The first ever Green Church of the Year award was handed to Holy Trinity, Cleeve in Somerset earlier this week.

The church already has a Campaigning to Cut Carbon award under its belt.

The Green Church award went to Holy Trinity in praise of its wide range of environmentally friendly initiative, including a walking bus to save parents having to drive their children to school switching to a green energy supplier.

Church members have also been active in campaigning against the expansion of Bristol airport.

The £1000 worth of carbon offsetting will enable the church to become even greener, as well as further prizes, including energy saving lightbulbs, a low-energy washing machine consultancy on how to reduce their carbon footprint even more.

The Green Church Awards are the brainchild of the Church Times newspaper and were run in conjunction with leading environmental agencies, including Christian Aid, Eco-congregation, A Rocha, Tearfund, Shrinking the Footprint, Operation Noah and Christian Ecology Link.



The full list of award winners:

Action in the Community:
Joint winners:
St Barnabas, Queen Camel, Yeovil, Somerset
St Andrew s, Fulham, London

Biodiversity: St Chad's, Far Headingley, Leeds

Campaigning to cut the carbon: Holy Trinity Cleeve (only entrant but worthy of a prize)

Celebrating Creation: St Peter's Bexhill

Changing Lifestyles:
Joint winners:
St Bartholomew's, Great Barrow, Chester
St John's & St. Philip's, The Hague, Netherlands

Energy Saving in Church Buildings: St Aldhelm's, Edmonton, North London

Highly commended:
St James's Piccadilly
St John the Evangelist, Hurst Green, Lancashire
St Mary's, Welwyn
St Peter's, Spixworth, Norwich
Bramford Rd Methodist Church, Ipswich
St Mary's & St John's, Cowley, Oxford
Mill Road Baptist Church, Cambridge