Halliwell will get a touch of "The Good Life" following the launch of a scheme aimed at producing organic fruit and veg. The community composting scheme is one of the first in the region to receive funding from North West Water's pioneering LandCare initiative which aims to turn derelict sites in the North West green. Using two milk floats decorated by local children, volunteers will be collecting vegetable peelings and garden waste from people in Halliwell and using it to compost formerly disused allotments on Brownlow Fold to grow their own fruit and veg.

North West Water's LandCare initiative has provided almost £20,000 for the first year of the project, matching funding provided by the Department of the Environment and Transport.

The funding has enabled the Halliwell community to take on a full-time community allotment officer, Kim Patterson, to get the "grow your own veg" scheme up and running.

Kim said: "We applied for the funding from LandCare through Lancashire Wildlife Trust. The whole of the community has got involved and is keen to get under way.

"Volunteer drivers for the milk floats will be on a rota, as well those who want to work on the allotments. Local schoolchildren will also be coming along to help. The volunteers will get to take the fruits of their labour home to the dinner table."

Bolton Council has provided use of the allotments.

It is one of six community projects in Greater Manchester which have received funding from LandCare. A number of projects have also been approved in Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire.

NWW Environmental Services Manager, Phil Bland added: "These are far sighted schemes which create real benefits within communities."

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