Hillsborough Parish goes green; Suicide rate amongst young people in Ireland fourth highest in EU; Dublin MU Festival Service; RSCM – Meet the Director; Raising a Culture of Prayer; New Alpha Course Gets Underway in St Ann’s, Dawson Street; Cork institution
Hillsborough Parish goes green
Increasing fuel costs and the desire to be more environmentally friendly has encouraged Hillsborough Parish to invest in wood pellet boilers. The move from older oil fired boilers is helping them to significantly reduce their carbon emissions and make substantial savings on their energy bills.
After careful consideration of the options, the Select Vestry went ahead with the installation of two 40kW wood pellet boilers along with a 2,500 litre buffer tank and heat meter. The pellets are stored in a silo and the fuel is transferred by augers when required. Maintenance to the system is carried out annually with ash removal every eight weeks; otherwise no regular attention is required.
While this decision meant a greater capital outlay, the availability of a Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment – ‘Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive scheme’, convinced the Select Vestry that this was the route to follow.
The RHI scheme is available for non–domestic buildings and financial support is received based on the amount of renewable energy generated and delivered on site. This will be reflected by regular RHI payments to the Parish Church.
The savings in fuel cost will be approximately £2,000.00 per year (at present figures) and with the regular RHI payments from DETI the operating costs will reduce substantially and the capital outlay will be recovered very quickly.
St Malachy’s is the first church in Northern Ireland to be accepted in to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
The main Contractor entrusted with the design and installation was Green Energy Engineering Ltd www.geeltd.org and the pellets ‘Brites’ www.brites.eu are being supplied by Balcas.
Suicide rate amongst young people in Ireland fourth highest in EU
Young men aged 20-24 are most at risk. 42 per cent of those who took their own lives in 2010 – the latest year covered by CSO stats – were aged under 40.
Ireland ranks fourth highest in the EU in terms of deaths by suicide amongst young people; that’s according to statistics released today by the National Office for Suicide Prevention.
In terms of 5 to 24 year olds, deaths by suicide were at 13.9 per 100,000 of the population in 2010 — the most recent year covered by data from the Central Statistics Office.
In total, there were 495 deaths by suicide in Ireland in 2010; 82 per cent of these were men, a ratio broadly in line with statistics for the last decade or so. More at –
http://www.thejournal.ie/suicide-rates-1070842-Sep2013/
Dublin MU Festival Service
Archbishop Michael Jackson will preach at the Mother’s Union Diocesan Festival Service which takes place in St Patrick’s Church, Greystones, on Tuesday September 10 at 7.30 pm.
RSCM – Meet the Director
The Royal School of Church Music is holding a ‘Come and Meet the RSCM Director’ event on Sunday September 15 at 2.00 pm in St Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin 4.
The session will look at accessible RSCM resources, discuss the work of the RSCM and of course there will be an opportunity to do some singing (music will be provided on the day).
The events are open to everyone: choirs, clergy, individuals, affiliates and non–affiliates.
Entry is free, however, refreshments will be provided for which a small charge may be made.
This is a great opportunity to meet and to learn more about the work of the RSCM. Further details are also available at www.rscmireland.com.
Raising a Culture of Prayer
Transformations Ireland Culture of Prayer conference 2013 with speaker Alistair Petrie. When: Friday 20 and Saturday 21 September Venue: St Jude’s Parish Church, Belfast, BT7 2GE
For many years in both the United Kingdom and Canada, Alistair Petrie served as senior pastor in diverse city church settings. With that experience and his earlier years spent in professional broadcasting, he now serves as the Executive Director of Partnership Ministries, a global ministry that teaches the principles and relevance of the Gospel and its relationship to the Marketplace. Partnership Ministries combines prayer and research in order to prepare Communities, Cities, Nations, and the Marketplace for lasting revival, authentic transformation and the release of Kingdom culture.
Registration and further details at – http://www.transformations-ireland.org/cmsfiles/pdf/Stand-In-The-Gap_Web.pdf
New Alpha Course Gets Underway in St Ann’s, Dawson Street
The new season of the lunchtime Express Alpha Course gets underway in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, on Tuesday September 10 and runs for six weeks.
The course takes place each Tuesday from 1.00 pm to 1.50 pm and lunch is included. For more information contact the parish office on 01–6767727.
Cork institution
Tonight the Bishop of Cork will institute the Reverend John Ardis as Incumbent of Abbeystrewry Union of Parishes in West Cork.
Abbeystrewry Union comprises the town of Skibbereen, the village of Caheragh and the coastal villages of Castletownshend and Baltimore, as well as their surrounding areas.