The Parish of St. Mary the Virgin Welwyn
and St. Michael and All Angels Woolmer Green
All the policies of our churches as adopted by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) must be read and interpreted in the context of compliance with statutes under UK law, as they apply to the Church of England, and with the overall governance of the Church of England
We are committed to the proper maintenance and development of the Churches of St. Mary the Virgin Welwyn and St. Michael and All Angels Woolmer Green and the environment of the Churchyards in the light of our growing awareness of the strain which human activities are placing on the earth’s resources, biological diversity, atmosphere and climate.
“The whole creation belongs to God. As human beings we are part of the whole and have a responsibility to love and care for what God has entrusted to us as temporary tenants of the planet. We are called to conserve its complex and fragile ecology, whilst recognising the need for responsible and sustainable development and the pursuit of social justice.”
As a Christian community we subscribe to this statement of the Church of England National Institutions, as quoted in the 2005 report ‘Sharing God’s Planet’. The principles underlying this statement have led us to a deeper understanding of our individual and collective responsibilities for our environment, its preservation, conservation and sustainable use.
Outworking
We work through a Fabric Committee, reporting to the PCC, who are dedicated to these principles and whose members have a wide range of experience and skills. We employ a qualified Chartered Architect who advises us on all aspects of the above.
We work closely with the Parish Council, the Diocesan Advisory Committee and the Local Authority Archaeological, Conservation and Environmental Protection agencies. We also consult as appropriate with English Heritage, the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, the Ancient Monuments Society and the Victorian Society.
We have explored and researched the potential for energy conservation and reduction of atmospheric pollution in regard to Church heating systems, especially given the proposed construction of an additional building as an extension to the existing Church of St. Mary’s Welwyn. Our proposal for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) at St. Mary’s emanates from this research. We have a team of very enthusiastic and highly qualified members working through the Fabric Committee who have driven the project and the thoroughness of whose work and findings has been very favourably commented upon by people with significant expertise in the area of GSHP. The PCC has enthusiastically supported the research work carried out so far and is committed to adopting the GSHP scheme, provided financial resources permit. With grant support, the PCC believes the funds required can be raised and the significant benefits of energy conservation and reduction in atmospheric pollution can be realised.
We are committed to using suitable low energy alternatives where available for the lighting of our buildings.
We continue to use the Central Board of Finance (CBF) investment funds as the PCC’s principal investment vehicle to take advantage of their ethical investment principles.
We seek to treat all people equally and fairly in terms of recruitment to both paid and voluntary roles within the church, and in terms of participation in the life of the church community, without undue regard to their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion, gender, sexuality, age, physical or mental health or disability.
Part of the impetus behind the building of a new Church House is to provide meeting rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities that are accessible to all. The building will be accessible for wheelchair users and will provide a safe environment for children, in line with our commitment to child protection principles.
Fairtrade Policy
We aim to use, within the churches and at church events, products that bear the fairtrade standard.
July 2005. Revised August 2005 and September 2005.