Haringey schools scoop cash prizes in the Yellow Woods Challenge - 29 March 2004
St Mary’s CE Infant School has won £300 and been named the ‘Gold Oak’ winner in the Haringey Yellow Woods Challenge – the simple, educational and fun environmental initiative run by Yellow Pages, the Directory Recycling Scheme and the Woodland Trust working with Haringey Council and Recycling Works.Thirty local schools 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 1,607 old directories for recycling into animal bedding by Ravens Recycling.
The top local honours go to St Mary’s CE Infant School for collecting the most old directories per pupil. Weston Park Primary School has come second, receives £200 and a ‘Silver Birch’ certificate, whilst third place goes to Muswell Hill Primary School which receives £100 and a ‘Bronze Beech’ certificate. Yellow Pages will also dedicate a tree in a Woodland Trust wood to St Michael’s Primary School, North Road for collecting the most directories in total.
All schools from the Haringey 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.
Charlie Willsmore, organiser of the Yellow Woods Challenge in Haringey, said: “The Yellow Woods Challenge has been a huge success in Haringey. 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.”
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 Haringey 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.
For media enquiries, please contact Ms Charlie Willsmore at Recycling Works (Haringey), on 020 8211 0121 or call Anne Codling, Yell Press Office, on 0118 950 6999.
Notes to editors:
Yellow Woods Challenge
The Yellow Woods Challenge is a simple, educational and fun schools environmental campaign run by Yellow Pages, the Directory Recycling Scheme and the Woodland Trust. The Challenge involves working with local authorities and recycling organisations to encourage the recycling of Yellow Pages directories, save landfill, educate children about the environment and help keep UK woodland alive.
The Yellow Woods Challenge 2003/04 aims to involve up to 1,200 schools in challenges across the UK. Schools that collect the most Yellow Pages directories per pupil can win cash prizes from a total prize fund of £50,000. For every pound given to schools in cash prizes, a pound will be given to the Woodland Trust. For further details, email: yellow.woods@yellgroup.com or call 023 8023 6806.
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages directories are published by Yell, a leading international directories business operating in the classified advertising market through printed, online and telephone–based media. Yell’s brands in the UK are Yellow Pages and Business Pages, Yell.com, Yellow Pages 118 24 7 and in the US are Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com, all of which are trademarks.
The Directory Recycling Scheme
The Directory Recycling Scheme, sponsored by Yellow Pages, works with local authorities to encourage an increase in the number of Yellow Pages directories that UK households recycle. It runs a freephone helpline (0800 671 444)* for the public to call to find out the nearest recycling point for their old Yellow Pages. Internet users can find this information via www.yellgroup.com
* Lines open Monday – Friday from 8.30am – 5.30pm
The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. It has over 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: a) No further loss of ancient woodland; b) restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; c) increasing new native woodland; d) increasing people's awareness and enjoyment of woodland. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk
For media enquiries contact: Simon Hopkinson, Corporate Communications Officer on 01476 581112 or 07786 110003, email simonhopkinson@woodland-trust.org.uk or the Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
