Ashby cum Fenby – The Church of St Peter – Eco Church Silver Award

St Peter’s, Ashby cum Fenby is a small and beautiful village church which dates from the 13th Century. The church is popular for weddings, and Hall Farm is just across the lane. When it comes to weddings, we are willing to be as generous as the law permits in helping you establish a Qualifying Connection if you are not resident in the Waltham Group parishes. St. Peter’s is a Celebration church, which means that the church celebrates Easter, Harvest Festival and Christmas Services, as well as Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals. More recently the church of St Peter has Sunday Morning Worship every 3rd Sunday of the month, every other month and you will receive a warm welcome when you arrive.

Reverend Pauline Cummins with members of St Peters Church PCC

Eco Church Statement

 St Peters Church Ashby cum Fenby is a small, rural, Grade II* listed Saxon church. At present we are classified as a Festival Church and have had an active PCC for the last 18 months. We take every opportunity to have services and celebrations within the church with either a priest or lay preacher. We usually incorporate these with fund raising events. Our church is surrounded by woodland, wetland and pastureland. The village and our parishioners take pride and pleasure in maintaining the church and the surrounding area. The community events and activities that Church has organised over the last 18 months has brought people within the village closer to each other and made the church a central point to the village. For the last year, the church has been opened daily giving walkers, villagers and hiking groups a safe and inviting place to rest and reflect. There is evidence of bats around the church and a bat box has been placed within 100m of the church. We encourage wild life areas around the edge of the grounds to support butterflies, bees and insects. The church encourages sharing of local produce freely to other residents, for example, apples, pears, plums and vegetables, chutney and honey. We decorate the church on a weekly basis using flowers and foliage foraged from fields, gardens and our churchyard. This year we have had our five year quinquennial report and have already actioned some of the points. The lighting within the church has been changed to LED, all plug and light sockets have been replaced to make them more energy efficient. We are planning to upgrade our heating to a green option and are in the process of fundraising for this at the moment. We are also looking at putting a toilet near to the church which will make a big difference for parishioners. Our annual Flower Festival, Nature Trail and Advent Trail encourage the appreciation of God’s creation.