Big Green Switch was launched in May 2007 by Associated Northcliffe Digital's Derby-based new product development division.

White-labelled versions of the site have been created for several of AND's sister regional newspaper websites in the Northcliffe group including the Derby Evening Telegraph, Leicester Mercury, Nottingham Evening Post, Bristol Evening Post, The Sentinel and Western Daily Press.

The site's carbon footprint calculator and a tip of the day feature are also carried on the Metro's website, owned by parent company the Daily Mail and General Trust.

Big Green Switch received its award at a ceremony in central London last night.

Judges decided that out of all the entrants in the Campaign for Change category, Big Green Switch had most effectively influenced opinions and behaviour through the use of new media technology.

Site manager Steve Allen, pictured left with the award said: "Our aim is to encourage people to learn about being green without feeling pressured or lectured. The emphasis is on achievable ideas which are easy to put into practice. 'Start small and do more when you are ready' is the key message.

"We are delighted to have won the award for Campaign for Change and proud to be recognised for having created what we feel is a clear, fair and positive information portal where anyone can find all the advice they need."

Steve added: "We would like to thank users for their continued support and daily website interaction which has helped us to build this online green community."

Big Green Switch currently receives about 45,000 unique visitors a month who between them look at about 300,000 pages.

It offers independent information and advice for those who want to be more environmentally-friendly and encourages visitors to share their own ideas and experiences via community message boards, comment panels and blogs.

The site also includes tools and features such as a green products shop, environmental jobs search engine and a directory of other green websites, businesses and organisations.

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