YOUNG environmentalists from Wiltshire have netted £7,000 to spread the word about climate change.

The Green Youth Group Swindon and Wiltshire is urging other teenagers to join their campaign to bring about a change in young people's attitudes to the environment.

The group of 14 to 20-year-olds is supported by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and aims to work with schools and youth groups over issues such as energy saving, recycling and wildlife conservation.

The group received £7,000 from the British Council to drive their green agenda forward, which will include encouraging young people to use more Fair Trade products, creating wildlife areas, cutting down on energy use, developing recycling, using organic foods and products or using green transport.

Becky Holloway, 18, who helped set up GIGS with the wildlife trust said they would be trained up at the University of Bath to go out and inspire people.

She said: "We want to go out and speak to youth groups about the environment and coming from other young people won't be seen as preachy.

"Young people want to make a difference but sometimes when the message comes from teachers or adults they tend to turn off."

Felicity Harris, the trust's youth programme manager, said once the group had converted Wiltshire, they aimed to take on Europe.

She said: "This is about young people doing it for themselves. It is their future, and they are recognising that they have got to get to grips with the issues and start coming up with the solutions.

"The group will be developing a transitional bid for funding to take their ideas into Europe and to exchange best green practices with their European peers."

A GIGS meeting will be held tomorrow at 6pm in Devizes, at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust headquarters with professor William Scott, director of the Centre for Research in Education and the Environment based at the University of Bath.

To join the group email Felicity Harris at felicityh@wiltshirewildlife.org.