Give to Go Green

Going Green has always been a focus for Holy Trinity Tulse Hill. Last year they finished building their award winning beautiful Hand Built Hall, built from sustainable materials – straw bales. An amazing feat in creating a carbon-negative community facility.

“To be selected as part of the Give to Go Green scheme, is hugely beneficial for us” says Churchwarden Nicole Lyon. “We were keen to use our south-facing roof which generates power through solar panels. Installing batteries will serve both the hall and the church, reducing our carbon footprint and enabling us to be more self-sufficient. We are continuing to find ways to care for God’s creation.”

Donate here

Music is vital to the life of St Matthew’s Church Wimbledon – a church that recently successfully fundraised for a major refurbishment of the church organ. Now through the Give to Go Green programme, the church is raising vital funds to ensure they hit net zero by 2035.

“Our church is used by so many different people and organisations in the community,” said DCC member Martin Kohler. “We’re in Wimbledon which is associated with green spaces and our congregation are committed to not just being a place of welcome, but to being good caretakers of God’s creation. We’re so pleased to have been selected as a Give to Go Green project, which is a big boost in our efforts to be more energy-efficient.”

Donate here!

As the site where Athelstan – the first King of All England – was crowned in 925AD, All Saints Kingston has a unique place in history! But it’s to the future that the Church is looking as part of Give to Go Green.

“Having upgraded our lighting to LED lamps, our heating system is now our greatest consumer of energy,” said Vicar Revd Joe Moffatt. ”We’re fundraising for a new, user-friendly control system that will mean we can have precise temperature and timing adjustments, reducing our energy consumption and cutting carbon emissions. We are delighted to have been selected for Give to Go Green.”

Donate here!

Greener Windows, Brighter Future

All Saints Church South Merstham has long been passionate about caring for God’s creation. The church is also dedicated to serving the local community – a commitment that saw church and community raise funds for toilet and kitchen facilities.

“It’s great to be part of the Give to Go Green scheme,” said Churchwarden Mary Kennedy. “Our project is to replace outdated single-glazed windows in the church office, choir vestry, porch and rear elevation of the church with modern, energy-efficient double glazing. This will mean we’ll have a warmer building, a big reduction in heat loss, as well as substantial savings on our heating bills – a real win-win!”

Donate here!

St Mildred’s Lee is rejoicing in their success of being part of the Give to Go Green Campaign!

“To enable us to build our new church hall, we need solar panels on the south aisle roof of the church.  The roof needs to be re-covered for that purpose and, thanks to this campaign, we have the opportunity to add insulation at the same time. The primary focus on this current fundraising effort will be the new insulation. By enhancing the roof’s insulation, the church will improve energy efficiency, reduce heating costs, and create a suitable foundation for solar panels,”  says Rev. Daphne Clifton. “With the matched fundraising element of this initiative, every donation is doubled, meaning this is something our church can achieve, getting us closer to our environmental goals and supports our mission of sustainability!” Contributions will make a lasting impact, please donate here.

Donate here!

The Church of All Saints in Peckham in Lee is raising funds to  replace old lighting in both the church and church hall with low energy LED lighting equipment.

All Saints, Peckham were thrilled to be successful in their application. “This initiative aligns with our biblical principle of caring for God’s creation and encouraging the congregation to live more sustainably. We are fortunate to have a large youth attendance and being green is important to them, we believe this will inspire them to get involved.” says Rev. Greg Cushing. “As winter approaches the lighting in the church is patchy at best but with rising costs, upgrading lights was a project that had to be put to one side. With the match funding element of this campaign, it made sense to apply to try and get this work done. With new lighting we can continue to shine a light on our church and be a welcoming beacon in our community!”

Donate here!

The Church of the Good Shepherd & St Peter in Lee is raising funds to draught-proof gaps and install doors with glass panels as part of its commitment to environmental stewardship.

“Draught-proofing helps conserve heat, meaning lower energy consumption and a smaller carbon footprint, whilst a glazed door provides natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting, and maintaining a warm welcome,” says Revd. Bridget Shepherd. “This effort ties into the biblical call to care for God’s creation by reducing energy waste and the glass doors ensure we continue Christ’s call to embrace others with hospitality and an “open” door.” The six weeks will be used to inspire the congregation and community by taking practical steps toward sustainability. By making these eco-friendly upgrades, the church not only lowers energy costs but sets a powerful example of how faith and responsible living can go hand-in-hand for a greener future.

Donate here!

St Paul’s Thornton Heath are raising money for a zoned heating system and smart thermostat in an effort to move towards a greener, more energy-efficient Church.

The heat management system is attached to the boilers and allows four zones to be heated separately. “Our church is a large old building, that over years has been split into different zones and we have to heat the whole building if only using one room” said Churchwarden Nick Makoha. “Inefficient for both the environment and our funds.  A smart thermostat will optimize energy usage, reducing both our carbon footprint and our utility bills. Enabling us to care for God’s creation as well as saving funds for Mission Projects in our area.”

