A SMALL eco-friendly church has won an award after opening a recycling centre in a bid to help the environment.

St Boniface in Hale Road, Woodgreen, near Fordingbridge, has secured a bronze eco-church award from A Rocha UK, a charity that aims to help protect and restore the natural world.

The recycling centre was opened in May last year with the help of the Rev Nicky Davies, assistant curate of the Avon Valley Partnership.

She said: “The centre was set-up for community use and we collect unwanted items that can be of use to others and benefit charities.

“For example used stamps go to raise funds for the Leprosy Mission and we collect jam jars for local use for people making jam – especially useful at the moment.

“There are lots of other things, too, such as aluminium foil, old printer cartridges and batteries.

“We are especially pleased to have received the eco-award for this work and other things such only using eco-friendly cleaning products.

“We are very proud to be a Fairtrade Church as well and this work is also assessed as part of the eco-award.

“I must say a big ‘thank you’ to churchgoers and others here for their support. It wouldn’t be possible without everyone working so well together.”

St Boniface dates from 1913 and was originally a church reading room. It became a church in 1949 and was extended to its present size in 1963.