To mark International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March, the Compassionate Communities team heard from two women from St Ann’s Church to learn about the compassion ministries they are running in their parish.
St Ann’s Church is in Haringey, South Tottenham and led by the Revd Jess Swift, the Dean of Women’s Ministry in Edmonton Episcopal Area.
Parts of the parish are within the top 5% most deprived neighbourhoods in England, making compassion ministries an integral part of community mission.
St Ann’s is “committed to reaching out, which is played out in partnerships, regular activities, and especially engagement with young people, schools and community groups”
Emma Archibald is a parishioner and Eco Lead at St Ann’s Church. She supports and oversees their Eco Church journey – rooted in faith, care for God’s creation and community connection. This work follows A Rocha UK’s Eco Church framework and supports the wider Compassionate Communities vision, bringing together creation care, climate justice and care for neighbours.
Together, we seek to ensure that care for God’s creation is part of everyday church life – shaping our worship, buildings, land use, lifestyle choices and how we relate to the wider community.
Creation care is reflected in worship and learning through Creationtide services, prayer spaces, and opportunities for shared theological reflection. These moments help the congregation explore environmental stewardship as a natural expression of Christian discipleship and hope.
Alongside this, Emma oversees the practical steps to reduce the church’s environmental impact. As well as energy-saving measures such as LED lighting, the parish has taken part in Earth Hour, switching off lights as a collective act of prayer, reflection and solidarity with communities most affected by climate change.
Another parishioner who is part of St Ann’s Eco Church Committee, Manuela Cardosso, nurtures simple but meaningful ways for people to connect with one another, creation and the local area. One such initiative has been their walking group, which began as a weekly activity and has since grown into something deeper and more intentional – linking to one of the Compassionate Communities themes “Mental Health & Isolation”.
Compassion is not just something we talk about, but something we practice together – through simple acts of care, relationship and shared responsibility.
The walking group provides a gentle, accessible way for people to connect, with themes ranging from litter-picking and physical fitness challenges to café mingles that support the local park business. Alongside nature walks and Eco Acts of Service, these activities encourage shared care for local spaces, strengthen relationships and support wellbeing. This work also connects with wider parish involvement in campaigns focused on warm homes, ethical supply chains and environmental justice.
Through walking together, people are encouraged to care for their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, while also building a sense of belonging. Although rooted in the life of St Ann’s Church, the walks are open to the wider community, fostering openness, hospitality and connection across the parish and beyond.
We believe compassion ministries matter because they help us live out our faith in practical, everyday ways – caring for people, caring for creation and building connection in a world that often feels fragmented. These activities create spaces where people can slow down, feel seen and experience belonging, while also nurturing respect for the natural world we share.
Through this shared journey, St Ann’s Church has achieved the Eco Church Silver Award and continues to grow as a compassionate community, where care for creation and care for people is deeply connected.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming an Eco Church or setting up a compassion ministry in your own church, please get in touch or visit our website.
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