The Swindon Churches Green Festival

The first Swindon Churches Green Festival will take place from 6th to 14th June 2026. More information about the festival and individual events can be found HERE SOON

People’s Emergency Briefing Draws Strong Public Support at Christ Church,
Swindon

The 50-minute film People’s Emergency Briefing, presented by Chris Packham, was shown at Christ Church Swindon on Monday evening, 27th April, attracting an audience of 75 members of the public. The event was organised by Christ Church’s Eco Group, following a prompt from group member John Pryce. Christ Church recently received the A Rocha Gold Award in recognition of its commitment to environmental stewardship and caring for creation.

Support for the event came from members of several church Eco groups from across the Swindon area, alongside Swindon Climate Action Network, the Religious Society of Friends, and the Wiltshire Climate Alliance. Their involvement highlighted the growing collaboration between faith communities, environmental organisations, and local campaigners in responding to the climate and nature crisis.

The People’s Emergency Briefing is currently being screened in community venues across the UK as part of a wider public information programme focused on climate and nature emergencies. The film follows the National Emergency Briefing held last November at Westminster Central Hall and features contributions from leading UK academics, economists, and a senior armed forces general. Its aim is to build public support for a government-backed televised emergency briefing to the nation. The film explores the far-reaching consequences of climate change, including its impact on food security, energy systems, the economy, public health, and national security.

It also outlines practical responses individuals and communities can adopt, such as reducing food waste, shifting towards a more plant-based diet, cutting energy use in homes and transport, and supporting flood mitigation measures.

Following the screening, attendees took part in one of seven discussion groups, providing an opportunity to reflect on the film’s messages and consider practical local responses. Facilitators from each group then shared key points from their discussions with the wider audience, creating a sense of shared purpose and collective action.

Daniel Pitt, a member of the Christ Church Eco Group which organised the event, said: “I was very grateful for all the support received in organising the event and was delighted with the number who attended the showing. Whilst the crisis is daunting, I was encouraged by the amount of goodwill and commitment there is for efforts to mitigate and adapt to the crisis. It’s clear that much already goes on locally and how we need to work together, including supporting and encouraging our local leaders.”

For more information about screenings of People’s Emergency Briefing, visit the National Emergency Briefing website HERE

The outcome of the screening and following discussions will be published here soon

Eco Church

A Rocha Eco Church Programme Gold Award

We have an eco group that takes a close interest in developing and directing our strategies for protecting God’s earth, helping us to focus on doing what we do in a sustainable and earth-friendly way.

We are delighted to announce that we were awarded the A Rocha Eco Church Gold Award in recognition of our efforts to care for God’s earth in the way that we manage our life at Christ Church in August 2025.

We are very happy to receive this award as it shows we are moving in the right direction; this is not the finish line but a milestone on our journey to help protect the earth for future generations, and to inspire others to do the same.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many local eco and wildlife organisations who have supported and partnered with us throughout this journey. Their expertise, encouragement, and collaboration have been invaluable in helping us achieve this milestone.

Looking ahead, Christ Church plans to continue working with its many community partners to further develop its environmental mission, seeking to live out God’s passion for the renewal of the whole created order.

Here is our certificate:

Visit our Eco Hub

If you would like to know more about what we do as a church, or what you can do as an individual or family, to protect God’s Earth, then please visit our Eco Hub for useful links here: https://linktr.ee/christchurchswindonecohub

You can also get in touch with the Eco group with your ideas or suggestions using the email address below:

ecogroup@Christchurchswindon.co.uk

Our Land Management Plan

As part of our response to the need to take more care of God’s planet, we have begun work on a Land Management Plan. Taking advice from a range of local experts and enthusiasts, we have surveyed our Church and Burial grounds, looking for ways to encourage wildlife and plant diversity. View the plan

In the process, we have discovered some valuable ancient grassland which we can manage carefully to encourage more native species that will be beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife. This will involve stopping our intensive mowing programme in certain areas, to allow certain species, such as the Cuckoo flower below to establish. It and other native species provide valuable larval food. The careful management of these areas of grass can prevent it from being invaded by more vigorous plants that can overwhelm and replace what is a vital habitat for birds, invertebrates and animals.

In most situations, July is the best time for cutting, with a further cut in September/October often being beneficial. However, cutting times can be varied to suit local conditions. After cutting, it is very important to rake off and remove the clippings. If left on, they can smother delicate plants and increase fertility which encourages rank growth at the expense of wildflowers. If clippings are left to dry for a few days after cutting, flowers can shed any ripe seed and insects are able to make their escape.