COMMUNITY groups will be able to work out their impact on the environment thanks to a unique new website launched in Oxfordshire.

Groups can upload the details of events, transport and recycling initiatives to see exactly how green they really are.

For example, volunteers can input details from a swap shop to calculate the weight of waste saved from landfill.

The website, launched by Community Action Groups (CAG), is thought to be the first project of its kind in the UK.

Groups can also record the number of people attending events, their carbon footprint and cost savings to members of the public, before sharing the information with each other.

By collecting the data, it is hoped groups can not only improve the impact of their actions, but also boost their chances when applying for funding.

CAG’s Peter Lefort said: “This is a unique undertaking which could potentially change the face of community action nationally as it attempts to measure what has previously been unmeasurable.

“This is happening in Oxfordshire and nowhere else because of the unique network of environmental community groups here.”

One group already taking advantage of the new site is Sustainable Wantage.

It the website to calculate it saved more than a tonne of waste from landfill at two swap shops earlier this year.

Group chairman Mim Norvell said: “I think this is a useful tool. It means you can tangibly justify your actions when seeking funding, although it is obviously hard to capture the ripple effect of these events, which is equally important.

“I am definitely warming to it – I was dubious at first but when there is funding involved you need to be able to see what you have actually done. Now I am completely behind it.”

CAG Oxfordshire has an annual budget of around £90,000 from Oxfordshire County Council, and gives each of its 45 registered groups an annual stipend of £200, as well as awarding grants for individual projects such as the Wantage Autumn Fair.

But CAG also helps groups to apply for funding from other bodies, such as the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment – TOE2.

Between April 2012 and March 2013, community groups in Oxfordshire raised £400,000 in external funding, and the year before £880,000.

TOE2 administrator Fiona Danks said: “This is brilliant. Having this data will make it much easier to judge the effectiveness of a project.”