Yellow Pages makes the future green at Ballymoney schools - 26 April 2005
Youngsters at Christian Independent School and Landhead Primary School have each won £300 for their school by collecting Yellow Pages directories in a recycling competition.Over the last 12 weeks, 3,330 pupils at 20 schools across Ballymoney 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 Ballymoney Borough Council and Arena Network. The schools have been collecting old Yellow Pages directories for recycling and a total of 8.2 tonnes will now be recycled into egg boxes by Huhtamaki, Lurgan.
Christian Independent School is celebrating its success in winning the local ‘Gold Oak’ title and the top prize money of £300 for collecting 13.13 directories per pupil. Landhead Primary School receives this year’s ‘Silver Birch’, winning £200, and also scoops the £100 cash prize for collecting the most Yellow Pages directories in total. Garryduff Primary School receives the ‘Bronze Beech’ title and £100. Landhead Primary School also wins £100 cash for cAll 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 Lislagan Primary School, Rasharkin Primary School and Bushvalley Primary School for achieving 4th, 5th and 6th place in the local Yellow Woods Challenge. Geoff McCormick at Arena Network, Ballymoney Borough 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 Ballymoney and proud to be helping so many young people understand the importance of caring for the environment and woodland.”
Geoff McCormick, regional development executive with Arena Network at Ballymoney Borough 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. I would also like to congratulate the children who collected the most directories overall: Peter Beattie from Garryduff Primary School with a phenomenal effort of 250 directories, Jason Mclaughlin from Christian Independent Primary School who collected 116 directories and finally Matthew and Emma Christie from Bushvalley Primary School who together collected a fantastic 160 directories. These pupils will receive a bag of recycled goodies from Arena Network, Ballymoney Borough Council.
For further information about the Tree For All campaign, visit www.treeforall.org.uk/yell
