St Machar’s is an eco-congregation. This means that we accept our role as trustees of the natural world.

• Thought for the month: Think about water: 'Leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth costs six litres of water a minute, flushing the loo with a full cistern expends nine litres and washing a car with a hose clocks up 400 litres', from The Observer 25.07.10 . Wasting water wastes the energy needed to pump it to a treatment centre and treat it to potable quality.

Cathedral Captures First Green Award

Lewis MacDonald MSP, presents the Eco-Congregation Award

to St Machar's Cathedral at 11am, Saturday 23rd October.

Useful Websites

www.abdn.ac.uk/sustainability

The Signposting Sustainability Week is a fun packed event, with exhibitions, interactive stalls, competitions, lunchtime talks, your own soap box, film screenings and more.

www.ecofriendlylightbulbs.co.uk
is a useful site for hard to find lightbulbs. Next day delivery (free if over £40) and 5% discount for churches

www.nigelsecostore.com
Offers tips and advice on energy-saving and sells inexpensive energy-saving devices and recycled products often useful as gifts

www.newstatesman.com/environment/2007/11/global-warming-lynas-climate
a thoughtful article on tackling global warming without alienating the public

www.becycle.org.uk
The Aberdeen University Bicycle Project, beCyCle is a community based volunteer run bicycle project that recycles unused bikes and provides free bike lending and an open workshop.

Open Wed & Sat 1-6pm, G34 Don Street, Old Aberdeen

St Machar's Cathedral were presented on Sunday with their second eco-congregation award by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev Bill Hewitt. ( Photos enclosed show - l-r   Liz Gilmour and Professor Charles Gimingham (of St Machar's eco-congregation group); the Moderator and the Minister, Rev. Dr. Alan D Falconer).  The  Eco-congregation movement is an ecumenical organisation promoting care for the environment through faith groups.  The Church of Scotland has pledged to reduce the output of CO2 emissions from Church buildings by 5% year on year to help reduce global warming.

Cathedral Captures Second Green Award

Greyfriars Recycling of Wood

We have been developing the GRoW (Greyfriars Recycling of Wood) Workshop over the last three years and now have a great workshop delivering social and environmental benefits in an emerging social enterprise that works with people who have homelessness or addiction problems. It is a lot of fun and forms a part of our work we call, Greyfriars Community Project, supporting and inspiring vulnerable and homeless people and inspiring ourselves in the process.

We are always on the lookout for pews and other church furniture that might be discarded. So let us know if you hear of anything going a begging as we always need to replenish our stocks. Our team can travel and do the dismantling and transportation ourselves. Please also think of us if you are looking to buy a Christmas gift with a story attached or want to commission a more substantial piece of furniture made from very ancient and very beautiful recycled church pews.

Tommy Steel,  Enterprise Manager  can be contacted on 07889169155 or by email :  grow@greyfriarskirk.com