Another nine volunteers join Master Composters

Herefordshire Council, working in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council, has introduced nine more volunteers to the delights of being a Master Composter, including a woman from Upper Sapey in Herefordshire.

The eco-friendly residents completed their training at the weekend and are now ready to help others with their composting questions. Master Composters help the council's waste prevention team at roadshows and other events promote the benefits of composting, as well as provide helpful hints and tips.

As well as local events Master Composters visit schools, carry out compost bin inspections for friends and neighbours, write articles for local magazines and newsletters and deliver talks for local groups.

Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council now have a total of 43 active volunteers who have contributed over 1,550 hours between them to encouraging residents to take up composting.

Andrew Tector, Herefordshire Council's head of environmental health and trading standards, said: "The Master Composters scheme has been a massive success and it is great that the existing volunteers have given so much of their time to helping residents to compost. All of our Master Composters are incredibly enthusiastic and believe strongly in the cause, we very much look forward to working with the new volunteers."

The training involved an introduction to waste management at the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, followed by a trip to the large scale composting plant and Materials Reclamation Facility at Hill and Moor in the afternoon. Volunteers then visited Garden Organic in Warwickshire to learn all about the composting process, had a tour of the large composting interpretation area and talked about ideas for voluntary activities promoting composting in the two counties.

The volunteers that took part were Julia Cawthra (Worcester), John Cawthra (Worcester), Gabi Gogan (Malvern), Jacki Ager (Worcester), Ann Marriott (Upper Sapey, Herefordshire), John Davies (Redditch), Ali Saull (Kidderminster), Ruth Carpenter (Worcester) and Cyrus Baria (Worcester).

For further information and advice about composting or any of other waste prevention initiatives, contact Mission Impossible on 01905 766883 or go to http://www.wastemissionimpossible.org.uk/