Climate , Eco Church , News

MK Eco Church Network – February 2026 Update

Dear MK Eco Church Network friends,

Greetings!

Another Monthly Update with lots of items that you’ll hopefully find interesting and useful.

I’d again like to draw your attention to two Dates for your Diary about two future meetings. The first will be our next MK Eco Church Network meeting that will be held on Saturday 11 April between 10.00am – 12.30pm at Christ Church, Stantonbury and I’m delighted that Jane Grindley, Director of MK Community Energy will be coming to give a talk about: ‘MK Community Energy and Home Energy Advice’ and she will include a discussion about a programme for churches. With the UK Government recently announcing £1 billion of new funding for local energy projects, the time appears to have arrived for Community Energy! Please register for the meeting, using the Eventbrite link in the item below, so that the organisers have an idea of how many people to expect.

The second Date for your Diary is the Network meeting at which Andy Atkins, Chief Executive of A Rocha, will be speaking on Sunday 7 June between 2.30 – 4.30pm at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. More details of these meetings will be sent in future Updates but please put these dates in your diary.

Please share this Update with other people who may be interested.

Thanks and best wishes,

Stuart Kean

MK Eco Church Network Convenor

email: mkecnetwork@ctmk.church

MK Eco Church Network – February 2026 Update

Events

  1. Milton Keynes Parks Trust Community Volunteer
    a) Wetland Arc Tree Planting Project: in Ouse Valley Park, Wed 18 Feb 2026 at 9:30am –     https://www.theparkstrust.com/events/wetland-arc-project-half-term-tree-planting/

b) Community Litter Pick: Linford Wood, Tues 24 February  at 11am
c) Community Litter Pick: Teardrop Lakes, Wed 25 March at 11am

  1. 4 March from 6 – 8pm: Meeting to discuss how to make the environment a priority in the May local council elections, organised by Transition Town MK and MK Climate Action Network. The aim is to develop a shared ‘Charter of Priorities’, a clear set of questions or prompts that reflect the environmental concerns of local residents. The meeting will be held at the Aiimi offices (100 Avebury Blvd, Milton Keynes MK9 1FH). Event registration is via Eventbrite.
  1. 9-15 March: The Big Plastic Count: The Big Plastic Count is back for 2026 and you can now sign up to take part!  https://thebigplasticcount.com/
  1. 21 March Climate Café: from 12.30 to 5.00pm in the Guildhall at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. This will include a talk by Frances Gordon on ‘Gain or Pain – Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change.’ As this event is expected to be popular, please let the MK Climate Café Team know if you are interested in coming climatecafemk@gmail.com.
  1. Earth Hour on Saturday 28 March, 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Invite members to participate in Earth Hour by switching off their lights for an hour https://www.wwf.org.uk/earth-hour
  1. Date for your Diary! The next MK Eco Church Network meeting will be held on Saturday 11 April between 10.00am -12.30pm at Christ Church, Stantonbury. In the first part of the meeting the Christ Church Eco Group will talk about their experiences of achieving a Bronze Eco Church award. Followed by a talk by Jane Grindley, Director of MK Community Energy who will give a talk about: ‘MK Community Energy and Home Energy Advice’. Please see Good News Story below on this issue. Here is a link to register so we know how many people to expect: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/milton-keynes-eco-church-network-meeting-tickets-1983158475385?aff=oddtdtcreator
  1. Date for your Diary! Sunday 7 June talk by Andy Atkins, A Rocha Chief Executive. 2026 is the 10th anniversary of A Rocha’s Eco Church programme and I’m delighted to say that Andy Atkins, who is A Rocha’s Chief Executive, has agreed to come and give a talk about Eco Church on Sunday 7 June from 2.30 – 4.30pm at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.
  1. Churches Count on Nature 2026 dates announced – Caring for God’s Acre have announced the dates will be Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 June. Churches Count on Nature is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, focusing on the brilliant wildlife to be found in churchyards and chapel yards. Registration will be live from 16 March and from that date a link can be found here.

