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What’s happening in the diocese

Caring for creation and responding to current environmental crises including the climate emergency is important to the diocese.

Chelmsford Diocese has a long history of environmental activity over several decades. 

On this page

Caring for God’s creation and responding to the negative effects of human behaviour on the environment, including responding to the climate emergency is becoming increasingly important to many within the diocese. 

This page describes people in the Chelmsford diocese involved environmental activity and responses to the climate emergency; policies, strategies and plans; our progress; and success stories.

Diocesan Environmental Policy

The Diocesan Environment Policy can be viewed on the link below. As we progress with our Carbon Net Zero 2030 project, we aim to review other diocesan policies to ensure they meet the aim of reducing carbon to net zero within the next decade.

Key diocesan contacts

  • Lead for the Environment: Bishop of Colchester, the Rt Revd Roger Morris.  
  • Net Zero Carbon Officer: Paul Thomson. pthomson@chelmsford.anglican.org
  • Environmental Officer: vacant (volunteer role)
  • Environmental Communication Officer: TBC (volunteer role) 
  • Environmental Training Lead: Rev. Sandra Eldridge. seldridge@chelmsford.anglican.org (volunteer role)
  • Eco Church Advocate: Linda Percival. lpercival@chelmsford.anglican.org (volunteer role)

You can find out more about some of these roles here, or from our Diocesan leaflet here. 

If you would like to publicise an upcoming environmental event, or share a good news story, please contact the Diocesan Communications Team. 

Other Diocesan Documents

  • Encouraging Sustainable Travel Document

    Between May 2024 and February 2025 conversations were held with a number of groups and individuals across the Diocese about what might encourage sustainable travel across the Diocese. This document is a result of those discussions.

    Encouraging Sustainable Travel

    There is more information about sustainable transport options in the section on this page on "Encouraging Sustainable Travel."

     

People and groups

Deanery Environmental Advocates

We now have environmental advocates in many of the deaneries in the Diocese. Deanery Advocates encourage churches in their deaneries with Eco church and on their paths to carbon net zero. They also encourage networking in the deanery. 

One of our advocates, Jacqui Hogger (Braintree) says:  "What I have gained from being an advocate is the awareness that caring for our Earth and Climate which is in great peril, need not be all doom and gloom. The privilege of being an Environmental Advocate enables the interaction between a diverse range of people, groups and organisations to realise that working together we can make a positive impact on the World around us for the good. Many small steps will lead to bigger strides." 

If your deanery does not have an advocate and you are interested in finding out more about the role, please contact Rev. Sandra Eldridge, Diocesan Environmental Training Lead.

Click on the deanery name below for the name and email of the deanery environmental advocate: 

Diocesan Environment Steering Group

The group meets several times a year to plan next steps, and review plans, strategies, and documents. The group is chaired by the Diocesan Environmental Lead, and works closely with the Diocesan Environmental Officer.

  • More about the Diocesan Environmental Steering Group

    The remit of the group members:

    To be architects of greater awareness and culture change across the Diocese, removing barriers to and encouraging facilitators of behaviour change on the scale needed to address our environmental challenges. This includes facilitating the role of the church’s prophetic voice in this time of environmental crisis. In particular, the group should:

    • facilitate Diocesan response to our environmental crises – climate change, crisis in nature, and pollution,
    • be a catalyst for things individuals and communities can do,
    • champion great ideas and ways forward,
    • contribute to making campaigning accessible for all,
    • enable collaboration to enhance actions described in 1-4.

     

 Net Zero Carbon Management Board 

The Board meets at least five times a year to implement and monitor the Net Zero Carbon Action Plan. The group is chaired by the Diocesan Environmental Lead, and works closely with the Diocesan Environmental Officer.

  • More about the Net Zero Carbon Management Board

    The principal aim of the Board is to encourage and enable an ever-increasing level of both awareness and positive action towards the decarbonisation of the Diocese, and the embedding of this within the spiritual life of all our communities, including churches and schools. 

    Members of the board:

    Bishop Roger Morris (chair)

    Michaela Southworth (Diocesan Secretary)

    Nathan Whitehead (Head of Service Delivery)

    Tom Geldard (Communication Manager)

    Alex Reeves (Property Manager)

    Simon Garnier (Senior Diocesan Surveyor)

    Peter Palmer (Schools Buildings and Organisation Officer)

    Elizabeth Marshall (Cathedral representative)

    Elizabeth Lowson (Clergy representative)

    Jason Frost (Lay representative)

    Katherine Ball (Lay representative)

    Paul Thomson (Net Zero Carbon Officer) 

     

Climate Action Now - monthly newsletters 

 

Good News Stories

To hear about good news stories as they happen sign up for our monthly environment newsletter 

Here are some of the good news stories that you can find in the newsletters above: 

