Leading organisations in the Christian environmental movement have pulled together in support of a new award to acknowledge and encourage the outstanding environmental work already being undertaken by churches and their congregations across the UK.

Sponsors of The Church Times Green Awards 2007 include Operation Noah/Christian Ecology Link, A Rocha UK, Eco-congregation, Tearfund, Christian Aid and Shrinking the Footprint.

Awards will highlight the work of churches in a variety of green areas, including biodiversity, campaigning to cut the carbon, celebrating creation, changing lifestyles and energy-saving in church buildings.

Church Times launched the Green Awards to celebrate the progress being made by churches as they continue their transformation to become environmentally friendly role models.

The newspaper hopes the awards will inspire others to become more active in the nurturing of our planet.

The deadline for applications is June 30, and a shortlist for each award will be drawn up in July. Stories from the shortlists will be published in the Church Times during August and September, while an award ceremony has been planned for October.