Money grows for trees in Yellow Pages directory recycling campaign

Schoolchildren across Manchester have scored a double jackpot simply by recycling old Yellow Pages directories.

They have won hundreds of pounds for their schools and raised enough money to plant and care for 70 native trees in England.

Fifty schools recently took on the Yellow Woods Challenge, the simple, educational and fun environmental campaign for schools run by Yellow Pages, working with the Woodland Trust - the UK's leading woodland conservation charity - and Manchester City Council.

The schools had fun competing against each other, recycling a total of 3,077 old Yellow Pages directories. Broadhurst Primary School, Moston beat off fierce competition, recycling 2.5 old Yellow Pages directories per pupil to take the 'Gold Oak' title and win £300. Crossacres Primary School, Wythenshawe has been named the 'Silver Birch' winner and receives £200, while St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, Withington has been rewarded with £100 and the 'Bronze Beech' title.

Yellow Pages has also awarded Mauldeth Road Primary School, Withington a bonus £50 prize for being the best newcomer in this year's local Challenge and Brookburn Community Primary School, Chorlton a bonus £50 prize for building the best sculpture from the old directories collected for recycling.

Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell - the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: "For every pound we award to schools for recycling old Yellow Pages directories, we give a matching pound to the Woodland Trust. Thanks to the recycling efforts of residents and schools in Manchester, that's another £700 raised for the Trust."

Councillor Richard Cowell, deputy executive member for Environment at Manchester City Council, added: "This has been a fantastic competition with 3,077 old directories being diverted from landfill and recycled, thanks to school children across Manchester. I would like to congratulate our schools for their magnificent achievements."

The Woodland Trust will use the money to support its 'Tree For All' campaign - the most ambitious children's tree-planting project ever launched in the UK. Janice Hix, corporate partnerships manager with the Woodland Trust, said: "This is a very valuable contribution towards our goal. We're hoping to raise enough money through the Yellow Woods Challenge this year to plant and care for more than five hectares of native woodland - an area as big as 13 football pitches.

"Woodland is England's richest wildlife habitat and offers benefits for the environment, for people and for communities. Tree planting is really important as we are one of the least wooded countries in Europe."

For more information about the local and national Yellow Woods Challenge competition, please visit http://www.yellow-woods.co.uk/

Media enquiries:

Jacqueline Meenan, tel: 0161 234 4027