Growing milestones

Norfolk Master Composter coordinator David Hawyard looks back at 20 years of the programme

The Norfolk Master Composter programme began in 2006 with a simple idea: support local people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to help others compost successfully. 

Today, that idea has grown into a thriving community of volunteers who continue to inspire people to reduce waste, care for their environment and make positive changes in their own homes and communities.

The programme is delivered through a long-standing partnership between Norfolk County Council and Garden Organic. The Council has supported the Master Composter Programme for two decades, recognising the important role that engaged communities and informed residents can play in creating positive change. The programme brings together three of the Council’s priorities: a greener, more resilient future; strong, engaged and inclusive communities; and healthy, fulfilling lives.

Trained and supported by Garden Organic, Norfolk Master Composters share practical knowledge, answer questions, demonstrate different ways of composting and encourage others to give it a go. They can be found at all kinds of local events, from village fetes and the Norfolk Show to the RHS Sandringham Flower Show, allotment fairs, school activities, garden centres and community days.

During this time:

1. More than 370 Master Composters have been trained, and contributed more than 17,000 volunteer hours.
2. The Master Composters have attended more than 900 events and delivered 50 workshops and 35 webinars, reaching an estimated 86,000 people.
3. In recent years alone, more than 1,000 Norfolk residents have taken part in free home composting workshops and webinars, gaining practical tips and expert advice on turning food and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost.
4. Alongside this community activity, 71,000 compost bins have been sold, helping more Norfolk households to compost at home.

The programme’s success has also been recognised through a series of awards and nominations, including Green Apple Environment Awards in 2013 and 2016, the Norwich & Norfolk Eco Award in 2017, finalist status in the Awards for Excellence for Best Community Initiative in 2017, and a Norfolk County Council OSCA nomination in 2018.

But perhaps the greatest achievement of this project has the lasting legacy created by the volunteers themselves. From answering a question at an event to delivering a workshop or inspiring a neighbour to start composting, every Master Composter has played a part in creating a greener Norfolk.

As the programme celebrates 20 years of community action, the message remains as relevant as ever: by sharing knowledge and inspiring others to take action, small changes can grow into something much bigger.

Senior project coordinator Heather Thomas reflects on two-years of food growing and community in Rugby

As the second year of the Rugby Community Champion project drew to a close, we decided to celebrate with a minibus full of hardworking volunteers and a tour of community gardens around the town.  

We met at Hillmorton Community Garden, the longest running community garden involved in the project. The volunteers talked about replacing their wooden planters in the last year and how they encourage nature into the space. 
We then piled into the minibus to visit the Rugby Eco hub. Here, the volunteers talked about the variety of compost bins they have and how they use their produce in a no-waste community café in the hub.  

At Overslade Community Centre, the volunteers ate lunch together and talked about how Overslade can make the most of all the space they have, while also making it accessible to centre users. The community centre has only recently started to transform their outdoor space. 

At the Hoskyn centre, the group were amazed at how much had been grown in such a small space. The centre joined the project late into the growing season but have big plans for next year, wanting to grow produce and herbs for their weekly lunches along with cut flowers for table decorations.  

It was then onto Wolston Library Community Garden. Here the group talked about the transformation of the space from a children’s centre to a garden. The area librarian talked about the journey they had been on and how the staff had all got involved. They also have a local volunteer who volunteers a couple of times a week looking after space.  

The final stop on the tour was Dunchurch Library and Community Hub, where Dunchurch Nature Watch has recently started looking after three raised beds outside the library. A volunteer from the library talked about how they had rejuvenated the beds with plants donated from the village and what they hoped to achieve.  

A good time was had by all, with volunteers sharing experiences, stories and ideas. The minibus was alive with conversations between the gardens. We were also joined by Rugby Borough Council staff, who got to see all the hard work and commitment made by the volunteers.  

It’s hoped that this tour will form stronger connections between the community growing spaces in Rugby, enabling them to learn from one and other and share resources.