Press Release

Race is on to recycle old Yellow Pages directories and create new woodland

Monday, 11 December 2006

School children across Derry are about to join in the race to recycle old Yellow Pages directories and help increase woodland in Northern Ireland – one of the least wooded countries in Europe.*

Julie Hannway, from Derry City Council with pupils from Newbuildings Primary School Gareth Connor and Kate Gallagher, and Kirk the campaign mascot.

Mayor of Derry, Councillor Helen Quigley, with pupils from Newbuildings Primary School at the launch of Derry City Council's Yellow Woods Challenge 2006 from left, Aaron Olphert, Jenna Rutherford, Ashleigh McClelland, Adam Doherty, Gareth Connor, Aaron Doherty, Kendra Smuth and Kate Gallagher and Kirk the campaign mascot.

Over the next five weeks, thousands of local pupils will be taking part in the Yellow Woods Challenge – the simple, educational and fun environmental campaign for schools run by Yellow Pages, working with the Woodland Trust and Derry City Council.

Yellow Pages is offering a share of £600 in cash prizes to schools that recycle the most old directories per pupil, plus a bonus prize of £100 to the most improved school in this year’s local Challenge. And for every pound awarded to schools, Yellow Pages will give a matching pound to the Woodland Trust – the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.

Funds raised through the Yellow Woods Challenge will be invested in the Woodland Trust’s most ambitious children’s tree planting campaign ever launched – ‘Tree For All’ – which aims to plant 12 million trees by 2009.

Janice Hix, corporate partnerships manager with the Woodland Trust, said: “We hope children enjoy the competition and get to know more about native trees and their importance.”

Youngsters will learn about recycling and woodland conservation through educational materials in the classroom and games on the internet (www.yellow-woods.co.uk). Kirk, the campaign mascot and woodland minibeast, features on all activities and helps make learning fun for children.

Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell, the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: “The Yellow Woods Challenge is a simple and fun way for schools, pupils and residents of Derry to work together to recycle as many old Yellow Pages directories as possible and benefit local schools and the Woodland Trust.”

Julie Hannaway, waste minimisation & recycling officer with Derry City Council, said: “The competition is a great way of diverting old directories away from landfill while educating youngsters about the wider environment.

“I urge you to support your local school by giving a pupil your old Yellow Pages directory when the new edition is delivered. Schoolchildren simply need to bring old Yellow Pages directories to school for recycling.”

The competition closes locally on January 12, 2007.

For more information, visit www.yellow-woods.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages directories are published by Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, continental Europe and Latin America. The text paper used for Yellow Pages directories in the UK contains around 48% recycled fibre plus wood fibres sourced from sustainably managed forests in Finland. The paper is white and printed with a yellow colour wash. Old Yellow Pages directories can be recycled into cardboard, animal bedding, egg boxes, packaging and insulation materials and newsprint.

Yellow Woods Challenge
The Yellow Woods Challenge is run by Yellow Pages, working with the Woodland Trust and up to 100 local authorities across the UK. ‘Kirk’ is the campaign mascot – a cartoon characterisation of a woodland minibeast. The 2007 Challenge aims to involve at least 2,000 schools and 400,000 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’ tree planting campaign.

Schools collecting the most Yellow Pages directories per pupil win cash prizes. Locally, £700 will be shared by winning schools. Nationally, a prize fund of £12,250 will reward recycling, community involvement, education in action and sculpture building. For every pound Yellow Pages awards to schools in cash prizes, a matching pound is given to the Woodland Trust. For further details, visit: www.yellow-woods.co.uk, email: yellow.woods@yellgroup.com or call 0118 950 6724.

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

The Woodland Trust's ‘Tree For All’ campaign grew from a simple vision - that every child should have the chance to plant trees. The most ambitious children's tree-planting project ever launched in the UK, it will help plant 12 million trees giving one million children the chance to make a positive difference. For further details, visit: www.treeforall.org.uk

For media enquiries contact:

Natalie Clark, corporate, PR & communications officer on
Tel: 01476 581112,
email: natalieclark@woodland-trust.org.uk
T he Woodland Trust Press Office on
01476 581121,
e-mail: media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Kat Gillow at IAS SMARTS
Tel: 028 90395500,
email: kat.gillow@iassmarts.com

*Woodland/forestry cover in Europe

Source:Woodland Trust

Press Office

Tel: 028 71 376504
Fax: 028 71 264858
Julie Flannigan
Email: Julie.Flannigan@derrycity.gov.uk
Claire Lundy
Email: Claire.Lundy@derrycity.gov.uk

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