Update supplied by Kathie Davey:
On 22nd April, to celebrate Earth Day, the parish inaugurated a new flower bed outside the parish centre facing the busy main road (the N11). During the Children’s Mass at 10.30 a bowl of wildflower seeds was presented and later blessed. Members of the congregation were invited to gather at the flower bed after Mass and each take a “pinch” of seeds to sprinkle in the bed as a symbol of our care for the Earth, Our Common Home, to encourage biodiversity and the welfare of bees and to give joy to all who will see the blooms, especially those on buses which stop immediately opposite! It was a much enjoyed activity.
On Thursday 26th April Shankill Action for a Green Earth, many of whose members are in St Anne’s parish, invited Duncan Stewart of Eco-Eye to give a talk looking at ways in which the community of Shankill could save energy and thereby contribute to mitigating Climate Change. Duncan particularly emphasised the contribution to be gained from an extensive retro-fit program of the domestic housing stock most of which was built when standards were much lower than those current in 2018.
The talk was followed by a “Buzz Session” where the audience of about 40 broke into small groups to discuss and generate suggestions for community action for energy conservation. Two suggestions were chosen to be presented at a follow up meeting on 14th May where we hope to find people to take these ideas forward.
