Eco Champions Explore RHS Garden Bridgewater

Despite the Manchester rain last Sunday, fifteen hardy souls gathered from churches across our diocese for an Eco Tour of RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford. The group came together to learn about the sustainability and biodiversity principles behind the garden’s design and to consider how these ideas could inspire their land management plans as part of their Eco Church projects.

The tour was led by one of the Garden’s knowledgeable guides and covered the fascinating transformation of the 154-acre site – from the innovative use of pigs to clear the land, to best practices for soil management and the application of organic controls to reduce crop damage. The visit concluded with welcome refreshments in the café, providing time for discussion and reflection.

This event was organised by our network of Eco Champions – volunteers within Manchester Diocese who encourage and support their churches in caring for creation. Eco Champions play a vital role in helping congregations work towards the A Rocha UK Eco Church awards by promoting sustainable practices, reducing carbon footprints, and fostering biodiversity in church grounds.

The tour will be repeated in springtime, hopefully with slightly less rainfall! If you’re passionate about creation care and would like to get more involved in this work contact the diocesan environment team.