  • August 2023: A guided nature walk from St Mary's, Bocking
  • October 2023: St Anne's, Chingford, on a litter pick
  • July 2024: Solar panels on St Gabriel's Church hall, Aldersbrook
  • August 2024: Clement's story of being involved in the inspirational "Restore Nature Now" march
  • September 2024: All Saint's Springfield on their "Days of Creation" walk
  • March 2025: Two stories of travelling more sustainably 
  • May 2025: The Repair Cafe at St Mary's, Woodford
  • June 2025: Protecting swifts in our Diocese
  • October 2025: St Andrew's, Colne Engaine get funding for a new electric boiler  

Some of these and some other good news stories are included in our annual Advent Calendars:   

Environment Advent Calendar 2024

Environment Advent Calendar 2025 

Eco Church Awards

Congratulations to those churches listed below that have registered for Eco Church or received Eco Church awards (last updated 04/08/2026)

To find out about Eco Church, how to register your church and how to work towards an award see here.

  • Barking Deanery

    Barking, St Patrick, silver

    Barking, St Margaret, registered

    Becontree, St Alban, bronze

    Becontree, St John the Divine, registered

    Becontree, St Mary, bronze

    Becontree, St Martin, bronze

    Becontree, St Cedd's, registered

    Thames View, Christ Church, registered

     

  • Havering Deanery

    Collier Row, St James, registered

    Noak Hill, St Thomas, registered

    Hornchurch, St Andrew, silver

    Hornchurch, St George, registered

    Hornchurch, St Matthew, registered

    Collier Row, The Good Shepherd, bronze

    Romford, St Andrew, registered

    Romford, St Edward the Confessor, bronze

    Upminster, St Lawrence, registered

     

     

     

  • Brentwood Deanery

    Brentwood, St Thomas of Canterbury, registered

    Bentley Common, St Paul, bronze

    Doddinghurst, All Saints, bronze

    East and West Horndon, St Francis, silver

    Warley, Christ Church, bronze

    Great Warley, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Hutton, All Saints, registered

    Hutton, St Peter, registered

    Ingatestone, St Edmund & St Mary, registered

    Buttsbury, St Mary, registered

    Kelvedon Hatch, St Nicholas, registered

    Margaretting, St Margaret, registered

    Mountnessing, St Giles, registered

    Shenfield, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    South Weald, St Peter, silver 

    Navestock, St Thomas, registered 

  • Chelmsford Deanery

    Chelmsford Cathedral, gold

    Boreham, St Andrew, silver

    Broomfield, St Mary w St Leonard, bronze

    Chelmsford, The Ascension, registered

    Chelmsford, St Andrew, silver

    Chignal Smealey, St Nicholas, registered

    Danbury, St John the Baptist, silver  

    Galleywood, St Michael & All Angels, silver

    Great Baddow, St Mary the Virgin, silver

    Great Baddow, St Paul, silver

    Highwood, St Paul, registered

    Little Baddow, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Moulsham, St John the Evangelist, gold

    Moulsham, St Luke, bronze

    Roxwell, St Michael & All Angels, registered

    Sandon, St Andrew, silver

    Springfield, All Saints, gold

    Springfield, Holy Trinity, bronze

    West Hanningford, St Mary & St Edward, registered 

    Widford, St Mary, silver

    Widford, All Saints, silver

    Woodham Ferrers, St Mary, registered 

    Writtle, All Saints, registered

    Great Baddow, Meadgate Church Centre, bronze

    North Springfield, St Augustine of Canterbury, silver

     

  • Epping Forest & Ongar Deanery

    St Peter & St Paul, Stondon Massey, registered

    North Weald Bassett, St Andrew's Church, registered

    Chigwell, St Mary, registered

    Chigwell, St Winifred, bronze

    Chigwell Row, All Saints, bronze

    Coopersale, St Alban, bronze

    Epping, St John the Baptist, bronze

    Epping Upland, All Saints, silver

    High Beach, Holy Innocents, silver

    Upshire, St Thomas, bronze

    Lambourne, St Mary & All Saints, silver

    Loughton, St John the Baptist, bronze

    Loughton, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Loughton, St Michael & All Angels, bronze

    Stapleford Abbots, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Theydon Bois, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Waltham Abbey, Holy Cross & St Lawrence, registered

    Blackmore, St Lawrence, registered

    Bobbingworth, St Germain, registered

    Shelley, St Peter, Bronze

    Willingale, St Christopher, registered 

     

       

     

     

