Pony power and festive bells were the hallmarks of some unusual seasonal deliveries as energy-conscious villagers harnessed an alternative power source to reduce their carbon footprint.
The recently formed St Newlyn East Sustainable Energy Group has already applied for consent to install photovoltaic panels on the parish church roof.
Now, members have been out delivering notices of the church and chapel Christmas services to more than 100 outlying farms, cottages and houses by pony and trap.
As part of the submission process for the solar panel project, the church carried out an energy audit for the Church of England’s Shrinking The Footprint initiative.
Guided by this ethos and keen to go even further, David and Dolly Scott, members of the sustainable energy group and churchwarden and treasurer, respectively, decided to rope in their hackney mare Whitsun Lass to help with deliveries.
“We felt that this was a wonderful opportunity to exercise Whitsun Lass while dropping notices and Christmas wishes to the outlying farms and homes who so often are forgotten and missed from village post drops and circulars,” said Mr Scott.
“We put on Christmas bells for seasonal cheer, which added to the surprise of many householders who had never received their post by horse before. Not only did we provide a good three hours’ exercise for Whitsun Lass but also we used no fossil fuels and left only a few organic deposits.
“We would certainly think of doing this again.”
St Newlyn East parish church, along with many in the diocese, are reviewing their energy use and are looking at as many ways as possible of monitoring and reducing their carbon footprint.