Advocacy opportunities

  1. Milton Keynes City Council public consultations – Have your say!
  1. Consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework – Deadline 11.45pm on Tuesday 10 March. The government has published a draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has highlighted several important changes needed to protect the countryside: Web page containing their guidance on how to respond. Submit your response using the online form

Resources

  1. New C of E Energy Footprint Tool walk through film
    Further to news of the Energy Footprint Tool opening for 2025 data, there is a helpful new walk through video showing step by step how to enter your data. EFT entries are a requirement for any grants the CofE release for net zero works and help you measure your church’s progress.
  1. Find resources to preach on environmental theme this Lent. If you’d like to focus on the environment this Lent, Preaching for God’s World has you covered. With resources to explore the set lectionary every week written by theologians, church leaders and activists, the materials aim to encourage Christians to grow in our care for God’s creation. Find out more on the Preaching for God’s World website.
  1. Ideas for Lent
    Climate Stewards’ Carbon Fast for Lent, Swap  some meat meals for pulses, Minimise single-use plastic, Plan a trip by train instead of plane (see Seat61).
  1. World Council of Churches “10 commandments” of climate-responsible banking. This new resource sets out ten concrete actions for individuals and communities seeking to reduce their financial contribution to environmental harm. These include researching how much one’s bank invests in fossil fuels and urging financial institutions to end such investments. The guide also recommends spreading awareness, exploring legal avenues to challenge banks that support fossil fuel expansion, and moving money to greener banks or values-based investment funds. 

Training

  1. St Augustine’s College running workshop about liturgy, worship, and creation care. Would you like to weave perspectives on creation into worship throughout the year, not just at harvest time? St Augustine’s College are running a workshop to explore how liturgy and worship can reflect God’s love for creation for worship leaders, clergy, and lay ministers. Find out more about the event and book tickets.

16.Climate Stewards 360° Carbon drop in support sessions

Thursday 19 February midday-1pm Q&A
Tuesday 24 February 8-9pm Intro to 360o Carbon 
Thursday 19 March midday-1pm Intro to 360o  
Tuesday 24 March 8-9pm Q&A 

Zoom links to use at the time are available from Climate Stewards, choose to join for an introduction to or practical help with the 360o Carbon footprint tool. The Eco Church gold award requires a church to use it.

Information

  1. General Synod backs Sustainable Church Flowers motion: General Synod last week backed a Sustainable Church Flowers motion. Info here. It doesn’t impose rules or bans but encourages biodegradable, seasonal, local, chemical and foam-free decoration of churches.
  1. How Hexham Abbey used the Energy Footprint Tool to identify the need for change: As showcased in our Footprints for Creation campaign video, Hexham Abbey in Northumberland used last year’s Energy Footprint Tool to great effect. The report produced after they submitted their energy use helped them to identify areas where they could reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint. It was also an act that demonstrated their care for creation. Read more about Hexham Abbey and the EFT.
  1. The importance of talking about climate and the environment: We already know talking about climate issues is important and backing this up some recent research shows that “friends and family” and “people like me” are the most trusted sources of information on climate. For resources to help with conversations see Britain Talks Climate & Nature.
  1. Causes of damp in churches: St Alban’s Diocese have done research on what actually causes damp in our churches and – spoiler alert – it wasn’t found to be lack of heating! A church is much more likely to feel warmer if it is kept dry, therefore also keeping energy bills down – watch our energy auditor talk through this and other energy-saving quick wins in the first 40 minutes of this recording.
  1. The Church Urban Fund’s Parish Look Up Tool helps you identify and understand who lives in your parish, and the real issues they may face. Discover new opportunities to reach your community and use for evidence to strengthen grant applications. (See the guidance document for further information.)

Good News Stories

21.  Community energy investment to build community wealth and power – The UK Government recently announced the biggest ever public investment in community energy will cut bills and create revenue for community centres, social clubs and places of worship.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/community-energy-investment-to-build-community-wealth-and-power We hope to discuss this opportunity with Jane Grindley at our next MK Eco Church Network meeting on 11th April, see above and please register!

  1. Clergy home made fit for the future: A 1930s vicarage in Harrogate which was once draughty and cold, is now toasty warm thanks to an eco makeover. The Diocese of Leeds selected it as a net zero carbon demonstrator project, and thanks to funding from the national Net Zero Carbon Programme, work was done over the summer of 2024 to install a range of solutions to make the building warmer and more efficient. Read more about the project.
  1. A new roadmap towards a greener, cleaner and fairer Milton Keynes: Following lengthy public consultations, including a submission from the MK Eco Church Network, Milton Keynes City Council updated their Sustainability Strategy so they can take practical steps that help residents cut energy use, reduce household bills and benefit from long term improvements. City Council sets out roadmap towards a greener, cleaner and fairer city | Milton Keynes City Council. You can read the full strategy on the MKCC website.
  1. High Seas Treaty passes into UK law after receiving Royal Assent: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced this week that the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement—sometimes called the High Seas Treaty— a landmark international agreement that will, for the first time, create a legal mechanism to establish protected zones in the waters beyond the UK’s jurisdiction. https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/12/from-commitment-to-action-bbnj-act-receives-royal-assent/

Thanks as ever to friends in the Oxford Diocese and the National Environmental Programme for several of these items.

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