  • Maldon & Dengie Deanery

    Bradwell on Sea, St Thomas, registered

    Dengie, St James, registered

    Latchingdon, Christ Church, bronze

    Mayland, St Barnabas, bronze

    Newland, St Lawrence, registered

    Southminster, St Leonard, registered 

    Tillingham, St Nicholas, silver

    Bradwell on Sea, St Peters Chapel, registered

  • Colchester Deanery

    Berechurch, St Margaret of Antioch, registered

    Colchester, St Botolph w Holy Trinity, registered

    Colchester, St John the Evangelist, silver

    Colchester, Christ Church, gold 

    Colchester, St Stephen, silver

    Greenstead, St. Andrew, Bronze

    Lexden St, Leonard, bronze

    Shrub End, All Saints, registered

    Shrub End, St Cedd, registered

    Wivenhoe, St Mary the Virgin, registered

    Boxted, St Peter, bronze

    Great Horkesley, All Saints, bronze

    Marks Tey, St Andrew, registered

    West Bergholt, St Mary the Virgin, silver

    Colchester, St Luke, bronze

     

  • Harwich Deanery

    Ardleigh, St Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Dedham, St Mary the Virgin, silver

    Bradfield, St Lawrence, registered

    Great Bromley, Saint George the Martyr, registered

    Dovercourt, All Saints, registered

    Harwich, St. Nicholas, registered

    Wix, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Lawford, St Mary's, registered

  • St Osyth Deanery

    Alresford, St Andrew, bronze

    Great Bentley, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Brightlingsea, All Saints, bronze

    Brightlingsea, St James, registered

    Clacton-on-Sea, St Paul, registered

    Clacton-on-Sea, St James, silver

    Frinton, St Mary Magdalen, registered

    Walton le Soken, All Saints, registered

  • Witham Deanery

    Copford, St. Michael and All Angels, registered

    Easthorpe, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Layer Breton, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Layer Marney ,St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Layer De La Haye, St. John the Baptist, bronze

    Peldon, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Great Wigborough, St Stephen, registered

    Great Braxted, All Saints, registered

    Inworth, All Saints, registered

    Messing All Saints, registered

    Salcott, Virley, St. Mary the Virgin, silver

    Tiptree, St. Luke, registered

    Tollesbury, St. Mary the Virgin, silver

    Wickham Bishops, St Bartholomew, registered

    Witham, St. Nicholas, bronze

  • Basildon Deanery

    Basildon, St. Andrew, registered

    Basildon, St. Martin of Tour, registered

    Billericay and Little Burstead, Christ Church, silver

    Billericay and Little Burstead, St. John the Divine, bronze

    Langdon Hills, St. Mary and All Saints, bronze

    Billericay and Little Burstead, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Runwell, St. Mary, silver

    Wickford, St. Catherine, silver

    Wickford, St. Andrew, silver

    Langdon Hills, St. John, Bronze

  • Hadleigh Deanery

    Canvey Island, St. Nicholas, silver

    Eastwood, St. Lawrence and All Saints, registered

    Canvey Island, St Anne, registered

    Leigh on Sea, St. Clement, bronze

    Leigh on Sea St. Aidan, registered

    Canvey Island, St Katharine, silver

  • Thurrock Deanery

    Aveley, St Michael, registered

    Belhus Park, All Saints, registeredd

    Bulpham, St. Mary the Virgin, silver

    Corringham, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Corringham, St. John the Evangelist, registered

    Fobbing, St Michael, bronze

    Grays, St Peter and St Paul, bronze

    Hornden on the Hill, St Peter and St Paul, silver

    Orsett, St Giles and All Saints, silver

    Grays North St John the Evangelist, registered

    West Thurrock, St. Clement, registered

    Chafford Hundred, All Saints, bronze

  • Braintree Deanery

    Black Notley, St. Peter and St. Paul, registered

    Bocking St. Mary the Virgin, silver

    Bocking St. Peter, registered

    Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall, Holy Trinity, bronze

    Braintree, St. Michael, bronze

    Braintree, St. Paul, registered

    Rayne, All Saints, bronze

    Stisted, All Saints, bronze

    Wethersfield, St. Mary Magdalene, bronze

    Coggeshall, St. Peter ad Vincular, silver

    Great Bardfield. St. Mary the Virgin, registered

  • Dunmow & Stansted Deanery

    Good Easter, St. Andrew, bronze

    Great Dunmow, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Stebbing, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Farnham, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

  • Harlow Deanery

    Great Hallingbury, St. Giles, registered

     Harlow Newtown, St Paul, registered

     Little Parndon, St. Mary, registered

     Harlow, St. Mary and St Hugh, registered

     Hatfield Heath Holy Trinity, registered

     Latton, Mark Hall, St. Mary, registered

     Great Parndon, St. Mary, bronze

     Roydon, St. Peter, registered

     Sheering, St. Mary the Virgin, Bronze

  • Hinckford Deanery

    Greenstead Green, St James the Great, bronze

    Belchamp Otten, St Ethelbert and All Saints, bronze

    Belchamp St. Paul, St. Andrew, registered

    Belchamp Walter, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Borley (Borley Church), registered

