St Albans bishop preaches importance of five a day

LEARN to love your five a day, the Bishop of St Albans has urged pupils at a local secondary school.

During a visit to Townsend Church of England School a couple of weeks ago, the Rt Rev Alan Smith extolled the virtues of growing your own fruit and veg and reminded pupils that eating five portions a day was not an option for many children in the developing world.

Expert gardener Bishop Alan was promoting the 2010 St Albans Fruits of Justice Harvest Appeal, which supports the Church of England’s Climate Justice Fund - Faith Moves Mountains - to help communities in developing countries adapt to the effects attributed to climate change.

The Fund is seeking to help the people of Uganda, who have been badly affected by flood and drought. With the funds raised and in partnership with relief charity Tearfund, the Ugandan church is helping communities in Teso Diocese grow new drought-resistant crops to counter the effects of the 2008 floods.

Bishop Alan also explained why some crops thrived in different conditions and illustrated his points with examples grown in his own garden. Ayletts Nurseries in St Albans donated over a thousand packets of seeds to the cause, enabling Townsend pupils and other children from across the diocese to get planting themselves.

Bishop Alan said that it was a cause he felt strongly about: “Our Five a Day is a distant dream for many children in Uganda. The Faith Moves Mountains Climate Justice Fund can make a difference and can help us to take responsibility for our own actions.

“This appeal is not just about compassion; it is about the church helping to build a movement for climate justice.”

For more information on the appeal, visit www.climatejusticefund.org