CAPTION: People from Paignton Parish Church take part in a Give 2 Go Green fundraising walk. The church is one of 16 in Devon taking part in the scheme
Devon’s Give 2 Go Green Churches Raise £85,000 towards Net Zero Improvements in Just Four Weeks
Churches in Devon taking part in the Give 2 Go Green pilot scheme have raised £85,000 towards their £97,000 goal in just four weeks.
Give 2 Go Green is a match-funding project to help parishes raise money to make net zero improvements to their buildings.
There are 16 churches in Devon currently fundraising for it. The Church of England nationally will match the money the churches raise up to an agreed grant amount.
Sophie Phillips, Net Carbon Zero Officer for the Diocese of Exeter, said “Church members have been absolutely amazing, running brilliant fundraising campaigns including lots of community events such as film nights, games nights, sponsored walks, Lent Lunches and even a teddy bear parachute jump from a church tower!
“At the end of March, the churches will receive their matched grant and then have 12 months to get on with the work to install LED lights, solar PV, infrared heating, roof and window repairs, insulation, secondary glazing and more.”
The Diocese of Exeter is piloting the project with the Diocese of Leeds, to see if this type of match-funded digital giving is an effective way for parishes to raise funds to decarbonise their churches and church halls.
An example of an under-pew heater being demonstrated during an energy audit
The project is being run by the Church of England’s Giving Team. It has confirmed that Exeter and Leeds will also be able to take part in the second round of Give to Go Green when it launches, meaning that more churches in Devon will be able to apply to take part.
The Diocese of Exeter has a target to reach net zero by 2030.
Give 2 Go Green is one of a raft of projects currently being piloted nationally to audit churches and schools, install quick win carbon saving measures and look at bigger ‘demonstrator’ projects.
Plymstock Church
St Mary and All Saints Church, in Plymstock, is one of the churches fundraising.
The Vicar, the Rev’d Jennie Appleby, said “Last year we had an energy audit and it suggested we change our lightbulbs for LED ones but also that we future-proof our heating.
“We’re looking at the possibility of under-pew heaters. We’ve already got a couple installed at the back of the church and we’re getting people to try them out.”
Kerry Gilbert is the churchwarden at Plymstock, she said “We’re looking to raise £10,000 which will be match-funded by the Church nationally to give us £20,000 if we manage to raise the full amount.
“It will be to get us some new lighting, to look at our heating and to look at our Net Zero action plan more generally.
“Lots of people have committed to different things themselves like switching off technology for an hour a day and recycling.
“To raise money, people have been doing things like coffee mornings, one person has done a sponsored slim, one person is something to improve fitness and wellbeing and mental health.
Kerry is part of a small group that has started walking the parish boundary, which is over 10 miles, to raise money. One of the other walkers, Tony, told BBC Radio Devon “I’ve turned 80 and Richard (another walker) is 81. We’re a bit stiff when we start walking and very stiff when we finish.”
Richard said “Our walking project is called Curate, Codgers and Co! It’s fired the imagination. I’m not sure it’s raised a huge amount but it’s a nice thing to do.”
Plymstock has now reached its fundraising target. The deadline for fundraising is 16 March.
Other churches which are yet to raise the full amount include All Saints church, Okehampton, which is trying to raise £20k to install LED lighting, and insulation to make the church hall a warmer and more comfortable community space. Click here to donate.
A community event
Paignton Parish Church is £7k to upgrade the lighting in the church to LED bulbs, which can save up to 80% of the energy and carbon and reduce energy bills. Click here to donate.
Back at Plymstock, Rev’d Jennie said Give 2 Go Green had been a community event. She commented “People are wanting to support it. I was walking along the road and somebody who doesn’t come to church said ‘How is your Give 2 Go Green scheme? I thought it was a great idea.’ It’s caught people’s imagination, not only in the church but in the community.”
“This is something that will help us to reach out, because the environment and climate change are issues that everybody is concerned about.”
You can find out more about Give 2 Go Green here.
Contact Net Zero Carbon officer Sophie Phillips by email
Listen to a BBC Radio Devon story about Give 2 Go Green at Plymstock Church. (at 1hour 45mins)
