Laudato Si'
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. .."
(Genesis 1: 1-31)
Our pupils are very proactive in addressing environmental challenges. We created an Elephant Eco Brick Sculpture, collaborating with Bob Turner from CAFOD and Joel Henderson from Prospects, to highlight single-use plastic waste and raise awareness about the endangered Asian Elephant. Year 4 and 5 pupils have been collecting crisp packets to create blankets for the homeless, and we've continued expanding our eco-brick projects, installing our third bench on the bottom playground.
We've developed extensive environmental partnerships, welcoming members of the Global Catholic Climate Movement and local environmental committees to work directly with our pupils. Our commitment extends to practical sustainability practises: we've established Bread Bag Blocks as a permanent school initiative, participated in local supermarket plastic recycling marches, and developed strong links with Turtle Bee in Great Harwood for plastic-free products.
Our environmental education encompasses multiple dimensions. Annually, pupils attend the Lancashire Fair Trade Conference and Sustainability Conference. We've implemented comprehensive recycling systems including paper bag recycling, pink bins for hard plastics, and recycling programmes for glue sticks and whiteboard pens. Our Secret Garden provides outdoor learning opportunities, and we regularly host Bob Turner, our Eco Educator.
Future initiatives include a trashion show and decorating our Christmas tree with recycled materials. Our termly Window on the World Day focuses on sustainability and global perspectives. We've also installed solar panels, established water-saving mechanisms like water butts, and created a Wall of Kindness for community donations.
Small actions can create significant change, and our pupils are leading by example - growing spider plants, encouraging reusable water bottles, growing food, feeding birds, and consistently practising energy conservation.
We are proud of our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and hope these efforts inspire broader community engagement.
In Laudato Si, Pope Francis clearly states that our common home is being destroyed and that we, as humans, have dominion over the whole earth. We have to act now! There is no alternative planet. We are ignoring the Earth's cry; we cannot continue like this. Time is running out and the solution is right in front of us: trees can help to save our planet but every day they are being mercilessly cut down. Greta Thunberg said at the United Nations Climate Summit that trees are our climate solution. Play your part. We have developed a speed of destruction that we could never have imagined. Make your voice count and stop this. We have to make our dream a reality so protect and restore nature. We spend thousands and thousands of pounds on fossil fuels rather than on developing natural resources. How can we hope for a future when we don't know if there is one? Climate change affects us all but it is the poorest who suffer most.
Dear Children of St. Wulstan's
The earth is God’s gift to us, full of beauty and wonder. And it belongs to everyone. But what we see today is that our common home has never been so hurt and mistreated. We have developed at a greater speed than we could have ever imagined, and have treated the earth like it has an unlimited supply of resources. We have taken more than our fair share from most people on the planet, as well as future generations. We have cut down the earth’s natural forests, polluted the earth’s waters, its land and its air.
The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. We are using more and more polluting fossil fuels which is contributing to climate change. Climate change one of the biggest challenges we face today. Climate change will affect us all, but it will be the poorest communities who will suffer the most. And despite these problems, we are not slowing down on how much we consume and throw away; leaving a trail of waste and destruction. We cannot continue like this. We can change, and we can make a new start.
The whole human family needs to work together to care for our planet earth So that we sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. So let’s put love for the world and love for our neighbours, into action, by living together in harmony, and caring for nature.
Will you play your part to look after our common home?
Can you take simple everyday eco-actions to care for the earth, like turning off lights, reducing water waste and recycling?
And will you live more simply, reducing the amount of things we buy and throw away, so that we don’t take more than our fair share?
The world can’t wait! So let’s make that start today. Play your part to protect our common home.
Love, Pope Francis
Live Simply Award
https://www.stwulstans.co.uk/federation/the-religious-life-of-our-school/live-simply
The Live Simply award is an opportunity for Catholic communities – parishes, schools, religious orders and chaplaincies – to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation in Laudato Si’ to “work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us”.
WHAT IS THE LIVE SIMPLY AWARD?
It is awarded to communities who can show how they have been living:
• simply
• in solidarity with people in poverty
• sustainably with creation.
To find out more information on the Live Simply Award, click here https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Livesimply-award
