A CONSERVATION group in Teesdale will teach visitors from across Europe about its successful composting scheme after being selected as a training site.

Teesdale Conservation Volunteers, based in Startforth, near Barnard Castle, run Rotters, which collects garden waste from 3,500 homes in the dale and turns it into compost for re-sale.

The group has been picked as a demonstration site for the Community Composting Network's Growing with Compost European initiative, which develops training and educational resources that can help adult learners from across Europe to develop their own community composting schemes.

The demonstration sites will be used as working classrooms for training events.

Earlier this month, Rotters won the community initiative award from the Composting Association for its training, education and support schemes.

Jill Bacon, Teesdale Conservation Volunteers Project co-ordinator, said "This year has been an excellent one for Rotters and these two achievements really demonstrate that.

"We are delighted to have received the award, as well as being selected to take part in the trials as both really acknowledge that our hard work is worthwhile and we can't wait to continue."