East Dorset schools strike gold in Yellow Woods Challenge competition - 7 February 2005
Youngsters at St Mary’s Primary School and Sturminster Marshall First School have each won £300 for their schools by collecting Yellow Pages directories in a recycling competition.Over the last eight weeks, 4,718 pupils at 19 schools across East Dorset have taken on the Yellow Woods Challenge - the simple, educational and fun schools environmental campaign run by Yellow Pages and the Woodland Trust working with East Dorset District Council. The schools have been collecting old Yellow Pages directories for recycling and a total of 15.9 tonnes will now be recycled into packaging by Perry’s Recycling.
St Mary’s Primary School is celebrating its success in winning the local ‘Gold Oak’ title and the top prize money of £300 for collecting 11.65 directories per pupil. Sturminster Marshall First School receives this year’s ‘Silver Birch’, winning £200, and also wins £100 cash for collecting the most Yellow Pages directories in total. Hampreston CE VA First School receives the ‘Bronze Beech’ title and £100. All participating schools will automatically be entered into the UK Finals, where they could win a top prize of £2,000 cash.
For every pound awarded to schools in prize money, a matching pound is given to the Woodland Trust to support its new ‘Tree For All’ campaign, which aims to help plant 12 million trees over the next five years. Funds donated by Yellow Pages are enabling thousands of schoolchildren across the UK to plant native saplings in their school grounds and to support tree planting and school visits in the Trust’s woodlands.
As additional support for the Tree For All campaign, Yellow Pages is awarding native tree saplings to the top three winning schools and to Witchampton CE First School, Hayeswood First School and St James First School for achieving 4th, 5th and 6th place in the local Yellow Woods Challenge. Gemma Coles at East Dorset District Council also receives tree saplings for organising the local Challenge.
Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell, the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: “We’re delighted with the results of the Yellow Woods Challenge in East Dorset and are proud to be helping so many young people understand the importance of caring for the environment and woodland.”
Gemma Coles, waste reduction manager at East Dorset District Council, said: “This has been a fantastic competition and I thank everyone who has supported their local school and helped us protect the environment by keeping thousands of directories out of landfill.”
For further information about the Tree For All campaign, visit www.treeforall.org.uk/yell
