ST GEORGE’S Church in Waterlooville is making great strides towards achieving an EcoChurch bronze award, as the church community looks to establish its environmental credentials.

Part of their efforts has involved making their grounds more bird-friendly, and so the church’s Eco Church Group recently collaborated with their Toddler group on a project that not only brought the community closer together but also helped the environment.

In February, the group worked together to install three blue tit bird boxes and one robin bird box, as well as six bug hotels, all of which were placed around the church’s grounds. Jackie, who attends the toddler group, had initially suggested the idea and then enlisted her husband John to build the boxes for the group. With the help of Dawn, who had sourced some colourful stickers, the Toddler group enthusiastically decorated the bird boxes, making them not only functional but also visually appealing.

Once the bird boxes were ready, the group filled the bug hotels with leaves, cones, and sticks, creating a welcoming habitat for the local insect population. The group then took a walk outside and placed the bird boxes and bug hotels in various locations around the church’s grounds. Dawn then led the group in a reading and prayer.

EcoChurch awards is a project run by A Rocha to encourage churches to find ways of demonstrating care for God’s creation. You can read more about the awards, and find out how your parish can take part, here.