    Liston (Liston Church), registered

    Foxearth, St Peter and St Paul, silver

    Gestingthorpe, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Great Henny, St Mary, bronze

    Great Maplestead, St. Giles, bronze

    Great Yeldham, St. Andrew, bronze

    Lamarsh, Holy Innocents, registered

    Little Maplestead, St. John the Baptist, bronze

    Little Yeldham, St. John the Baptist, registered

    Middleton, All Saints, registered

    Pebmarsh, St. John the Baptist, registered

    Pentlow, St. George and St. Gregory, registered

    Twinstead, St. John the Evangelist, registered

    Wickham, St. Paul All Saints, bronze

    Colne Engaine, St. Andrew, bronze

    Earls Colne, St. Andrew, silver

    Gosfield, St Catherine, bronze

    Halstead, St Andrew, bronze

    White Colne, St. Andrew registered

  • Saffron Walden Deanery

    Arkesden, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Berden St. Nicholas, bronze

    Clavering, St. Mary and St. Clement, registered

    Langley, St. John the Evangelist, bronze

    Newport, St. Mary the Virgin, registered

    Wicken Bonhunt, St Margaret, bronze

    Widdington, St Mary the Virgin, silver

    Great Chesterfield, All Saints, registered

    Debden, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Elmdon, St. Nicholas, registered

    Littlebury, Holy Trinity, bronze

    Saffron Walden, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Saffron Walden, St. John, registered

    Thaxted, St. John the Baptist, silver

    Wendens Ambo, St. Mary the Virgin, silver

    Wimbish, All Saints, silver

    Duddenhoe End, The Hamlet church, registered

  • Newham Deanery

    East Ham, St. Mary Magdalene, silver

    Manor Park, St. Michael and all Angels, bronze

    Manor Park, St. Mary the Virgin, bronze

    Stratford, St. Paul, registered

    Victoria Docks, Ascension, registered

    West Ham All Saints registered

  • Redbridge Deanery

    Aldersbrook, St Gabriel, silver

    Barkingside, Holy Trinity, bronze

    Great Ilford, St Alban, registered

    Great Ilford, St. Luke, registered

    Great Ilford, St Margaret of Antioch, registered

    Great Ilford, St. Mary, silver

    South Woodford, Holy Trinity, registered

    Wanstead, Christchurch, registered

    Woodford Green, St. Barnabas, registered

    Woddford, St Mary, bronze

    Woodford Bridge, St Paul, registered

    Woodford Wells, All Saints, bronze

  • Waltham Forest Deanery

    Chingford, St Ann, bronze

    Chingford, St Edmond, bronze

    Chingford, All Saints, bronze

    Leighton, All Saints, registered

    Leighton St. Mary with St Edmund, registered

    Harrow Green Holy Trinity and St. Augustine, registered

    Leytonstone, St Andrew, bronze

    Leytonstone, St. John the Baptist, silver

    Walthamstow, St. Barnabas, bronze

    Walthamstow, St Mary, silver

    Walthamstow, St. Peter-in-the-Forest, registered

    Walthamstow, St. Luke, bronze

Encouraging sustainable travel

The Diocese is committed to encouraging sustainable travel across Essex and east London. You can read more about this here. This section contains resources to support those in our communities who wish to explore travelling more sustainably. Please contact someone in the environment team if you know of something that could be usefully added to this section.

The diagram below shows a sustainable travel hierarchy from the Seedling website. A travel hierarchy is a framework for deciding which mode of transport to use when making a journey by prioritising options that are the least carbon emissions intensive. Travel options on the left hand side produce fewer carbon emissions than than those on the right. 

Travelling more sustainably may look different in rural and urban areas. Often our rural churches are poorly served in terms of public transport in line with rural communities as a whole. However, dial-up Digigo services have made a really positive difference in some areas of Essex, with groups of people booking pick-ups for church on Sunday mornings!

Using EVs (electric vehicles) rather than ICEs (internal combustion engine vehicles) is more sustainable, but to make this viable a good network of EV chargers is necessary. Parish Buying offers a scheme to install at least two EV charging points in your church car park (as long as you own the car park and do not rent it). Installation will not cost the church and the scheme will give you a small income at the same time as helping your move to net zero carbon. See this information from the Church of England or this Parish Buying article for more detail. You will need to be logged in to Parish Buying to access the latter.  

If you want to cycle more, it is possible to get to some Diocesan and environment-related venues by bicycle!

Rev. Pauline Hart, day chaplain at Pleshey Retreat House, describes how to cycle there from Chelmsford Station. (about 7 and a half miles)

Andy Jowett, volunteer Community Engagement Officer at Foxearth Meadows describes how to cycle to Foxearth from Sudbury Station, (about 5 miles): 

From Station Road turn left into the car park for the Kingfisher (leisure) centre and find an access (between the Kingfisher Centre and Waitrose) onto the Valley Walk (the track of the old railway; for pedestrians and cyclists).  Follow this all the way to the end, where it exits onto the road at Rodbridge Corner (near Melford Country Park) and turn left.  (You’ll see on your right the road bridge over the River Stour).

