WELCOME TO
SHROPSHIRE MASTER COMPOSTERS!
We're a group of volunteers dedicated to helping you compost at home.
We offer talks, advice, demonstrations, displays.
You can ask us questions by emailing composthelp@yahoo.co.uk
Promoting
and supporting home composting
Shropshire
Master Composter Scheme
What
is the Master Composter Scheme?
Master
Composters are volunteers who spend time promoting home composting in their
local community, encouraging householders to take up composting and supporting
those already composting to continue to do so effectively. Master Composters
come from many backgrounds and age groups: their unifying feature is their
enthusiasm for encouraging more environmentally friendly waste management practices.
Why
become a Master Composter?
The
Master Composter idea was initiated in North America over ten years ago and is
now an established method of providing an advisory network to promote and
support home composting. Volunteers can contribute in many different ways: we
can give talks to schools and community groups, attend events such as village
fetes or school fairs, and write articles for Parish magazines and Community
newsletters.
In
this way, we reach an audience that Council employees do not always have the
time, resources or ability to target. As members of the community in which we
are working, our message is well respected and we can become an integral part
of a successful national and regional recycling campaign.
Use of home composting bins diverts
approximately 220kg of biodegradable waste per household from landfill
each year. Therefore any Master Composter activity that encourages home
composting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.
- In our scheme, 28 volunteers
totalled over 600 hours promoting composting last year.
- Undertaking community
environmental volunteer work develops skills and knowledge, thus building
social capital and contributing to sustainable communities.
Who
trains our volunteers?
Garden
Organic is the new working name for the Henry Doubleday Research Association.
It is one of the UK’s longest standing environmental charities and has over
32,000 members interested in sustainable living and organic growing in
particular.
Composting
is a vital cornerstone of organic gardening and the organisation has worked to
develop compost techniques and promotion
since it was first established 5 decades ago. They feel strongly that people who compost at home should have
inspirational support to ensure that they continue to compost successfully
throughout their lives.
Their
pioneering work in the establishment of Master Composter schemes in the UK and
the training of home composting and recycling advisors has helped to bring home
composting into the mainstream. They are
often the first port of call for anyone interested in learning more about home
composting or setting up a Master Composter scheme.
The Cambridgeshire Master
Composter Scheme, run by Garden Organic in partnership with Cambridgeshire
County Council has won six awards in five years, including three Green
Apple awards for innovative community projects.
- During 2006, Garden Organic
trained 150 volunteers to become Master Composters across England, and
trained 60 local authority personnel in home composting techniques and promotion.
- Garden Organic has partnerships
in England, Wales and Scotland, and we co-ordinate the UK Network for
Master Composters.
How
are training courses run?
Master
Composter training takes place over 2 days, usually a weekend. One day is held
in Shrewsbury. This explains the scope
of the scheme, what is required of
volunteers and what help they can expect. There may be a visit to a ‘green
waste’ on- farm composter, to see
composting on a large scale.
The
next day is a trip to Garden Organic’s site at Ryton, near Coventry. They have
examples of all kinds of home composting equipment, and cover technical aspects
of composting and interacting with the public.
All
transport is provided, and lunch and refreshments. Volunteers are also issued
with a helpful manual, and a polo shirt and fleece to wear when volunteering.
The current group
We
started in October 2006. There have been 2 Master Composter courses, and we now
have 28 members, from Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Telford, Church Stretton and Clun. We’ve attended
events as diverse as composting in
schools, Shrewsbury Flower Show, Fordhall Farm Fun days, Oswestry Farmers
Market and the West-Mid Show. We’ve
given talks to school children, WI groups, various clubs, allotment members – and anyone else who
will listen!
Our
group was nominated for an award at the National Master Composters Conference
in 2008, and one of our members was awarded the Individual Achievement Award –
and 14 of us were presented with our ‘graduation’ certificates by Bob
Flowerdew!
The
scheme was set up by the Shropshire
Councils, and is currently supported by Veolia
Environmental Services, who deliver waste and recycling services on behalf of Shropshire Waste
Partnership.
Their contract with SWP includes promotion of composting and other recycling.
Contact Sue
Jelleyman on 01743 210713
or e-mail sue.jelleyman@shropshire.gov.uk
Look at the EVENTS page to see what we're up to in the next month or so.
