Who runs Sort-It?

Sort-It is a partnership between BTCV Skelton Grange, Groundwork Leeds and Leeds City Council.

BTCV is the UK's largest practical conservation charity. Founded in 1959, we work with over 130,000 volunteers every year to take hands on action to bring about positive environmental change. Activities include regular conservation tasks, UK and International conservation holidays, a support scheme for local community groups, education programmes, conservation training and the BTCV Green Gym initiative. Our volunteers are aged from under 8 to over 80, live throughout the UK, come from all walks of life and are involved in projects ranging from building otter holts to building community gardens.

BTCV Skelton Grange Environment Centre is in Stourton, South Leeds, and has been providing quality environmental education to primary school classes from all over Leeds since 1992. In 2003 we moved from a second hand portacabin into a purpose built centre which has various low impact environmental features.

Groundwork is a federation of nearly 50 local Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each working with their partners in deprived areas to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the profitability of local businesses. Last year Groundwork encouraged volunteers of all ages to give more than 300,000 days of their time to improve their neighbourhoods.

Groundwork Leeds was established as the South Leeds Groundwork Trust in 1986. In 2003 it extended its charitable boundary to cover the whole of Leeds. Groundwork's Education team works in schools and with adults to illustrate how our individual actions can make a big difference to our own immediate surroundings. Examples of the education team's activities are: involving pupils in school grounds improvement, after school clubs, summer play schemes and workshops with guide and scout groups.

Leeds City Council encourages people to reduce waste, recycle and compost as a principle in its Integrated Waste Management Strategy. The funding of the Sort-It project is part of Leeds City Council's commitment to raising awareness for recycling in Leeds.