The Norfolk Churches Trust, celebrating their 50th Anniversary, launched the award in partnership with us and the Diocese of Norwich, to highlight the natural and spiritual heritage of Norfolk’s churchyards.
The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and lead bishop on environment for the Church of England, presented Hemblington Church’s team with an engraved local-oak plaque and a cheque for £1,000.
Bishop Graham said: “Churchyards are not only sacred spaces but also havens for wildlife. This award recognises the vital role churches can play in environmental stewardship – celebrating those who care for these precious places in ways that benefit both people and nature. It has been heartening to hear of these excellent examples of this in action.”
The Revd Andrew Tapsell said: “This award is much deserved by the many volunteers who devote their time to care for the sacred space of Hemblington churchyard, especially those who are members of the church congregation, the Friends of Hemblington Church, and the Blofield and District and Bure Valley Conservation Groups.
“It is a testament to how the churchyard is managed in the interest of both human need and care for creation, and to have this recognised means so much to all involved in the life of our small and very special church. We hope that this award, which is set to become an annual occurrence, will inspire and encourage all the churches of our diocese to do what they can to manage their churchyards in ways that safeguard the integrity of creation and celebrate them as havens for wildlife and sanctuaries of peace.”
Further “highly commended” certificates were presented to All Saints, Edingthorpe, St Peter & St Paul’s, Blofield and All Saints, Horstead. The judging panel commented that there was very little to separate the top ten entries and that any one of them could have deserved a place in the final stage. They added: “We are grateful for the time and effort made by the churches in submitting their applications for the conservation churchyard competition. It has been a difficult task to judge the applications, and we can see that a great deal of excellent conservation work is taking place in churchyards across Norfolk. The overall standard is very high.”
Rosabelle Batt, Chair of the Norfolk Churches Trust, said: “Since 1930, England has lost an astonishing 97 per cent of its wildflower meadows. Yet within our churchyards, many of these rare plants and species survive, protected from pesticides. These spaces are living time capsules, havens of biodiversity and memory and their preservation has never been more important. This new award recognises the extraordinary value of churchyards as sanctuaries for nature, history and community and celebrates those who care for them.”
Lucy Seely, our Wilder Communities Officer, added: “This has been a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate all that our churches are doing to support wildlife in Norfolk. Churchyards are often the last remnant of ancient, undisturbed grassland in many parishes, and we have been running the Churchyard Conservation Scheme alongside the Diocese of Norwich for over 40 years in recognition of their importance for wildlife.
“Churchyards support wildflowers, ferns and lichens that are rarely found in the wider Norfolk countryside. Our churchyards can also be quiet havens for birds, insects, amphibians and mammals, and are important as green stepping stones for wildlife in the county.”
It is planned to run the Conservation Award annually from now on, and applications will open again on Saturday 31 October – more information here.