Prince to visit green mission in Yorkshire

The visit to see the work of Incredible Edible Todmorden will be part of the national Start tour which will next month take the Prince by Royal train, which runs on biofuel, to 10 different locations across Britain.

Start is a national initiative by the Prince's Charities Foundation to promote sustainable living.

In Todmorden, he will see examples of where public spaces have been used to grow vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers for communal use and visit the town's market which sells produce from the scheme.

Volunteers from Incredible Edible Todmorden will take him on a tour of the town.

The project was set up two years ago and aims to increase the amount of local food grown and eaten there.

Businesses, schools, farmers and the community are all involved and even land at the fire station and railway station is being harnessed for the initiative.

Vegetables and fruit are springing up everywhere and

public flower beds are being transformed into community herb gardens and vegetable patches.

The co-founder of Incredible Edible Todmorden, Mary Clear, said they were thrilled about the visit.

''When people and communities like ours come together and work together amazing things happen, as they have done here under our very noses," she said.

"We're astounded by the support and hard work this community has put in to help make us sustainable.

"The Start project is a great venture and if a more people start to protect our planet and create a kinder world, what a massive difference that will make to us all."

The Start initiative builds on the work of the charity Business in the Community (BITC), of which the Prince has been president for 25 years.

On his visit BITC will showcase one of its highly-regarded volunteer programmes in Todmorden which gets local companies to help further Incredible Edible's aims by sprucing and priming sites ready for planting seasonal fruit and vegetables.

BITC's regional director Liz Needleman said: "Business in the Community's expertise lies in helping the corporate sector to find the best way of working with local communities for the benefit of people and planet.

"This is a continuation of BITC's work in convening and fostering sustainable community partnerships and campaigns."

The Prince will also see the work of another popular volunteer programme called Eco Kids which tackles issues including waste management, energy efficiency and growing your own foods.

Start has been created in response to research which shows that when it comes to dealing with issues like climate change and sustainable living, people are confused and are looking for expert information and advice. It examines a range of solutions ranging from the cheapest and simplest to the most complex and futuristic.

The week-long tour by the Prince will culminate in A Garden Party to Make A Difference. The Prince will open up his own gardens at Clarence House and those of his neighbours at

Lancaster House and Marlborough House from September 8 to 19.

A range of exhibits and interactive displays will be on show demonstrating the steps which can be taken to build a sustainable future and there will also be live performances from

comedians, musicians and speakers. Each area is being fronted by a celebrity champion including Yorkshire-born gardener Alan Titchmarsh, in charge of growing and gardens.