Follow the road (ignoring the left turn to Borley and, further on, a right turn to Liston) until approaching Foxearth village.  With the church just visible ahead, take a right turn by a pumping station (on the right on the main road) signposted for Glemsford. Follow this lane (big zig-zags) to a T-junction as the Stour valley becomes visible ahead.  Turn left.  Go past Constable’s Farm on your left and continue down the hill and the reserve is at the bottom on the right.  You’ll see the car park from the road.  (There are bicycle racks by the eco-toilet!) This is the route from Sudbury Station to Foxearth on google.

Climate change in Kenya and the UK

In September 2026 three Kenyan clergy visited Chelmsford Diocese for two weeks (September 5th-19th) to discuss the impacts of climate change in Kenya and learn about what is happening here in the UK and what churches are doing to try and address climate change. 

The clergy were each based in a different Episcopal area in the Diocese, in churches that had Eco Church Awards.

Ven Johnson Gachoki Mutuota was based in the Barking Area (Holy Trinity Parish including St Mary's East Ham).

Ven William Nyaga Nathaniel was based in the Colchester Area (Christ Church, Colchester and All Saints with St James, Brightlingsea)

Ven Canon Doris Kagendo Nyaga was based in the Bradwell Area (St John’s, Moulsham).

Both Christ Church Colchester and St John’s Moulsham have gold Eco Church awards. St Mary’s East Ham has a silver award. All Saints Brightlingsea has a bronze award.

At many of the visits and in many of the discussions, the three visiting clergy shared photographs of what is happening in Kenya. 

The diary below has been written by the Rev'd Sandra Eldridge and provides a summary of the trip and some of the climate change related issues that were discussed.   

  • September 5th: Arriving

    Revs. William, Doris and Mutuota arrived at Heathrow early in the morning. They were collected and brought to Newham where they shared lunch with their hosts and then Archdeacon Doris and Rev. William travelled with their hosts to Chelmsford and Colchester, respectively.    

  • September 6th: Creation in Christ Festival

    Today was the first ever celebration of the new feast of Creation in Christ, a very relevant day for our three visiting clergy to be at three churches in the Diocese as we think about what is happening to Creation. The effects of climate change are more severe in Kenya than they are here.

    Ven. William set an example by travelling to Christ Church Colchester sustainably! During the service he was interviewed by Rev. Chris Smith about climate change in Kenya. Archdeacon Doris was warmly welcomed at St John's, Moulsham, with a welcome card from the children. She spoke briefly about why she was here. Archdeacon Mutuota was interviewed by Rev. Sandra Eldridge at St Bartholomew's, East Ham, on a day when the church celebrated both its patronal festival and the feast of Creation in Christ. All three of our visiting clergy had good conversations with congregation members after the services, many of whom were hearing about the impact of climate change in Kenya for the first time. 

    Later in the day, Arcdeacon Mutuota visited St Gabriel's Church in Aldersbroook where they installed solar panels on the roof of the church hall some years ago and are now on the way to more solar panels and changing their heating system through the Church of England's Give to Go Green scheme.  

  • September 7th: Relaxing, talking about solar panels and agriculture

    Some of the day passed in recreational activities!

    In the afternoon, Archdeacon Mutuota spent some time with our Net Zero Carbon Officer, Paul Thomson, hearing about what is being done in the Diocese to try and reduce carbon emissions, and sharing the different circumstances in the two countries and sharing ideas. In Kenya, the Bishop of Mbeere is wanting to build a solar farm on 60 acres of land. With 12 hours of sun a day in Kenya, this solar farm could provide electricity for many communities as long as a way can be found to transfer the electricity produced to them. Many families do not currently have electricity in their homes. The cost is also likely to be cheaper than for the electricity currently available via the Kenyan electrictiy grid. A particular topic of conversation was about how to store the electricity generated by the solar farm.

    In the evening the three Kenyan clergy had dinner with Bishop Roger, our Diocesan Environmental Lead. We talked quite a lot about seeds. In Kenya, three quarters of agriculture is by small scale farmers. Farmers have to buy seed as they do in the UK. Most also buy fertilizer and insecticide. When it doesn't rain enough and crops fail, these farmers may not have enough to feed their families. If they have nothing or very little to sell, they may also have no money to buy seed for the next season or pay back loans . As a result, poverty may be accelerated. We talked about possible seed innovations that might help with this issue.  

  • September 8th: More on agriculture and irrigation, and Roman history!

