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Thinking about Gardens

Wild Flowers and ButterfliesLet us think about gardens and outdoor spaces and how we can contribute to a greener, less polluted world.

► Adding wildlife friendly plants such as dahlias, fuchsia or hellebore to your garden, window box or pots can give you pleasure as well as helping to combat the causes and effects of climate breakdown. Thirty per cent of the food we eat is thought to be pollinated by insects; without insects we would not have that food. But research suggests seventy five per cent of flying insects have been lost in the past 25 years and the number of bumblebees in Europe has dropped by about thirty per cent in the last 50 years.

► Let all or part of your lawn grow, and only mow it once every four weeks, or less frequently. You may find more wildflowers and butterflies. Climbing plants like honeysuckle or clematis provide even more nectar for insects. We are trialling this in the Churchyard, in conjunction with Leeds City Council and Wildlife Friendly Otley; an area of grass is being left unmowed, where wildflowers have been sown.

► Peat when left in the ground is a sequestered store of carbon. A lot of that carbon is released when peat is used in commercial compost, thereby contributing to climate change, so only use peat-free compost if you buy it. Otley’s Courtyard Planters will also fill reusable bags with peat-free compost, but the best way is to make your own; there’s plenty of information online to help you turn your vegetable waste into garden compost such as here on the RHS website: https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/composting

► Water butts are great for watering plants and avoid the carbon impact of using tap water. A drought has been declared in Yorkshire - a good time to take notice of the advice given from the authorities, including Yorkshire Water.

► Grow as many different flowers or plants as possible. The wider the range, the more chance there will be food for insects, and seed heads for birds.

► It is difficult to avoid plastic plant pots, but you can try to grow as much as possible from seed, share plants with family and friends or use your existing pots as many times as possible. Courtyard Planters will also take and reuse any plastic pots that are 1 litre and above (approximately 13cm diameter).

More tips will be published in future editions of our In Touch magazine.
You may also wish to share any actions you have taken with the rest of the Parish.
We will continue to pray for God’s creation, nature’s preservation
and the reduction in fossil fuel usage. 
HelloWhite
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome!

OPC in SpringtimeThe following information is specifically for those planning a visit on a Sunday morning, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect. You are also welcome to visit the church building during the week for private prayer or simply to look round. It is normally open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Where and When: We meet at Otley (All Saints') Parish Church (map here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. The church is 2 minutes walk from Otley Bus Station. On-street parking is limited, but there is a small, public (free) carpark opposite the church on Burras Lane. Nearby is Sainsbury's who also allow parking up to 4 hours. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

Refreshments: We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the 10:30am service and you are most welcome to stay for this. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to look around the ancient building. All refreshments are free.

Church Logo Dark BlueAccessibility: The main part of the church is fully accessible, and there is a hearing loop for anyone who needs it. For the main service there are no service books since everything is displayed on screen. Do let us know if you find this difficult since we aim to have some large print material available. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. We have flexible seating and can accommodate wheelchair users to suit their needs. There is a disabled toilet in the south entrance foyer and further toilets up the stairs.

Our Services: The main Sunday service begins at 10.30am and lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. See our Main Sunday Service page for details of the monthly pattern of services. You can also view services on our YouTube Channel to get a taste of what happens.

See our Other Services page for details of other weekly and monthly services.

What about my children?

ChildrenOne sevice a month (3rd Sunday) is usually all-age where everyone is together and the format is child friendly. For other Sundays we have special provision for children and young people:

  • Sunday Club - Separate groups for those from age 1 to the end of Primary School
  • OPC Youth - For those in school years 7 to 10

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome and the opening song before they are invited to go to their various groups. Children going out need to be registered before the service as part of our child safety policy.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up later in the service when an announcement is given.

There is much more going on during the week at Otley Parish Church which you can see on the Church Calendar.

Get in touch with us if you would like any more information:

 

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:

Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?


We will contact you by email to say hello and help answer any questions.

Note that the Church Office is only staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so a reply may not be immediate!

 
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