Local schoolchildren took the opportunity to visit their Warrington IKEA store, on the doorstep of a Woodland Trust wood, to discover how the company makes sure that forests are looked after and also how their partnership with the Trust has helped create more woodland in the UK.
Year one and two pupils from Callands Primary School in Warrington took part in a Woodland Discovery day as part of the Trust’s Woodland Communities Project, which helps to get the local population interested and passionate in the many local woods on their doorstep.
IKEA and the Trust are involved in a four year scheme to create a “foot of forest” every time a customer swipes their Family card in store. So far customers have made 7.4 million swipes, which equates to 170 acres of new woodland created in the UK – the same size as almost one hundred football pitches. Warrington store shoppers alone have made 398,000 swipes to date.
Sue Green, Woodland Communities project co-ordinator explained the aim of the day: “The children got to see how IKEA uses sustainable forestry practices across their range of products and learn the importance of looking after their local woodland too. It was fantastic for the pupils to be able to relate the work IKEA and the Woodland Trust do to the trees and woods which are sat right on their doorstep.”
The Woodland Communities Project is a three-year £266,000 scheme, which aims to increase local appreciation of woodland for its recreational, health and educational benefits. In particular it will seek to re-connect families and young people with their environment and to reverse elements of anti-social behaviour, including fly-tipping, which until now have rendered many local woods ‘no-go’ areas.
The woods involved straddle two boroughs containing some of the most deprived wards in England and lie within one mile of an estimated 155,000 people.
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
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.
About IKEA:
Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA believes that social and environmental responsibility is a prerequisite for doing good business. The goal of the four-year collaboration between IKEA and Woodland Trust is to help conserve existing woodland and develop lots more.
For more press information or photography contact: Claire Howes, Deputy PR Manager IKEA UK & Ireland on 020 8233 2378, email: PRUK@memo.IKEA.com