Thousands of people are being encouraged to improve their local surroundings and take part in an environmental campaign, Action Earth, launched this week by the Environment Agency and Community Service Volunteers.

Action Earth campaign wants volunteers to make a practical difference to their environment by organising projects to meet their community needs.

To receive a £50 grant, which covers expenses including materials, projects must improve the local environment, involve volunteers, or meet a local community need.

Last year, over 900 projects registered with the campaign across the UK and Wales and involved more than 15,000 volunteers. Examples of completed projects include:

• Planting trees and shrubs in a school to improve play areas
• Recycling tyres to use as planting pots to grow strawberries and vegetables
• Cleaning a pond to encourage more frogs onto an allotment site
• Planting wild flowers to attract wildlife

Sir John Harman, chairman of the Environment Agency said: "This campaign and partnership between the Environment Agency and CSV is unique."

"The joint venture emphasises the need for people to be aware of their surroundings and with the help of grants from the campaign, everyone has an opportunity to make a difference to their environment, and the areas they live or work. We need to protect our environment and taking small steps like this can help make significant changes."

Once a project is registered with Community Services Volunteer (CSV), a grant is awarded to help with set up and running costs. There is also an opportunity to win one of five award categories and receive a further £300 cash prize to be invested in the project.

Winners of the five categories will be announced on World Environment Day, 5 June 2006, when the Environment Agency will be asking everyone to make a promise to do something practical for World Environment Day. This annual event is a people’s event with global participation and is celebrated with activities including street rallies, recycling and clean-up campaigns, concerts and tree planting.

To register a project or get more information, call CSV Environment on Tel: 0121 328 7455 or visit www.csv.org.uk/actionearth