ENVIRONMENTALLY-friendly students are using their new language skills to promote recycling in the community.

Those on the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course practised their newly learnt English by raising the profile of being green in Daubhill as part of a recycling campaign.

Thirteen students put themselves forward as volunteers and have been trained as "recycling ambassadors" by a team from Recycle for Greater Manchester that encourages residents to recycle.

They have visited more than 500 houses and given help and advice with recycling and distributed bin stickers and activity booklets.

Clare Fallon, from Recylce for Greater Manchester, said: “As part of the recycling ambassador training, our team also attended ESOL classes where the volunteers were taught new words to do with recycling.

“They then had the chance to practise these words while engaging with the community.”

Katy Kellett, ESOL teacher, added: “The experience with the recycling project certainly improved their English and has given them more confidence.

“It is a way for them to pay back to the community and it shows their appreciation as they have had the chance to receive free English lessons.”

Daubhill was chosen for the European Union funded campaign because it was identified as an area where residents were not recycling as much as they could.