Church earns gold award for eco efforts

A church that introduced bird boxes, hedgehog shelters and a wildflower garden has been handed gold award eco status.

St Stephen's Church in Willington carried out a range of projects, including using its churchyard for schools to conduct nature trails, over 18 months.

Following St Mary Magdalene Church, it is the second in the Durham Diocese to receive the Eco Church Award from the Christian conservation charity, A Rocha UK.

St Stephen's said it had been a "huge effort" with "tireless contributions with people from our church and the wider community".

In a partnership with schools, Greater Willington Town Council and Durham County Council, the project included planting 1,500 daffodil bulbs, flower beds in Willington town green and the transformation of a former coal mining site.

Committee chairs David and Carole Parker said bird identification in the area had inspired the start of a trial for local schools.

"We have mutually helped each other to develop green spaces both within the church and in the wider community," Mr Parker said.

The church's environment committee added that volunteers have helped identify trees in the churchyard, including a rare black poplar.

The Reverend Claire Gibbs from the Diocese of Durham, said: "St Stephen's is now becoming a source of information, support and inspiration to other churches in the diocese - from large to small.

Ms Parker said: "This journey won't stop with gold... we will keep trying to developing these projects".

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