If you’ve ever wondered whether old buildings can go green, Bradford Cathedral just gave a solid answer. This week, they scooped up the Gold Eco Church award – that’s the top tier in a national scheme recognising churches that are serious about looking after the planet. So, what does that even mean, and why should anyone care? Let’s break it down.
A cathedral with a green conscience
Most of us don’t think of cathedrals as places that lead the way in climate action. But Bradford Cathedral has been flipping that idea on its head. They’re not just talking about being eco-friendly – they’re making it part of how they worship, how they manage their land, even how they run events.
In fact, after earning their Silver Eco Church award back in November 2023, they doubled down and reached Gold following a detailed submission in late 2024 and a recent site visit from the awarding charity, A Rocha UK.
This makes them the 5th cathedral in England to hit Gold status, and number 81 across England and Wales. Not exactly common. So yeah – this is kind of a big deal.
What did they actually do to earn Gold?
It wasn’t just about switching off a few lights or putting up a bird box (although that helps too). They made changes across almost every area of cathedral life. Here’s what stood out:
Worship that cares for the planet
- Their services now include prayers for the environment and encourage preachers to talk about creation care.
- During Creationtide – a season in the church calendar focused on nature – they hosted an intercultural harvest, got involved with Fairtrade Fortnight, and spotlighted trade justice.
Green living, from candles to cleaning
- They’ve kicked off a net zero action plan. That means reducing their carbon footprint bit by bit.
- Started simple: recycling candles, using eco-friendly cleaning products, and promoting their green events through digital screens and social media.
Outside the building, big things are growing
- On the grounds, they’re planting trees, building a pond, and creating an environmental education space for school kids. All wrapped in a living willow screen.
- They’re even looking at green roofs and living walls – basically turning parts of the building itself into gardens.
Working with others to spread the impact
This isn’t a cathedral doing its own thing in a corner. They’ve been teaming up:
- Supporting Earth Hour and running events like Orchestra for the Environment and Eco Film Nights.
- Partnering with groups like Bradford Ark, University of Bradford, and Craft for Climate.
- Leading a clever project to reuse wool from sheep farmers for insulation instead of it being burned.
They also hosted the start of this year’s Cathedrals Cycle Relay – think of it like a relay race with a climate message on two wheels.
It’s not the end – it’s a checkpoint
As much as they’ve already done, the team at Bradford Cathedral says they’re nowhere near finished. They’ve got plans for:
- More solar panels
- A brand new eco leaflet and noticeboard
- More public-facing events, starting with Churches Count on Nature this summer (free tickets are already up online)
Rose Gosling, who visited on behalf of A Rocha UK, was full of praise. She said she was “impressed” by both the work already done and how bold the future plans were – especially the multi-faith and intercultural work they’re doing around environmental issues.
So, what’s next?
Revd Canon Ned Lunn, who chairs the Cathedral’s Eco Group, made it clear: the Gold award is a huge win, but it’s just another step. He hopes it inspires more people to get involved. Because while the group may be small, the impact is getting bigger by the day.
In his words, “This does not mark a conclusion but a major milestone on our ongoing work.”
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, backed that up, saying that Bradford’s work shows what happens when creation care is woven into everything a church does.
Here’s a quick summary of what they’ve done
- 🥇 Gold Eco Church award – 5th cathedral in England to earn it
- 🕯️ Eco worship and seasonal events (like Creationtide)
- 🌿 Tree planting, pond building, nature zones for kids
- 🧼 Switched to green products and candle recycling
- 🐑 Partnering on wool insulation with sheep farmers
- 🎬 Hosting eco-events like film nights and music for climate
- 🔆 Future plans: more solar, more outreach, and more nature
So yeah, if someone tells you an old cathedral can’t be eco-friendly, just point them to Bradford. They’re not just lighting candles – they’re lighting the way.
You can check out their work or grab free event tickets at bradfordcathedral.org.uk/eco-cathedral.