    In the morning Archdeacon Doris visited Christ Church, Billericay and Buttsbury School which have been one of the Diocesan link school/churches since 2007. They are partnered with Ciamanda Primary School, Embu. Archdeacon Doris was taken around the classrooms, meeting two Year 5 boys who are the school’s ’Eco Champions’, leading a group of children taken from each year swith responsibility for maintaining the school's Eco status including selling refillable eco products such as liquid soap and shampoo to the children who bring in their empty containers every month. 

     

    Archdeacon Doris also visited “Anna’s Place” the weekly Christ Church event with games, puzzles and craft for older adults, named after the elderly prophetess Anna, in Luke 2. Doris said she would love to replicate this in Kenya as older people are lonely. 

    Archdeacons Doris and Mutuota visited Writtle College, discussing more options for innovation regarding seeds and crop planting based on research in the College, innovative possibilities for water storage and crop irrigation, and visiting the Equine Centre at the College.

    Ven. William spent some time looking at Roman history in Colchester which he was particularly interested in due to his interest in church history of the same period. This included visiting the first church, the Roman walls and gateway and the castle which stands on the massive foundations of the Roman temple of Claudius. Rev. William then visited some Norman sites including the Priory, and had cream tea with Rev. Jo and Nicky at St Botolphs Church which is adjacent to the Priory site.(photos of St Botolphs to come)

     

  • September 9th: Including young people - school visit

    All three visiting clergy travelled to St Luke's School and Church in Canning Town where E.ON have recently installed solar panels on the roof. This pilot project will provide much of the electricity the school needs. Any excess energy produced by the panels, that the school does not need, will be sold cheaply to 60 local houses. The school benefits and the local community benefit. The school is not only trying to reduce its carbon footprint and reduce bills for itself and the local community, however. We were shown round the school grounds by some very knowledgeable children in years 5 and 6 who explained about the fruit and vegetables being grown, the compost bins, the water harvesting from gutters for irrigation. The school and children were inspirational and the visit highlighted the importance of engaging our young people fully in the climate change issues we face.  (photos to come)  

    In the evening, Archdeacon Mutuota spoke to a small group at St Martin's, Becontree, which included Bishop Lynne. The conversation that followed was wide ranging from why politicians have not done more than they have, to boreholes, how important it is to involve young people, and how can the Church in UK and Kenya work together to address some of the issues. One of the things that everyone agreed on was that after this summer people are waking up to the fact that things are "no longer normal." Even in the UK, everyone can see climate change happening.

           

    Ven. William joined an Eco Church discussion in St Stephen's, Colchester. 

  • September 10th: Food shortages, adaptation and mitigation, solar farm

    Archdeacon Mutuota cycled to a local food bank at Newham Community Renewal Programme, to see how the organisation and the local community respond to families being short of food, wondering if there were lessons that coild be drawn about how to support those short of food in Kenya. 

    Later he joined the Newham Deanery Clergy Chapter meeting, talking to those present about climate change in Kenya. For some this was a powerful reminder of earlier experiences in Africa including Kenya. One of the questions raised was about where the world is now and the balance of our response in terms of mitigation (reducing the chance of further global heating) or adapation (responding to the current situation e.g. with air conditioners and/or building for hotter weather).    

    Archdeacon Doris visited St Andrew's Wickford, a Silver Eco Church. Rev. Jonathan Evens showed her several initatives the church is undertaking to care for God's Creation. These included the beautiful garden designed to enhance the environment and provide a welcoming space, and the church's waste management systems, particularly recycling.

    Ven. William visited a solar farm near Colchester and a Faith Boat ministry.

     

  • September 11th: More discussion and raising awareness of climate change impacts

    Our three visiting clergy spent the day in Chelmsford. Following lunch and a tour around the Cathedral (with Brian, an expert on Cathedral history) they spent some time talking to Archdeacon Ruth (Chair of the Kenya Group, Archdeacon of Colchester), Archdeacon Sue (Archdeacon of Southend) and others in the Diocesan Offices. Those attending the meeting found photographs of life in Kenya very moving. There was some discussion of how much different items such as solar panels and water tanks cost and what more the Diocese of Chelmsford could do.

    After dinner in a local restaurant, we returned to the Cathedral to attend a screening of the People's Emergency Briefing film. This is quite a hard-hitting film made following a briefing in November at which nine experts talked about impacts of climate change in the UK. It's a film that tries to balance the truth about the situation the world is in and hope through action, with the aim of encouraging people to write to their MPs and take further action. The Cathedral was full, and after the screening there was a panel discussion at which Bishop Roger spoke powerfully about the possibility of serious irreversible change as our planet warms.

    Our visiting Kenyan Clergy were interested in whether the film could be made available for showing in Kenya. Despite its focus on the UK, they felt that the issue is global and it would still be very relevant.

