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.

August 2026

Living Lightly 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Recycle safely: Binned batteries and electricals like vapes can spark fires when crushed or damaged. There have been 4 battery-related fires at Wiltshire recycling centres in a month: you can help make sure there are no more!

Hidden batteries: If an item lights up, moves, buzzes, or puffs and isn’t plugged in, it’s powered by a battery - and should never be binned. Small everyday items like vapes, headphones and kids toys often have ‘hidden batteries’ inside.

Take batteries to designated collection points at Household Recycling Centres.
Use the kerbside battery service: place batteries in a sealed clear bag on top of your blue-lidded bin or beside your recycling sack.
Small electricals (smaller than a shoebox) can be put out by your bin in a carrier bag.
If a battery can’t be removed, recycle the whole item at a HRC in the designated electrical bin.

Help keep crews and residents safe by recycling batteries correctly.


How did you do?: How was your plastic free July – could you continue making more changes? Check here for more inspiring ways to reduce single-use plastic.

Creative summer ideas for families: Chippenham Museum is offering free creative sessions during August, Tues 28 July – Thurs 27 August, 10.30am – 3.30pm. Drop in
Our creative activities can also be enjoyed in a quieter session before the museum opens, for those who may find the busy nature of our drop-in sessions overwhelming or who simply prefer a calm, relaxed environment. These sessions run from 9am to 10am, with last entry at 9.45am – booking essential for these early sessions 01249 705020.

Get the whole family buzzing about nature with fun activities all about our amazing pollinators:
Monday 24th August, 10-12 noon, GreenLane Woods, Trowbridge. Get the whole family buzzing about nature with fun activities all about our amazing pollinators! With a host of nature-based activities, crafts and games, this event is perfect for families looking to get outdoors, connect with nature, and have fun together.

Meeting point: Harbour Garden, Green Lane Woods. The Harbour Garden is next to the main footpath which runs alongside the woods. You can find it using the what3words app address: ideal.sandbags.barstool or on Google maps here. We recommend parking near Castle Mead School if you don't live locally, and follow the footpath to the Harbour Garden. There is limited parking next to the Garden on the road but it is not advised.

Booking essential; children from 2 upwards, £5 each, adults free. Book here.

Did you know that most of us have a digital carbon footprint?:
From storing emails, to using AI, everything we do online uses energy and has an impact on the environment. The digital sector is responsible for around 3.4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions globally, and consumes billions of gallons of water. In 2023, Google reported consuming over 6 billion gallons of water to cool all its data centres. But there are ways you can minimise your impact when you’re online – here are a few. Do you know of others?

Minimise your use of AI
AI is extremely energy intensive – did you know asking ChatGPT a question requires 10x more electricity than a Google Search? The indirect emissions of large tech companies rose by 150% in three years, thanks to AI, and there are concerns about the ethics of its models too, such as bias and job displacement. However, it’s also worth pointing out that data centres are currently responsible for only 1% of global electricity consumption, so make a relatively small contribution to energy demand currently. Consider whether it’s necessary to use AI for your task – maybe a regular search engine will give you the information you’re looking for instead?

Clear out old emails and inboxes
Emails have a surprisingly large digital footprint. If everyone in Britain sent one less thank you email a day, we would save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year - the same as 81,152 flights to Madrid. It’s good practice to clear your deleted emails folder regularly, as well as your junk folder.

Delete old files and photos
Just like old emails, files and photos all have a digital footprint. Declutter old files and get in the habit of regularly reviewing your photos, so that you can delete screenshots, repeated files, and anything you just don’t need anymore. Digital decluttering will also save the amount of time and energy you spend searching for files too.

Unsubscribe from mailing lists
The best way to keep your inbox manageable is to take time to unsubscribe from mailing lists you’re not interested in. This can also have a ripple effect in reducing consumption by limiting the number of advertisements and offers you’re receiving.

Use an eco-friendly browser, like Ecosia https://www.ecosia.org/
Reduce your environmental impact with a green browser. Ecosia plants trees every time someone uses its search engines, gives 100% of its profits for the planet, and is developing less energy intensive AI models. They produce more clean energy than it takes to power all of their searches and AI queries too.

Unplug your devices
Okay, you probably know this one, but it’s all too easy to leave your laptops and phones plugged in and charging even after they’ve hit 100%. Only charge your devices when needed and make the best use of your devices power saving modes to minimise unnecessary power consumption.

Looking after wildlife in the heat:
Times of drought and dryness can be dangerous for wildlife. Provide water for birds and insects - put a dish of water out to help wildlife stay hydrated. Insects, small mammals, birds, could all benefit. A stone in a plant saucer helps bees to perch and drink without drowning. These small actions make a big difference and are just some of the ways we can live out our calling to care for God’s creation.