A parish has received an award for its efforts to reduce their waste, recycle and improve the environment.

The Mary Immaculate and St Peter's, New Barnet, has been given the Livesimply award, presented to communities living sustainably and helping the poor.

The award is only given to groups who have made significant sustainable changes.

Over the past year, they have collected goods for refugees in Calais and set up a 'friendship' project reaching out to vulnerable and housebound people.

The church grounds have been transformed into a wild garden to attract bees and a peace garden with olive trees.

The parish has also been a Fairtrade parish since 2014 and alongside tea and coffee, they sell Fairtrade olive oil from Palestine.

One of the accessors for the award, Ellen Teague, said: "It's a wonderful testament to their hard work and commitment to putting the most marginalised at the centre of their parish life and living sustainably."

CAFOD representative from New Barnet, Tony Sheen, said: “I am so pleased that New Barnet parishioners have put many good practices in place. By coming together as a community to carry out these changes, they are going to make a massive difference.”