Donate here!

St Luke’s Church is fundraising to replace the existing fluorescent tubes with energy-efficient LED lights as part of its Eco Church commitment.

Not only will this reduce the church’s carbon footprint it will, in the long run, cut energy costs. “As an Eco Church, in leafy Richmond and situated close to the famous Kew Gardens everything we can do to minimise our emissions is felt passionately by our congregation and Parish” says Revd Dr Melanie Harrington. “Hearing we were successful on our Give to Go Green application was joyful, allowing St Luke’s to continue our journey to sustainability, and providing an eco-friendly space for worship and community events”. Join them in lighting up St Luke’s for a greener future by contributing to this meaningful cause or attending one of their fundraising events.

Donate here!

During Creationtide, Immanuel Streatham considered their impact on the environment individually and as a church. They realised one simple change would greatly reduce their energy use and carbon footprint: changing all lighting to LED.

The church is used every day with community groups and church activities. It serves a diverse parish in an urban priority area and this would have a big impact. Rev. Sarah Simpson who is leading the campaign, says “The fact that what is given during the campaign is doubled, means a project of £8k, which we’ve not had the funds to do, could be achievable, and ensures we’re listening to our families, who see caring for this planet as important.”

Log onto their website here to light up their campaign!

Our first Church to launch, St Mary Magdelene on Wandsworth Common, is using the grant to replace existing light fittings to those which will take LED bulbs in their Parish Hall.

“The hall is used all day for a nursery and then for evening and weekend clubs” says Rev. Philippa Boardman. “Replacing them will make a significant difference to the use of electricity, and most importantly to our carbon emissions. As an eco-church this is important to us. Our congregation all join in caring for God’s creation through championing sustainability, caring for local wildlife and learning together.”

This campaign opened Sunday 1 September and is seeking to raise a total of £7,220.

Donate here!

Just before Christmas last year, the parishioners at St John’s got a chilly surprise, their heating system broke. Revd Caroline Risdon says, “raising funds for an eco-alternative was something we couldn’t consider, but our church was cold!”

They had the inspired idea to use the Give to Go Green initiative to raise £12,400 for heated pew cushions. Not only do Sit & Heat cushions bring warmth, but they also cut down on energy too, heating the person not the space.

The churches fundraising events for this campaign, include a calendar to warm hearts such as a Mexican Supper, a book recycling drive, a big band concert and a Hymn Sing-a-Long.

Donate to warm some seats here

St Mark’s are committed to the aim of Net Zero by 2030 and have already made good progress with solar panels, holding “Green Sunday” services in the hall to reduce gas consumption and installing remotely operated thermostats to monitor heating.

“Our next step”, said Revd Martin Colton, “was to replace the church lighting which uses expensive halogen bulbs with fittings which will use LED bulbs. We were thrilled to hear about Give to Go Green, which enabled a project cost of almost £20,000, to be more achievable for our church.”

Donate here!

Ascension, Balham are reaching for the sky as they use the Give to Go Green campaign to raise funds to install solar panels. Its mission to reduce emissions and promote environmental sustainability.

“By transitioning to solar energy, the church will lower its carbon footprint, decrease reliance on non-renewable energy, and demonstrate environmental stewardship,” says Rev Marcus Gibbs. “The solar panels will not only cut electricity costs but set a positive example for the local community, encouraging others to adopt clean energy solutions”. Thanks to the matched funding, every contribution, big or small, brings the church closer to its goal of sustainable energy and a healthier planet for future generations.

Donate here!

St Peter’s Streatham are raising funds for a heating management system which will improve energy efficiency in their Church and Parish Rooms.

Currently, both spaces share a single heating system, so there’s always unnecessary energy use. “Our project will split the system, allowing us to heat the church and parish rooms separately and reduce waste,” says vicar Revd Dr Steffan Mathias. “The Give to go Green match funding will also allow us to replace our outdated thermostats with smart thermostats for better control.” Every pound donated is doubled under the initiative, “maximising the impact of community giving,” Steffan continues. “Supporting a greener, more sustainable environment is important to our community and our congregation as caretakers of God’s creation. We are thrilled to be part of this campaign!”

Donate here! 

From 6th October, St Barnabas, Downham is raising money to install LED lighting, a significant step toward reducing energy consumption and caring for our environment.

“LED lights use up less energy and last significantly longer, which reduces our carbon footprint, electricity bills and maintenance costs”, says vicar Stuart Leck, “the upgrade aligns with our church’s commitment to caring for creation”. The church is looking to raise funds, by reaching out into their community with donation drives, events, and engaging the array of clubs they host at the church. inviting congregation members and the local community to support the cause. “By switching to LED lighting, the church creates a brighter, more energy-efficient space for the community and worship, demonstrating a shared commitment to environmental responsibility”.

Donate Here!