THREE County Durham environmental organisations have scooped National Lottery grants totalling £67,175.

The money comes from the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (Seed) Programme, which has awarded £485,592 in grants to environmental projects in the North-East.

The £15.3 million Seed programme is managed by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation.

Teesdale Conservation Volunteers will use £20,634 to fund "Rotters"', a community composting project. Local schools and volunteers will recycle garden and organic kitchen waste into valuable compost. It will also provide training and employment for unemployed people in the area.

Project manager Martin Bacon said: "After our initial community composting trials we realised a commercial shredder was needed to allow us to compost more materials more efficiently. Thanks to the Seed programme we can now recycle more green compost from many more households in Teesdale."

Groundwork West Durham is getting £42,718 to fund the Action for Biodiversity and Community in Derwentside project. Volunteers project assistant Sarah Young said the project "aims to offer a range of volunteering opportunities to local people aimed at increasing understanding of the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan and offering practical skills in the protection and management of the local environment.''

South Stanley Woods Group will use its £3,823 grant to train group members to carry out phase one ecological surveys of the woodland. This will enable the group to continually monitor and develop the woodland and produce a specific plan for access, interpretation and protection.

Joolz Form, community woodlands project officer for Groundwork West Durham, said: "It is fantastic to have a group so committed to their local woodland that they are prepared to attain very specialised training and knowledge to safeguard a sustainable future for a very special place.''