Trees planted to celebrate schools recycling in Down - 11 April 2005
Youngsters at Holy Family Primary School Hearing Impaired Unit have won £300 for their school by collecting the most Yellow Pages directories per pupil in a recycling competition.In recent weeks, 2,644 pupils at 18 schools across Down District 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 Down District Council. The schools have been collecting old Yellow Pages directories for recycling and a total of 6.5 tonnes will now be recycled into egg boxes by Huhtamaki, Lurgan.
Holy Family Primary School Hearing Impaired Unit is celebrating its success in winning the local ‘Gold Oak’ title and the top prize money for collecting 21 directories per pupil. Drumaghlis Primary School receives this year’s ‘Silver Birch’, winning £200, and Castlewellan Primary School receives the ‘Bronze Beech’ title and £100. Ballynahinch Primary School wins £100 cash for collecting the most Yellow Pages directories in total. 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 Spa Primary School, Ballynahinch Primary School and Killyleagh Primary School for achieving 4th, 5th and 6th place in the local Yellow Woods Challenge. Janet McIlvenna at Down 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 Down District and proud to be helping so many young people understand the importance of caring for the environment and woodland.”
Janet McIlvenna, environmental education officer for the Ulster Wildlife Trust based with Down 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
