Church wins £35,000 grant

ST Matthew’s Church in Cotham has been granted £35,000 to help in its mission to achieve net zero.

The money, from the Movement for Good Awards, will allow St Matthew’s to make a trial installation of radiant heating chandeliers permanent and to extend it further by adding more heaters. 

It says this will reduce energy costs and make the worship space more comfortable,  as well as benefiting the church and community groups that use the building every week.

More than 900 charities applied for funding. The winning projects were selected against four criteria: impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Canon Simon Pugh-Jones, chair of the Bristol Diocesan Committee, said: “In the context of the cost of energy crisis, this innovation could save a lot of money and enable church buildings to stay financially viable. In the context of a climate crisis, this could be a huge step towards net zero – a means by which parishes can act to make a real difference to the planet.”