Show the Love

Major Heather Poxon introduces this year’s climate campaign

EACH February since 2015, people from across the UK have joined together to show they care about climate change and its impacts. The Show the Love campaign is organised by the Climate Coalition, which spans more than 130 organisations, including The Salvation Army.

With energy costs increasing, we are all more aware of the need to care for creation and to examine our use of the Earth’s resources. Across the territory, the Army is working in multiple ways to help tackle the climate, nature and cost of living crises – for the love of our families, our homes, our livelihoods and our planet.

Nature Watford Corps

‘We never planned to start a church allotment, but that’s how God works sometimes. A corps member signed up, expecting to wait years for a plot, but we received keys within a month. After lots of trial and error we developed a programme with the neighbouring primary school. Year 3 spend a morning a week from spring to autumn rotating through gardening, cooking sessions, reflection and forest school. Building relationships with a large and diverse group in one of the area’s most deprived neighbourhoods has been a joyful experience. The opportunities for mission keep coming.’

– Captain Mark Scoulding

Awareness Hadleigh Farm Estate

Climate Hendon Corps

‘In November 2022, we opened the hall each Tuesday as a warm space with a commitment to continue until April, when hopefully the weather will be warmer. Providing a warm space achieves several outcomes. Providing heating in one community space reduces the energy being used by numerous individuals in their own homes, which is a good outcome in its own right. But we have seen the added opportunities of new relationships, laughter and meaningful conversations when we just seem to have been in the right place at the right time.’

– Elaine Cobb

‘We have found a growing interest and concern about environmental issues in young children, which we are pleased to encourage with free family half-term activities. On our nature day we will be thinking about bees. Bees are an important part of the biodiversity that we all depend on. One in three mouthfuls of food relies on pollinators such as bees and we want to encourage families to help their survival. There is an opportunity to sample honey produced on the estate and make a decorative bath that will help bees find water in hot conditions.’

– Captain Wendy Watkins