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MESS: A Justice, Peace & Environment Group in North-West

  • Maureen Matthews

For some 30 years I have been part of our local Justice & Peace group, and after a period as Chair of the local Churches Together it became an ecumenical group.

Over this time we looked into and worked on many issues both at home and abroad. We put on events covering homelessness and unemployment, modern slavery and debt. Because we represent many of the churches in the area we have been able to raise the issues and work on them across the various denominations. A day with the Pax Christi Icon was one of several spiritual events that were appreciated across all churches. Our most recent achievement has been to help set up a Dementia Drop-In where I think we volunteers gain as much support as we try to give.

Ten years ago, our special topic was the Environment. We spent nine months planning an EcoDay. We started the day with a Thomas Berry video and we had two speakers from A Rocha, alongside Mike Monahan, our diocesan 'expert'. Along with quizzes and questionaires, a couple of pieces of drama, calculating our carbon footprint and question time we kept the 80 people who attended busy all day and wanting to form an environmental group to look at the issues more fully. Thus MESS (Marple, Mellor & Marple Bridge Energy Saving Strategy) was formed.

Ten years on we are still meeting each month. We started with promoting cavity wall and loft insulation, double glazing and solar panels. We are now working on issues to do with refugees and asylum seekers, about conditions in Yemen, Syria and Burma and pestering our MP about anti fracking and care of the environment; and encouraging our banks to dis-invest from fossil fuels.

We have a small Incredible Edible group who tend planters full of herbs in the town precinct. And we have planted and tend an 80-tree community orchard in the centre of the town.

After many years of trying to raise awareness of environmental issues, David Attenborough and Blue Planet 2 have finally made people wake up and realise the urgency of the situation.

On Sunday 29 September we are holding our biggest event to date. An afternoon with speakers from the Tyndal Climate research Centre at Manchester University and local environment groups. There will be stalls, displays and an Art Competition for the local schools. Some young people will be involved in presenting the programme and the afternoon will conclude with people encouraged to make community and individual pledges to alter our lifestyles to benefit the environment.

So, whether it is never again buying cling film or wet wipes to abandoning the tumble dryer and the car to growing our own vegetables and only eating meat once a week our group's aim is to help people discover the changes we can all make to cut our carbon emissions to zero within the Manchester target of 2038.


Link:

www.marplemess.org.uk

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