Eco-angels trail around Norfolk churches

The King, a Norfolk fungi expert, Greta Thunberg and a womble are all starring in a trail of ‘eco-angels’ linking ten churches in North and mid-Norfolk this summer.

His Majesty, sculpted from recycled newspaper, card and clothing, is one of the stars of a trail of ecological heroes, most of them created by local schoolchildren. While King Charles, pictured below, welcomes visitors to Weston Longville church, Greta Thunberg, above, also crafted from recycled materials, will be at All Saints Church, Marsham, and a womble made of newspaper, wool and old carpet tiles will join the famous carved medieval angels at St Agnes Church, Cawston.
 
Most of the twelve real and fictional environmental champions were chosen and created from recycled or repurposed materials by children at local schools to pay tribute to people and characters who have helped to make the world a better place. They will be on display in the churches until September 30, with a pilgrim trail linking them all.
 
The trail was launched by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham Usher, who said: “In the Bible we find angels giving us messages from God. We have an angel announcing the birth of Jesus. Sometimes they bring joyful messages, sometimes a warning. These eco-angels are carrying a message about how we look after this planet home that we have been given to share with all creation.”
 
He said the trail was a chance to explore some of our ‘treasure trove’ of Norfolk churches and talked of his ‘hope and prayer’ that ‘we who have been responsible for so much damage in the world might hear the message of these 12 angels.’
 
The launch event in the Bishop’s garden was attended by some of the children who made the eco-angels, as well as the model of Greta. Seven-year-old Lavinia Hurst of Great Witchingham Primary Academy helped make the model of King Charles III and explained that his cloak is made from pictures of animals and plants, drawn by every child in the school. Ten-year-old Hannah Turk of Lyng Primary Academy said: “It was a lot of fun making our model. We used hundreds of shrunken crisp packets.”

The trail was co-ordinated by churches in the Ingworth and Sparham Deanery, in partnership with Scrapbox, the Reepham-based re-use charity which gives waste products a second life by selling them on to people and organisations at bargain prices.
 
Here’s where you can find all the eco-angels:

• Cartoon character Lisa Simpson is at St Peter’s church Easton, made from plastic bottles, cardboard and old clothes by the children of St Peter's Primary School.
• Robot film character WALL-E, who cleans up the rubbish on a future deserted and uninhabitable Earth, on display at St Michael’s, Hockering made by children from Hockering Primary Academy.
• King Charles III is at All Saints, Weston Longville, made by the children of Great Witchingham Primary Academy, in honour of his work for the environment.
• A model of Lyng Primary Academy teaching assistant Julie Warnes is at St Margaret’s, Lyng, made of crisp packets by her pupils in honour of here environmental work.
• A womble made of newspaper, wool and old carpet tiles by the children of Cawston Primary Academy, is in St Agnes, Cawston.
• Inspirational fungi expert Dr Tony Leech is in St Mary’s, Itteringham, modelled in recycled plastic, paper and wood by people at the Mannington estate. He has been very involved in the work of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists Society and Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
• Conservationist and television presenter Chris Packham, has been created in recycled and natural materials from the school grounds by pupils of Aldborough Primary School, and displayed in St Mary’s, Aldborough.
• Greta Thunberg, pictured top, made by Crispin Clark and the Buxton Church Family of recycled material from Norfolk’s craft recycling specialists Scrapbox, is at All Saints, Marsham.
• Norfolk naturalist Ted Ellis is at All Saints Church, Horstead, made in willow by Horstead Centre staff and visitors.
• At Aylsham church there will be three eco-angels: Pupils of St Michael’s Primary School and Nursery, Aylsham have created author and conservationist Gerald Durrell and Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti who founded a charity in Kenya which has planted more than 30,000 trees. The children of John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School, Aylsham, made models of fish and ocean environmentalist Sylvia Earle.

Pick up a copy of the trail from one of the churches, Norwich Cathedral, the tourist information centre in Hoveton, Bure Valley Railway stations at Wroxham and Aylsham, Mannington Hall and the Horstead Centre or download from www.ecoangels.uk
 
The pictures are courtesy of the Eco-Angel Pilgrim Trail. 
 

Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in North Norfolk?  

If so, e-mail tony.rothe@networknorwich.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture.