ARE you one of East Lancashire's grimebusters?

Then we want to hear from you!

Today we are launching the 1999 Grimewatch Awards - the highlight of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's wider campaign to improve the East Lancashire environment.

The competition is open to anyone who has done their bit for the planet, whether it has been to organise a small-scale litter pick or carried out a huge landscaping project.

It is a chance for all those people who work so hard to make East Lancashire a nicer place to live to have their efforts recognised.

Over the last 11 years, Grimewatch has highlighted hundreds of schemes which have made a real difference to the East Lancashire environment.

The 1998 competition attracted a record 137 entries - proving that there is a growing band of greenies in this area.

The prizes were presented last week at a ceremony in Accrington, attended by guest of honour Dr David Bellamy.

This year's competition is again being run in conjunction with Groundwork, the Tidy Britain Group, British Aerospace and the Environment Agency.

There are categories to suit every kind of project.

There are separate prizes for nursery, primary and secondary schools, as well as community projects and local authority schemes. There is a heritage award for projects which reflect in some way the history or traditions of the local area.

The business award category is open to any size of firm and covers both landscape enhancement projects and environmental management systems.

The long-term project category is aimed at schemes which have been running for several years.

The judges will also select a Grimebuster and Junior Grimebuster (under 16) of the Year - individuals who have made a special effort on an environmental scheme.

Winners will receive a trophy and publicity in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and worldwide through our pages on the internet.

There will also be cash prizes for some categories.

Entering Grimewatch '99 is easy.

To get started, simply pick up an entry form. You can get a form by contacting Grimewatch co-ordinator Lynn Schofield by telephone on 01254 678678 ext 244 from 9.30am to 12.30pm Mondays and Thursdays. An answering machine will take messages at other times.

Lynn can also be contacted by fax on 01254 680429, or by e-mail on grimewatch@aol.com.

Forms are also available from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's offices in High Street, Blackburn, Keirby Walk, Burnley, Edgar Street, Accrington or Bridge Street, Darwen.

Or you can pick one up from the Grimewatch stand at Blackburn with Darwen Council's Greenweek Fair at Witton Park, Blackburn, on Sunday May 16.

The form has full details of how to put your entry together - but if you have any problems, Lynn Schofield will be happy to help.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.