Oak Farm shortlisted for national recycling award
A day service for adults with learning disabilities has just been shortlisted for a national award for their community composting scheme.
Shropshire Council’s Oak Farm in Ditton Priors is one of 16 council services in the country who applied for the Best Partnership Award in the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) 2011 celebration awards, and everyone at Oak Farm is delighted that they have now reached the final three. The awards recognise the dedication, success and achievements of council recycling officers and their teams and partners.
The day service has been shortlisted under the category Best Partnership Award for their Oak Farm community composting scheme. The strength and success of the project is due to the way in which the local community and the farm have worked closely together from the start to produce a project that has many benefits which include:
- a more local solution for green waste
- good quality compost for the farm
- a great opportunity for Oak Farm workers and residents in the village to work more closely together
- a reduction in the village’s carbon footprint
Oak Farm provides training in agriculture and horticulture for adults with learning disabilities. It’s a busy place where everyone is involved in growing and selling produce, looking after animals, selling eggs and of course, running a community composting scheme for the local village.
Everyone in the village can bring their waste in by car or wheelbarrow to Oak Farm where it will be offloaded, shredded, turned and then used as compost on the farm.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Cabinet member for disabilities, said:
“This is great news for Oak Farm and is a real recognition of the fantastic community work the people at the farm are doing together with local residents.
“The success of this scheme has only been made possible by a strong partnership between the farm and local residents, who looked to the farm to take their green waste in the absence of a nearby composting site.”
A local councillor for Bridgnorth West and Tasley, Councillor John Hurst-Knight, said:
“Oak Farm’s community composting scheme has helped resolve the absence of a nearby composting site for the village, as previously residents were having to make a 30-mile round trip to recycle their green waste. This scheme has also given both locals and people at Oak Farm an opportunity to get to know each other more and help create a real community partnership which benefits all.”
Funding for the scheme came from Ditton Priors Parish Council, the Area of Outstanding National Beauty Partnership, and Veolia.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday 19 October 2011.
