Stories Archive
Operation EDEN supported 57 projects run by some wonderful people. Here are some of their stories (you will need Adobe Acrobat Viewer). Current stories are available on the Faiths4Change website www.faiths4change.org.uk - go to "Stories".
Renewable energy & energy efficiency
The wind turbine at the Big Issue allotments will help them power their equipment and brew up! A great project in partnership with Somewhere Else (the Methodist Church in the City - click here to go to their website).
Churches in Widnes are working together to tackle their environmental impact, sharing training and experience
We have received a number of requests for information about solar panels on places of worship. Click here to download an information sheet with examples from 6 churches in the UK. (PDF - 100k).
Recycling and re-use
Asylum Link have developed a bicycle refurbishing project. Making the most of discarded bicycles of all sizes, centre volunteers have set up a workshop. Please click here for a link to this story.
If you're looking for affordable furniture go to the Liverpool Lighthouse Furniture Outlet in Anfield. Operation EDEN helped them refurbish a basement for additional storage space.
Bricks, bricks & more bricks - how a community garden is being created from recycled materials thanks to a lot of searching and some generous donations.
A story in pictures - creating a recycled glass mural.
Food growing
Norris Green Fingers - a splash of colour in the inner city and the first project we supported.
Asylum Link & St Anne's Roman Catholic Church sowing seeds of friendship in fertile soil on a local allotment site in Liverpool. Read about their progress along the way: Also, Summer 2006 and Winter 2006.
Green fingers and painted flowerpots at the Al-Ghazali Multicultural Centre allotment
An urban garden of eden - inspiring story from Toxteth Team Ministry about their environmental after-school club.
"Growing community"
James (15) and Sam (11) are both very keen gardeners growing flowers, fruit and vegetables. They have been encouraged by Paul Gorman, Holy Trinity Formby to create their own small businesses, supplying plants locally. Please click here to read their inspiring story.
Toll Bar with Prescot United Reformed Church with local residents sharing pots of colour to build a stronger, colourful community
Community art
Stories of Steps has collected stories about the Herculaneum Steps in Dingle, Liverpool. A booklet has been produced and Comedy Night held. The longer term aims are to promote care of the local environment. Click here for a summary
Colourful results from The BIG ART project which captured the imagination of young people in West Everton to improve public spaces.
Environmental artist Janette Porter worked with school children in Grassendale to explore the role of water in their local environment - they created temporary mud artwork and wrote a poem summarising their thoughts
Young people's art takes pride of place as NSPCC Safe Place nears completion - The BIG ART project. Read the Daily Post report on the Topping Out ceremony (link takes you away from our website).
Community spaces
Want to reclaim your park for local people? Churches in Crosby teamed up to run a very successful project improving Coronation Park and welcoming people back to use the park. Project coordinator Steve Matthews has written a useful report about how they did it and what they learnt [PDF 2.65 MB, 23pages].
Churches in Anfield have returned for the third year running to improve their area. More colourful murals are emerging, together with cleaner streets and brighter fences. Click here to see what they've been doing. Or Click here to see a presentation of what they did [2.5 MB - you'll need PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer]
Helping the Scotland Road community to improve public green spaces
St Bridgets & St Thomas Anglican Church with local residents creating a space for celebration - street party in an alley
In 2005 Operation EDEN funded churches in Bootle to improve a stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Click here to read a report of the initial project.
Spotlight on St Lukes Crosby
Not content with a successful BBC Breathing Places award, St Lukes Church in Crosby won £1,000 as a winner of the Unilever Dragonfly Awards 2007, which pick out the unsung environmental heroes of the Northwest. The awards are run by the Mersey Basin Campaign
The church’s butterfly garden
was planted in Spring 2006 when 130 children and adults arrived to help
transform the 4.5 acre site with funding from Operation EDEN and the church
council. In August it was named the second-best community or school garden
in Sefton.
Now, with hours of hard work behind them and money in the bank, the team
has ambitious plans for the church grounds.
They want to install a new community garden, a sensory garden for people
with disabilities, a new wildflower meadow and a demonstration garden
highlighting environmentally friendly horticulture.
Volunteers
Ormskirk Greenery Grows Stronger: "Ormskirk Greenery" is a small group of volunteers who meet regularly to raise awareness and support local environmental projects in the rural areas around Ormskirk. They hold regular lively meetings, usually monthly, and welcome new volunteers. For more information contact Allan Jones on 01744 893367.
Fair Trade in Rainford: Rainford Church of England Primary School, St Helens has recently set up a Fair Trade stall selling teas, coffees, snacks and other items. The stall can be taken out to local events increasing awareness of Fair Trade and whetting people's appetites for good food and drink! For more information, please contact Rian Wood 01744 883281 or rainfordp@sthelens.org.uk
Whither planet earth? A paper and presentation given by one of our volunteers, Kenneth Perera. Click here to download.
General
Four projects supported by Operation EDEN did very well at the Groundwork Merseyside 21 Awards on 8 Feb - two winners and two runners up. Click here for summary of the projects.
Gardeners of Eden shown on the Big Screen in Liverpool. Our first film, featuring food growing, was included as part of the 2006 Biennial. It was made by our friends from Squaretown Media
Operation EDEN was not set up specifically to work with schools. However, we supported projects with clear benefits to the wider community. Here are two examples.