Garden Organic

Promoting home composting in Cumbria

If you’re a resident in Cumbria and want to know how to start composting, have a problem with your compost or need help to decide what type of compost bin is right for you then we have trained Master Composters (MCs) here to help.

Established in May 2017, the Cumbria Master Composters project is possible thanks to funding from Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils. Garden Organic recruit, train and support volunteer Master Composters who spend time promoting home composting in their local communities, encouraging householders to take up composting and ensuring those already composting do so effectively. MCs come from many backgrounds and age groups; their unifying feature is their enthusiasm for composting and their ability to engage with and make a difference to their local community.

As a rural county, food waste collections are not always available and so a large part of this project is to encourage residents to not only compost the ‘typical’ organic waste items but also cooked food waste in specialist compost bins designed to process it. Garden waste collections are also limited in rural parishes, so MCs are here to provide residents with advice and information to help them optimise their garden composting for the benefit of their soil health and to save money on purchasing bagged compost.

People’s attitudes and behaviours can be influenced by family, friends, neighbours or work colleagues and it is for this reason that our volunteers can provide a unique and much-needed role.

To find out more about the role and to apply to join our network of likeminded volunteers from around the county please click on the link below.  If you want further information about this or you would like the help of a local Master Composter, you can also contact our local coordinators Frankie Kennett and Helen Sale at mccumbria@gardenorganic.org.uk