CHARITIES in the Ribble Valley have benefited from a valuable environmental qualification after Castle Cement opened up one of its training courses to the voluntary sector.

The company, whose Ribblesdale works at Clitheroe employs over 450, offered places to representatives from local voluntary organisations to study for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health stage one certificate, after staff places on the course were left vacant.

Chris Fish, Castle Cement's safety, health and environment adviser, explained: "When we booked a trainer it usually means he can take up to 15 people on the course.

"Even though we had only six staff on this particular course, we wouldn't have received a discount. So we asked local charities is they would like to take part and they snatched our hands off."

The course, which involved basic health and safety work, was invaluable for the voluntary organisations taking part, which included a rural services group and a community gardening project.

Paying tribute to the Castle Cement staff -- Joseph McBride, Bernard Marsden, Alan Cross, Christopher Punchard, Ronnie Eatough and Rebekah Brookes -- who successfully completed the course, Chris said: "These people have been out of full-time education for a long while and they knew this course was exam-based and involved working on it in their own time. They have done this course because they wanted to."