A Human Right to Nature in the UK?

Today marks the first anniversary of the historic UN declaration of a universal right to a healthy environment and a campaign has been launched to make it a reality in the UK. Hannah Eves, A Rocha UK’s Policy Officer, comments.

Eco Church community: growing, sharing and learning. With more than 2,500 awarded Eco Churches, there is huge potential for sharing learning between established Eco Churches and new ones. Unlocking this potential is key to mobilising churches to respond more deeply to climate change and biodiversity loss. We’re encouraged to hear how learning is being shared in an exciting diversity of approaches.

Team ‘A Rocha UK’ take on the London to Brighton cycle challenge

On 10 September, four of our staff will pedal to raise vital funds for A Rocha UK. There’s less than two months to go before ‘Team A Rocha UK’ takes part in the 55-mile London to Brighton cycle challenge to raise essential funds for our work. If you’re a keen cyclist (or even if you are not!), you can still book a place on the London to Brighton ride - let us know if you'd like to join us (by 31st July). If cycling’s not your thing, but you would like to raise some money for us, take a look at our fundraising page.

Churches Counted on Nature

Churchyards provide thousands of acres of green oases in communities across the country. Last month’s Churches Count on Nature, in which A Rocha UK was a key partner, was a fantastic opportunity to help people understand their local environment and explore the contribution that churches can make to monitoring and conserving wildlife.

A Rocha UK events and resources

We are excited to work with others to maximise our impact for nature and people, and, collectively, to make even more of a difference through summer and into the autumn. We hope that many individuals and churches will get involved in at least one of these events and initiatives:

- Step outside this Season of Creation (1 September-4 October). Our new resource includes ideas to help people connect with nature and dedicate this time to God as the Creator and sustainer of all life. Why not choose an idea or two and encourage your church family to step outside and connect? The resource is free to download on our ‘engage your church’ webpage.

- Act for Nature events at Wolf Fields Nature Reserve (16 September) and Nettle Hill (14 October). Continuing our Act for Nature series, come along to take part in practical conservation work, learn about - and do some - campaigning, and meet other A Rocha UK supporters, as well as staff and trustees. Register for the events at our Wolf Fields Nature Reserve in West London here and Nettle Hill, an A Rocha UK partner, in Warwickshire here.

- Eco Church online prayer forum (21 September, 12 noon-1pm). Connect, reflect and share with the wider Eco Church community over your lunch break. More information and register here.

- Open air service at Foxearth Meadows (24 September, 3pm). Another fantastic opportunity to experience praising God in the beauty of his creation. The Foxearth Meadows team will be joined by a special guest speaker, the Rev. Mike Perry, Chair of our Trustees. All are welcome. Please register here.

A Rocha UK vacancies - application deadline for both: 31 July

Could you be our new PA/Office Manager or join our Board of Trustees?

We are looking for a full-time PA/Office Manager to support the Chief Executive, ensure that the office runs smoothly and manage the relationship with our external IT provider. The position will be based in our Brentford (West London) office and, initially, is a one-year contract. 

We are also looking for new Trustees. We need people with a vision for Christian environmental care to join our Board of Trustees. You will join a team who are passionate about helping our staff fulfil A Rocha UK’s vision. In particular, we are looking for people with experience in nature conservation, environmental care in churches, charity or business management, or finance. We would value applications from people with professional and on-the-job experience and are keen to increase the diversity of our board in terms of cultural heritage and gender. We believe it is vital that our decision-making includes the voices of those who are often excluded and seek to develop an organisation where people of all backgrounds feel welcome.

Eco Tip - Help wildlife beat the heat. Help local wildlife during hot weather with these simple tips. For more practical eco tips, sign up to Wild Christian.

Eco Tip - Help wildlife beat the heat. Help local wildlife during hot weather with these simple tips. For more practical eco tips, sign up to Wild Christian.