TREES PLANTED TO CELEBRATE SCHOOLS RECYCLING

Over the last seven weeks, 1,134 pupils at 21 schools across the Western Isles have taken on the Yellow Woods Challenge - the schools environmental campaign run by Yellow Pages working in partnership with the Woodland Trust and the Waste Aware Western Isles Team, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The schools have been collecting old Yellow Pages directories for recycling and a total of 2.6 tonnes will now be sent to the mainland for processing into recycled paper products.

Craigston Primary School is celebrating its success in winning the local ‘Gold Oak’ title and the top prize money of £300 for collecting 20 directories per pupil. Lewis Independent Christian School receives this year’s ‘Silver Birch’, winning £200 for collecting 12.3 directories per pupil and Knock Primary School has come third, receiving the ‘Bronze Beech’ title and £100 for collecting 8.3 directories per pupil. Back Junior Secondary School wins the £100 cash prize for collecting the most Yellow Pages directories in total (481). 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 Sheilibost Primary School, Barvas Primary School and Sandwickhill School for achieving 4th, 5th and 6th place in the local Yellow Woods 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 the Western Isles and are proud to be helping so many young people understand the importance of caring for the environment and woodland.”

Angus Nicolson, chair of the environmental services committee, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, 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

For media enquiries, call Marina Fraser, Waste Aware Western Isles Team, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, on 01851 706648, or call Anne Codling, Yell Press Office, on 0118 950 6724.

Yellow Woods Challenge
The Yellow Woods Challenge is run by Yellow Pages, working in partnership with the Woodland Trust and local authorities across the UK. The Challenge is supported by UPM, the major paper supplier for Yellow Pages directories. The Yellow Woods Challenge 2005 aims to involve 80 local authorities, 1,500 schools and 300,000 schoolchildren. The campaign aims to recycle old Yellow Pages directories and save landfill; educate children about the environment and support the Woodland Trust’s Tree For All campaign.

Schools collecting the most Yellow Pages directories per pupil win cash prizes from a total UK prize fund of £66,500. For every pound given to schools in cash prizes, a pound will be given to the Woodland Trust. For further details, visit: www.yellow-woods.co.uk, email: yellow.woods@yellgroup.com or call 0118 950 6999.

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, Business Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7 and in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com, all of which are trademarks.

Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding 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). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk/yell

Tree For All is the largest children's tree planting initiative the UK has ever seen. It will inspire today's youngsters to become environmental custodians of the future. It is a bold campaign with the vision that every child should have the chance to plant trees. Over the next five years Tree For All will see:
- 12 million trees planted across the UK - that's one for every child under the age of 16 in the UK;
- at least one million people, especially children, involved in planting trees through school planting events, public events and even in their own back gardens;
- a chance for people of all ages to take part and get closer to woodland through community events, planting a tree at home, creating a virtual wood online and a programme of initiatives designed to get us out and in touch with nature throughout the year.

For media enquiries contact: Ioan Reed-Aspley, corporate, PR & communications officer on 01476 581112, email ioanreedaspley@woodland-trust.org.uk or the Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk

	Pictured here are pupils and teachers, Cameron Lowe from the Woodland Trust and Sharon Mackinnon from the Waste Aware Team
Pictured here are pupils, Kirk, Sharon, Rona and Marina from the Waste Aware Team
	Pictured here are pupils, Marina and Sharon from the Waste Aware Team, Kirk, Cameron Lowe from the Woodland Trust and Councillor Angus Nicolson, Chair Environmental Services Committee
Pictured here are pupils, Marina and Sharon from the Waste Aware Team, Kirk, Cameron Lowe from the Woodland Trust and Councillor Angus Nicolson, Chair Environmental Services Committee

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk