EAST Lancashire's friends of the environment have been rewarded for their green efforts.

All winners received an attractive engraved crystal trophy with cash prizes for some category winners.

Runners-up were presented with framed certificates.

The much sought-after Grimebuster of the Year award went to Darwen businessman Neil Rogers for his work on Citrol, a revolutionary and totally environmentally friendly dry-cleaning product.

A crusade against litter earned Gina Rabezzana, 11, from Coal Clough Primary School in Burnley the Junior Grimebuster of the Year award.

Gina took a leading role in the school's "Say No to Litter" campaign and is also a keen member of her school's gardening club.

Thanks to sponsorship from Lancashire Waste Services, Gina and her classmates will enjoy a day out at the Science Museum in Manchester. Gina was also presented with a trophy.

The prizes in the school section were once again sponsored by Lancashire County Council. Each school won £100 with an additional £100 for the best overall school.

Best Nursery School Project went to Lomeshaye Nursery, near Nelson where children have been learning about the environment and growing their own fruit and vegetables in their allotment.

Best Primary School Project was Sacred Heart RC School in Colne. Pupils have created attractive garden areas, herb gardens and a woodland trail in their school grounds. They have shown 100 per cent effort to achieve a great deal in just one year.

Best Secondary School Project went to Moorland High School in Darwen. Members of the School's Community Action Team have championed various environmental causes including recycling and fighting the litter problem in the streets surrounding the school.

They proved that going green pays off when they raised money from recycling aluminium cans to buy bulbs and plants to brighten up their school grounds.

Best Overall School prize went to Sacred Heart School. The judges couldn't pick one winner in the community section - so they chose two. Each group received a cheque for £200 courtesy of British Aerospace.

North Valley Action Group in Colne impressed judges with their scheme to tidy up a troubled housing estate. Youngsters who once caused vandalism are now kept busy repairing broken fences, clearing litter and recycling.

The whole community has been involved with transforming a once derelict and neglected playground into an attractive community garden area.

Cawl Terrace Residents' Association from Rossendale were joint winners with their scheme to rid their neighbourhood of an ugly overgrown eyesore and replace it with an attractive garden area.

The area had been completely overgrown with Japanese Knotweed plant. When they eventually got rid of it they discovered a stream that they hadn't even known was there. The whole area has now been attractively landscaped.

Best Business Project went to Oswaldtwistle Mills. The owners have transformed the neglected mill lodges into an attractive urban green space which now attracts almost as many different varieties of wildlife as it does human visitors.

Best Heritage Project, sponsored by Blackburn Shopping Centre, was won by Hyndburn Age Concern for their Victorian garden project at Clayton Hall in Clayton-le-Moors.

Volunteers have worked tirelessly on the scheme for the last three years to restore the area to its former glory. Many of the original features, including a Victorian fireplace and ice house have been retained. New features include allotments designed with the needs of elderly users in mind.

Best Local Authority prize went to Burnley Borough Council for a scheme to brighten up a previously run down area of the town.

The Accrington Road scheme includes practical traffic calming measures to make it safer for residents along with attractive wooden murals featuring the designs of local schoolchildren. Youngsters have also planted thousands of bulbs which will bloom for the first time this spring.

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