On a bright January morning, 25 volunteers from Holy Spirit Church and the wider Bretton community came together to plant 300 new trees in Bretton Park. The saplings—supplied by the Woodland Trust’s Community Tree Pack scheme—included a mix of native species such as silver birch, dogwood and rowan.
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Tony Cook from Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) joined the group, providing tools, guidance and demonstrations to ensure each tree was planted with care. The success of the event has inspired hopes for further local tree‑planting initiatives in the future.
Since reforming in 2024, the Holy Spirit Church Eco Team has been actively encouraging both their congregation and the wider community to care for God’s creation. Each year the church marks the Season of Creation, focusing on practical ways to connect with and protect the natural world.
A small group of dedicated volunteers has also been revitalising the church garden, carefully maintaining what has been previously planted while giving the space a fresh lease of life. The garden is now twinned with Ripple Effect, a charity project supporting families in rural Africa with three years of training in sustainable organic farming—helping communities grow enough to eat, establish small businesses, send children to school and build brighter futures.
Over the coming weeks, the Eco Group will continue its environmental efforts by joining the Great British Spring Clean, which runs from 13 - 29 March 2026. They plan to work alongside the Peterborough Litter Wombles to clean up the local area and hope that local residents and nearby school communities might also join in.
During Lent, the Eco Group is sharing weekly ideas from Climate Stewards’ Carbon Lent Fast initiative, encouraging small, meaningful actions that reduce environmental impact. Looking ahead, the group which already holds a Silver Eco Church Award plans to build on this momentum by working towards their Gold Award.
Find out more about caring for God’s creation and the A Rocha Eco Church Awards