Dedicated volunteers across North Yorkshire have celebrated their twentieth anniversary of helping residents reduce waste, save money and conserve the environment.
Dedicated volunteers across North Yorkshire who assist local residents in reducing their household waste, saving money, and conserving the natural environment have officially celebrated their twentieth anniversary.
The volunteer organisation, widely known as the North Yorkshire Rotters, was initially founded to champion the benefits of home composting. Alongside this, they promote various campaigns aimed at actively reducing waste, reusing unwanted household items, and improving recycling habits.
To appropriately mark this significant milestone, volunteers were recently invited to attend a special celebration event held at County Hall in Northallerton. During the celebratory gathering, some of the longest-serving members of the group were formally recognised for their ongoing dedication, receiving special commemorative badges and certificates.
The volunteers regularly dedicate their time to deliver free educational talks, interactive workshops, and hands-on practical demonstrations to local schools, community groups, and at various public events across the region.
In addition to offering practical support to help residents maximise the use of their home compost bins, the group also provides valuable tips and expert advice on reducing food waste. This work directly supports the wider national Love Food Hate Waste campaign.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, Councillor Richard Foster, was present at the event to host the award presentations and personally thank the team.
Councillor Richard Foster 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 tireless efforts of the volunteers actively support North Yorkshire Council’s Beyond Carbon programme. By engaging directly with schools, community groups, and members of the public across the county, the volunteers aim to reduce the overall impact of climate change.
The Beyond Carbon programme itself is committed to significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions, aligning with the long-term aspiration for North Yorkshire Council to eventually become a net carbon neutral authority.
The statistical impact of the volunteer group has been substantial over recent years. Since 2019 alone, volunteers have clocked approximately 8,800 hours of service. This remarkable dedication has helped to prevent almost 3,700 tonnes of waste and 2,400 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide emissions. Beyond the clear environmental benefits, the council notes that this voluntary work has saved the local authority more than £462,000.
Pauline Percival is one of just two dedicated volunteers who have been actively involved with the programme since its inception in 2006.
Pauline Percival 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."
Anyone wishing to find out more information about joining the North Yorkshire Rotters, or looking to book the volunteers for an upcoming event, can visit their official website at www.nyrotters.co.uk or contact the team directly via email at nyrotters@northyorks.gov.uk.
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