Norfolk Christian National Trust climate protest

A pair of Norfolk Christian climate activists have been staging a cycling protest to try to convince the National Trust to change its banking partner.

Recently Jim Green and Chris Hull cycled 93 miles over two days, visiting seven different NT sites across Norfolk and Suffolk including Blickling Hall and Sheringham Park.
 
Jim Green is Coordinator for Norfolk and Suffolk Christian Climate Action and Chris Hull is Norwich campaign organiser for Christian Aid. Two years ago they cycled throughout the south east of England visiting 13 cathedrals
 
This time they were supporting the widely publicised national protest, organised by Christian Climate Action and others, to convince the National Trust (NT) to move away from banking with Barclays, the biggest funder of fossil fuel companies in the whole of Europe.     
 
Jim said: “It's probably the most pleasurable protest I have ever done!  Riding though the glorious Norfolk and Suffolk lanes to visit the splendid National Trust sites where staff and visitors were happy to talk to us.”
 
Many NT staff and volunteers have made public statements supporting the campaign to switch banking operations, as there are more ethical alternatives which align better with the values and activities of the National Trust. 
 
Mothertree - an independent auditing organisation - has calculated the CO2 emissions of the biggest 16 investment banks - and Barclays is the worst at 2.376 tons per 10K in the account.  This compares with Triodos Bank, the best of 16, which contributes 0.317 tons per 10K invested. Barclays specifically supports two major coal conglomerates in the USA. 
 
Nationally Christian Climate Action have protested at over 40 NT site actions during August, with both national  and local press coverage.
 
Chris added: “As there is a National Trust AGM coming up in November and many Christian activists are members of the NT, there will be a concerted effort to convince the Board of NT to do the right thing and switch to investing with a bank which is more congruent with the stated values of NT.  After all, the National Trust was set up, primarily to protect nature and ancient buildings, and it is doing a good job.”
 
Pictured above are Chris Hull (left) and Jim Green protesting outside Blickling Hall in Norfolk.