochester Cathedral, The Rev’d Matthew Rushton says “The achievement of a Silver Eco Church Award is cause for celebration and a significant step along the journey of caring for God’s creation. Church and cathedral communities really can make a positive difference and help to raise awareness about – and take action against – the climate crisis. During the Gaia exhibition, we have been encouraging everyone to look at how we can each care for our precious, God-given environment. As we look up at the illuminated globe of Gaia in the Cathedral’s nave, we cannot fail to be struck by the beauty and fragility of the planet and the creation of which we are a part – and we all have a part to play in caring for it.”

This award is just the beginning of the journey for Rochester Cathedral. Work will continue behind the scenes to become more sustainable as the Cathedral works towards being awarded a Gold Eco Church Award.