THE Millennium Green at Hoddlesden has been hailed as one of the best of its kind in the North West and a shining example to others.

The success of the Green during the past five years has led to it being shown to other community groups from across the region, who need inspiration to create Doorstep Greens.

Representatives from the Countryside Agency asked members of the Green committee to share the secrets of their success.

Members of each project were due to travel to Hoddlesden today to listen to how the award-winning Millennium Green was created and maintained.

They will then be taken on a tour of the site, opened in September 2000, in the hope of picking up ideas for their own developments.

Linda Dawson, chairman of the Hoddlesden committee, said that being asked to advise other groups was a major boost for the group.

She said: "There are seven new Doorstep Greens just coming into fruition across the North West. We will do a presentation about what we did in the hope it will inspire them and lead to them enjoying their project as much as we have.

Hopefully they will end up winning awards too.

"We were really pleased to be asked because it is a big pat on the back for the group and good for Hoddlesden to be recognised across the North West."

The meeting was due to be held at the Old Rosins Country Hotel, Pickup Bank, followed by a guided tour of the site.

Mara Vasic, Doorstep Green assistant adviser for the Countryside Agency, said: "We wanted to bring together a few Doorstep Green projects in one place and thought it would be a good idea for them to look at a long-standing good-practice green and Hoddlesden automatically sprung to mind."

The 'Doorstep Green' initiative is funded by the New Opportunities Fund's Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities scheme and provides grants for urban and rural communities with little outdoor community space.

Hoddlesden's green was created on the site of a former clay pipe works and new features are being added each year.