Faith Matters by Robin Gurney of Churches Together
Leighton Linslade
The town’s annual carnival time is coming up fast. Mark it now in your diaries – Saturday, July 13 – and as usual we hope that the weather will be kind.
The Leighton Linslade Christian Ecology Group will once again be running their Eco Tent in the town centre. to draw attention to the pressing needs of the environment. But this year one of the more colourful characters, the self-styled Planet Doctor will be missing. Eric Dilley, a founding member of the ecology group and an inspiration behind Trinity Methodist Church attaining prestigious national status as a eco church died at the end of May.
Eric, pictured, contributed so much to the town and particularly to the ecology cause and he will be sorely missed. Although Eric will no longer be there to entertain and challenge, his adopted passion and that of those he inspired goes on with an increasing urgency.
This year the Eco tent, supported by Leighton Linslade Churches Together, will bring together in one place many different ideas for “greening” your life. Among those ideas will be advice on sustainable travel and I’m sure it will feature more than cycling!
Another idea on show will be how to help local wildlife, with an especial emphasis on bees. Those busy buzzing creatures have been in decline in recent years raising concern about the pollination of our crops. Come and see what suggestions are being made to help bring back the bee.
How about buying “conservation” wool? Now that’s an idea well worth looking into especially if it helps our sheep farmers get over what has been for them a horrific year weather wise.
Among the keenest supporters of the whole environmental movement are children and young people but how to spark ideas to keep their interest going in this direction will also feature and also provide ideas for school lessons. The tent will be packed full of displays from organisations such as Friends of the Earth, Nude Ewe, Leighton BuzzCycles, The Wildlife Trust and Shared Interest. Make sure you see everything.
And if your children get bored easily why not set them down at the craft activities centre where there will be quizzes to test and build up their environmental knowledge. Perhaps they can be rewarded by dad and mum buying some Fairtrade goodies – there will be quite a choice.
So make sure you drop in at the “Green Ideas for Life” Eco Tent on carnival day and find out why we all need to do our bit for the planet and get some ideas as to what that “bit” might be for you this year.