A Grade I-listed church in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, is holding a special blessing ceremony to mark the installation of new solar panels.
Holy Trinity and St Mary has fitted 26 solar panels on the flat roof of the building's south side.
As reported by BBC, the panels are expected to provide up to 70 per cent of the church's energy needs, contributing significantly to its sustainability efforts.
Susan Phillips, a member of the church’s eco group, told the outlet: "We thought it was a wonderful idea to hold a service celebrating the installation and invite everyone involved in making it possible."
The solar project was first considered in 2022 when the then-vicar asked a church group to develop a five-year plan to achieve carbon neutrality.
One of the primary hurdles was finding a company willing to install panels on the historic building.
After extensive searching, the right company, Maden Eco, was found locally in Berwick.
Simon Maden, director of the company, said: "What made this site ideal was the low wall around the roof, which keeps the panels completely hidden from view at ground level.
"While installing on a listed building can be complex, it’s definitely achievable with the right permissions."
The panels were installed using scaffolding, although Maden mentioned the fun of accessing the roof via a spiral staircase.
The Bishop of Berwick, Right Rev Mark Wroe, who proposed the blessing ceremony, will ascend to the roof as part of the service.
A special order of service and prayer has been created for the occasion.
Church member Susan Phillips concluded: "This is a major milestone for our church, significantly reducing our carbon footprint. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved."