Dedicated volunteers across North Yorkshire who help residents to reduce waste, save money and conserve the environment have celebrated their 20th anniversary.
The North Yorkshire Rotters were founded to promote home composting and promote campaigns aimed at reducing waste, reusing unwanted items and recycling.
The volunteers deliver free talks, workshops and hands-on demonstrations to schools, community groups and at events.
As well as providing practical support to help residents get the best from their home compost bins, they also provide tips and advice on reducing food waste through the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign.
To mark the milestone, volunteers were invited to a celebration event at County Hall in Northallerton, where some of the longest serving members of the group received special badges and certificates.
Executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Richard Foster, was on hand to host the presentations.
He said: “It has been an honour to celebrate the achievements of our dedicated and passionate volunteers.
“For 20 years, the North Yorkshire Rotters have given up their time to inspire communities to make easy and sustainable changes to reduce waste and protect our environment. I want to thank them all on behalf of the council and the residents they are supporting.
“Volunteering is a great way to make a real difference to where you live, learn new skills, and meet like-minded people.
“You do not need to be an expert composter or have any voluntary or community group experience, with training and ongoing support provided and all expenses paid.”
The volunteers support North Yorkshire Council’s Beyond Carbon programme by engaging with schools, community groups and members of the public across the county to reduce the impact of climate change.
The programme is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, with the aspiration for North Yorkshire Council to become net carbon neutral.
Since 2019, volunteers have clocked around 8,800 hours, helping to prevent almost 3,700 tonnes of waste and 2,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. As well as the environmental benefits, this has saved the council more than £462,000.
Pauline Percival is one of just two volunteers that have been with the programme since it started in 2006.
She said: “To me, volunteering with the North Yorkshire Rotters is all about meeting people. If you’re interested in talking to people about a variety of subjects including food waste, composting and climate change then let us know.”
Find out more about joining the North Yorkshire Rotters, or book them for an event. or email nyrotters@northyorks.gov.uk