  • September 12th: Organic vegetables, church heritage and being a priest in the era of climate change

    In the morning, Archdeacon Mutuota visited an organic vegetable stall at the market in Forest Gate in London. The vegetables at the stall were grown mostly on an organic farm that the Kenyan clergy will be visiting on Thursday. 

    Ven. William visited a church in Brightlingsea which had flint work on the walls not dissimilar to what that we had seen on the Cathedral walls the day before.

    St John's Church in Moulsham had a National Heritage Day. Archdeacon Doris and Ven. William learnt about its history and thought about how heritage and the environment can be protected for future generations. Archdeacon Doris said "The experience reminded me that caring for our heritage and caring for God's Creation are both responsibilities that we should take seriously."

    We met together at St Peter's Hutton in the afternoon to talk to second year curates who will all be priested in a couple of weeks. Their training day at St Peter's was specifically on the Eucharist. The Kenyan Clergy explained their context in Kenya where climate change has been felt for many years. They also brought a perspective on priestly ministry in the context of climate change. Questions included what the church in the UK can do, how the bigger picture of God loving and saving the world can be brought into the Eucharist, and about Eco Church. Responses emphasised that we should be loving and caring for Creation as God did when he created everything. We have a responsibility to look after Creation. In addition, since climate change is a global issue it is important that we think about what we can do together. Another question was about how climate change affects faith. The response was that there are two reactions: first, greater challenges can often produce greater faith, second that there can be antagonism towards God for not doing more. Unfortunately we forgot to take any photos with the curates. 

  • September 13th: With church congregations and Ordination Service

    Our three Kenyan clergy again had opportunities to speak to church congregations about how climate change is affecting Kenya. Archdeacon Mutuota spoke at St Peter and St Paul, Stondon Massey and St Lawrence, Blackmore (where he met members of the Eco group - see photo), Archdeacon Doris at St John's Moulsham and Ven. William at All Saints Brightlingsea. Many who listened had no idea of the effects of climate change in Kenya. At Brightlingsea, some of the Kenyan honey William had brought with him was shared with the congregation! 

      

    In the afternoon we attended the Confirmation service in the Cathedral. 

      

  • September 14th: Time with the Dean of Ministry, Mission and Education, climate cafe, and more discussion

    In the morning we met with Rob Merchant, Dean of Ministry, Mission and Education. We talked about the impact of climate change in Kenya, the differing responses to climate change in the UK, the effects on farming in the UK,  and Anglican Development Services Mount Kenya East  (ADSMKE), the development arm of the Anglican Dioceses of Mbeere, Embu, Kirinyaga, Meru, Marsabit with which the Chelmsford Diocese is linked. We discussed ways of building further links through ADSMKE or in other ways, educating church members to educate the community, helping people to read the times, the day in October when churches in Mbeere Diocese plant trees, and the importance of nurturing those trees as well as planting them. Given what is happening in the UK, Rob asked about the attitudes of Kenyan MPs. No Kenyan MPs would oppose bills to do with climate change but in a country where people are starving, priorities on the ground may be different. We also talked about the possibility of introducing relevant material into liturgy.  

    In the afternoon the three Kenyan clergy visited the Climate cafe at St John's Moulsham. We talked about the effects of climate change in Kenya and discussed the importance of cancelling the debt of poorer countries in order to alleviate some of the suffering. We reflected that Kenya and other countries in Africa are not the ones causing the problem. It was explained that dams and reservoirs in Kenya are used to produce power but if that power could be produced a different way, the water could be used to irrigate the land instead, which would be very welcome. One person present said "I thought I knew about the effects of climate change in other parts of the world but listening to you has made me realise I knew nothing."

    In the evening there was an online meeting of 15 people including the three Kenyan clergy to talk about climate change in Kenya. Those present were particularly interested in what could be done to alleviate some of the suffering due to climate change. Water harvesting, solar panels, small reservoirs, planting trees, boreholes, and involving young people were all mentioned, as well as possible funders. As in other meetings it was explained that in Mbeere Diocese, Bishop Moses has wanted to build a solar farm on 60 acres of land. Although all the preparatory work has been done and funding has been obtained, the scheme still needs a power purchase agreement with the government so they can sell electrictiy ot the Kenyan grid, and this has not yet been signed.          

      

  • September 15th: Dedham Church, Hyde Hall and more discussion

    We spent the morning in Dedham with Archdeacon Ruth, talking to members of the Church and then sharing in Morning Prayer with a Creation theme at which Archdeacon Doris gave a short talk about effects of climate change in Kenya with an encouragement to do more to address the issues, and received a long round of applause from the 20 people present!

    In the afternoon we spent time at the RHS gardens, Hyde Hall.

        

    In the evening, Archdeacon Doris attended the first of the 2026 Keene Lectures in Chelmsford Cathedral, evenings of conversation on Creation and climate, where Fr. John Bloomer spoke to the title "Creation in relationship: science, theology and our place in the living world" advocating a change in ethos in our human relationship with non-human creatures, away from dominion, and even stewardship, towards fellowship. 

