Creation Care

Sheldon Road Church is committed to do all we can to care for God’s Creation in our worship, lifestyle and engagement with our community.  We include this commitment in our church vision: Caring for the whole of God’s creation so that it thrives now and into future generations. We are part of A Rocha UK’s Eco Church programme, and we are currently working towards the Gold Award.

Your real Christmas tree: Dorothy House is once more offering to collect and recycle your tree in return for a donation. You need to book in before January 5th on their website: https://www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/get-involved/christmas-tree-collection/ The tree is collected from your doorstep by local volunteers (want to join them? Sign up on the website), recycled to make chippings used on paths, and your donation is used by Dorothy House in their care delivery, supporting patients and their families.

Your Christmas card envelopes: You may well already recycle your cards, but don’t throw out the envelopes: you can make them into shopping lists, or re-pulp them into seeded gift tags: tear up the paper into a bowl, add water, pulp them together (potato masher will do….), put the pulp onto a sheet of baking parchment paper, sprinkle with wildflower seeds (poppy, marigold, cornflower), cover with another sheet of baking parchment, roll out smoothly, remove the top paper and leave to dry.  Once fully dried, cut into simple gift tags, punch a hole in the top, thread string through, write your greeting.
Feeling the chill winds coming into your home?: Perhaps it’s time to check your insulation areas. Better insulation can save energy, save money on household bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help transition to net zero. Thermal imaging cameras can help by highlighting and identifying where heat is leaking from buildings. Zero Chippenham offers the free loan of a thermal camera, purchased with support from Chippenham Town Council. It works with a mobile phone (IPhone or Android), and comes with instructions, and if you need follow-up advice, Zero Chippenham are happy to help. The scheme runs from November to March each year, when it’s easier to see where the heat loss spots are. Sign up on their website: https://www.zerochippenham.org/zero-chippenham-thermal-camera-loan-scheme/
	Great vegetables to enjoy for the beginning of the year: see what you can find grown locally