Cornwall schools scoop cash prizes in the Yellow Woods Challenge - 17 May 2004
Trannack Community Primary School has won £300 and been named the ‘Gold Oak’ winner in the Cornwall Yellow Woods Challenge – the simple, educational and fun environmental initiative run by Yellow Pages, the Directory Recycling Scheme and the Woodland Trust working with all Cornish local authorities, Cornwall Paper Company and the Environment Agency.126 local schools and more than 27,500 pupils have been competing in the Yellow Woods Challenge, which encourages schoolchildren to collect old Yellow Pages directories – featuring sandcastles on the front cover. Local schools have collected 43,581 old directories for recycling into an animal bedding product called Newshred by Cornwall Paper Company.
The top local honours go to Trannack Community Primary School for collecting more than 52 old directories per pupil, Halwin School has come second, receives £200 and a ‘Silver Birch’ certificate, whilst third place goes to Upton Cross Junior and Infant School, which receives £100 and a ‘Bronze Beech’ certificate. Yellow Pages will also dedicate a tree in a Woodland Trust wood to Halwin School for collecting the most directories in total.
This year the joint winners of the county wide sculpture competition were Upton Cross School for a superb Yellowsauris and Mounts Bay Community School for a wonderful inch perfect Pyriamid. Both schools win a £100 prize donated by Cornwall County Council and Cornwall Paper Company. Prizes have also been awarded to the following pupils who collected the most Yellow Pages directories in each of the six district/borough council areas: Matthew Hobson from Penwith (43), Wilfred Sandy from Kerrier (1424), Natasha Kneebone from Carrick (236), Sophie Hoskin from Restormel (1025), Joseph Hill from North Cornwall (310) and Sophie Manuel from Caradon (273).
All schools from the Cornwall Challenge will be entered into the Yellow Woods Challenge UK Finals in October 2004 where they will compete with up to 1,200 schools from across the UK to win cash prizes of up to £2,000. And for every pound Yellow Pages awards to schools in prize money, a matching pound is given to the Woodland Trust to help protect native woodland.
In addition to the cash prizes, the top six schools will each receive a Woodland Trust ‘Wild about Woods’ pack to teach children about ancient woodland and every participating school will be given a certificate featuring Kirk, the Challenge campaign mascot.
All participating schools have been given free educational materials containing fun environmental activities to teach children about recycling and woodland conservation.
Helen Richards, portfolio holder for the environment and heritage with Cornwall County Council, said: “The Yellow Woods Challenge has been a huge success in Cornwall. Schools have had great fun recycling old directories and learning about the environment and woodland. It has also been a great opportunity for the council to raise the profile of recycling locally with 27,500 schoolchildren taking the recycling message home.”
Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell, publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: “This year’s Yellow Woods Challenge aims to build on the success of last year and the results from Cornwall prove that young people in the UK are committed to making a difference to their environment. I would like to thank the children, parents and council who worked so hard collecting old Yellow Pages directories.”
For more information about the Yellow Woods Challenge, or to download the educational materials, visit: www.yellow-woods.co.uk
