A free training course, Green Your Village Hall, hosted by Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset (CLS), with support from the Big Lottery Fund will be held on July 19 in Maiden Newton Village Hall.

Those who attend will learn how to conduct a simple environmental audit and action plan for a community building. Completing the audit and action plan for a building in your village will make you eligible to enter the Environment Award of Dorset’s Best Village Competi-tion, with prizes of £100 for the winning village £50 for the runner-up Emily Bullock, Greener Choices co-ordinator for CLS said: “It’s not just about going green. Conducting a simple audit will help you to identify ways of saving money and ensuring the building is warm enough in winter and cool enough in summer. No previous knowledge of the environment or building management is required.”

The competition is open for entries until August 29.

It has two parts and villages can enter one or both. Firstly, the Transition Together programme, where friends and neighbours follow a practical guide to green their homes and save up to £400 annually on bills, and secondly developing an environmental action plan for a community building in the village. Simon Thompson of Dorset Community Action, who run the Best Village Competition, said: “We are delighted to be working with CLS on this project, community buildings provide a vital resource for villages and making sure they are warm, comfortable and inviting to users is crucial for their longevity.”

The course only has 15 places.

Contact Emily Bullock on 07507 321954 or Emily@da21.org.uk