    Archdeacon Mutuota spoke to a group at St Mary Magdalene, East Ham, including about what the church is doing to sensitise church members to what's happening and what needs to be done, encouraging and suppporting water harvesting and boreholes. There was some discussion about trees, making sure the right trees are planted at the right time and the importance of nurturing them, about the necessity for drought resilient crops and about what international bodies such as the UN and the Commonwealth are and are not doing. Archdeacon Mutuota also talked about rich countries cancelling the debts of the poorer countries as one response to the climate crisis, relating this to the previous Sunday's gospel reading. It was suggested that the three visiting clergy should make a film of themselves sharing the message that they had been sharing with small groups so that this could be shared more widely across the Diocese. Everyone agreed this was an excellent idea. We also had time to look at St Mary's Eco Church display.

       

     

  • September 16th: Sightseeing in London!

    The three Kenyan clergy spent the day with Rev. Sandra and Dave Eldridge in London, looking at the Roman wall, the Tower of London, catching a river boat to Westminster to look at some of the sites near there. Of particular interest, given the importance of boreholes in Kenya, was a sign outside Buckingham Palace explaining why the flowers and bushes were still green. 

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  • September 17th: Organic farming, wind farm and Bradwell

    We visited an organic farm in Essex, looking at plants in the fields, in the polytunnels, and at the small reservoir dug about 50 years ago which is proving to be invaluable. We were shown round by Steven Green. The land is now farmed by his daughter, Sarah. Steven explained the planting scheme, the reason for keeping sheep on some of the fallow land, how beneficial insects are being encouraged by leaving wild areas both in the farm and beyond, and how climate change has led to a change in the crops being grown and in timing. He also explained how the water is pumped from a small stream to the reservoir in winter, and then the water is pumped from the reservoir to irrigate as necessary.

      

    We then moved on to look at the wind farm next door, built on a local farmer's land. The UK visitors learnt a lot too! The wind turbines take up very little land and crops can be grown round them, the noise of the blades is hardly greater than the noise of the wind itself, and hardly any birds are killed by the blades. Certainly the damage to birds and other wildlife and eco-systems is much greater from dri lling for oil, oil spills etc. Some of the turbines were out of action, though, due to a fire. The farmer whose land they were gets paid for the energy produced so when turbines are out of action he gets paid less.

     

     Finally, we visited St Peter's Chapel at Bradwell, where we prayed and thanked God for his blessing on the visit.

  • September 18th: More on food shortages and food growing

    In the morning, Archdeacon Mutuota visited a foodbank to see volunteers packing the food parcels. All three Kenyan clergy were inspired by this model to think about what might be done in Kenya when food is short.

    In the afternoon we visited Dave and Sandra's allotment to see how these very small growing spaces work in the UK!

     

  • September 19th: More on Eco Church and reflection on visit

    Our final visit was to St Mary Magdalene in East Ham, which was open to the public as part of the open house of historic buildings in London. Fr. John King showed us round the church (with some other visitors), built in 1130, including the window into an early anchorite cell, a metal carving of a monkey meant to warn about the dangers of excess drinking, and shrapnel damage inside the church from the second world war.

    Sandy Davies, Eco lead, showed us round East Ham Nature Reserve. As well as learning about what is being done to enhance the biodiversity and the results, we learnt about the damage to trees stressed by this summer's heat, and the burials that have taken place on the plot of land since the 12th century. 

    Allison McLucas, Environmental Advocate for Newham Deanery and part of the Eco team at St Mary's, explained the church's Eco Journey. Outside, in a small area alongside the hall, we saw the creative Eco garden using discarded items for planters and growing vegetables as well as flowers. Our three visiting clergy were interested in the Eco Church concept. There is already an Eco Church scheme in Ghana but nowhere else in Africa.

    Two of the takeaway messages from this visit are how much more serious the effects of clmiate change are in Kenya than in the UK and how the Anglican Church is leading the way in caring for Creation in Kenya. We here in the UK have much to learn from our Kenyan brothers and sisters on both counts. We thank God for this visit, which we know has been a blessing to very many people, and for all that we have sharied and learnt together.  

    Thank-you to hosts, Kate and John Clifton, Judith and Adrian Gibbons, Lorraine and Ronnie Irani; Fr. John Bloomer who helped in organisation; Archdeacon Ruth and other Archdeacons and Bishops who spent time with our visitors, all the churches and other groups involved in one way or another.

    Once we have all had time to digest and reflect on the visit together there will be a longer reflection here.

    We believe this is just a beginning and pray for what is to come, as we continue to share, learn and act together.. 

For more information or to report anything wrong with this page please contact Revd Sandra Eldridge

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