Living Legacies To Mark 50th Anniversary
Scottish planting power helps The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award mark historic milestone
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and to act as a lasting legacy for Scotland’s environment, 50 trees will be planted in the picturesque setting of Geordie’s Wood, Glen Devon by a team of Award participants, supporters and volunteers.
The fifty trees are being provided by The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. This is one of many tree planting activities that have taken place this year with over five hundred trees planted throughout the UK to mark the achievement of the Award over the past 50 years and to create lasting legacies to be enjoyed by all for many years to come. It compliments The Woodland Trust’s ambitious five year ‘Tree For All Campaign’ to enable people of all ages to plant 12 million trees.
The tree planting in Scotland will take place on Wednesday the 1st November at Geordie’s Wood, Glen Devon at 3:15 pm. A pre reception will be held at Dollar Academy, Dollar commencing at 2:00pm. The 50 trees will be planted by a team, which includes Award participants, supporters and volunteers from across Scotland. It is hoped that Robin Harper, MSP for the Lothians, will plant the first tree along with 2 young people currently undertaking the Award.
Janet Shepherd, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Director - Scotland said:
“It’s wonderful to know that there will be a lasting legacy for Scotland’s environment whilst marking this important milestone for the Award.”
“I believe it is a project that is very much in keeping with the spirit of the Programme’s foundation in the outdoors and I hope that in years to come, as the trees mature, expedition groups will pass the area and enjoy the site and the sentiments behind it’’.
“This is one of many events that have taken place this year across Scotland and the rest of the UK to celebrate and raise awareness of the fantastic achievements by participants and volunteers involved in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award during the past fifty years.”
“It is appropriate that we shall be holding this event ahead of the General Council and International Forum, the climax of the 50th Anniversary events, which will be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on the 6 and 7th of November”
Rebecca Whitley, of The Woodland Trust, says: “Over the last year we have worked with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’s vast army of dedicated participants and volunteers to mark this important milestone. It is appropriate that their efforts will reap benefits for future generations by helping to create thriving green spaces that are teeming with life.”
“The Trust’s Tree For All campaign shares a common spirit with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, because these volunteers will join a global movement of young people planting trees.”
-ENDS-
For further information or if you would like to send a reporter/photographer to cover the event please contact:
Shona Taylor, Public Relations Officer, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award on 01753 727423
Or email shona.taylor@theaward.org
Tim Wood, 50th Anniversary Co-coordinator- Scotland, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, on 0131 556 9097, or e-mail tim.wood@theaward.org
Jacqui Morris, Communications Officer, Woodland Trust Scotland, Tel 01355 578777, mobile 07979 706675 or email jacquimorris@woodland-trust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, or e-mail: media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Notes to editors:
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award:
• The Duke of Edinburgh's Award 50th Anniversary celebrations are kindly sponsored by Bank of Scotland Corporate. Bank of Scotland Corporate is part of HBOS plc, the UK's largest mortgage and savings provider. The bank works with businesses of over £1 million turnover across a wide range of banking and finance areas and has one of the most knowledgeable and experienced teams in the industry.
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity was launched in 1956 under the patronage of HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh, to encourage and support the personal development of millions of 14 to 25-year-olds, regardless of their gender, background, ethnicity or ability.
• Over 500,000 participants are involved in working towards an Award at any one time, with over 225,000 of these in the UK (20,000 in Scotland).
• There were over 145,000 new entrants last year in the UK (over 11,000 in Scotland), and over 58,000 (nearly 5,000 in Scotland) achieved their Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a registered charity run with the support of over 50,000 volunteers and 10,000 partner organisations. (There are 62 Operating Authorities currently operating the Award in Scotland, including all 32 Councils, many of the Voluntary Youth Organisations and a large number of Independent Schools.)
• Since 1956, over 3.5 million young people have participated in the UK Award. Currently almost seven per cent of 14 to 17-year-olds in the UK are taking part through Award Groups in schools, youth clubs, voluntary organisations, Open Award Centres, colleges, young offender institutes and businesses.
• In 1988, The International Award Association was established to co-ordinate and develop the Award worldwide and since 1956, over 5 million young people in over 100 countries have taken up the challenge. (Exchanges take place each year between participants from Scotland and a number of these countries. In particular there is an on going partnership with The President’s Award in The Gambia, which has been running for over 20 years.)
• The Award was founded by the Patron, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. TRH The Duke of Edinburgh and The Earl of Wessex continue to be involved with the organisation to this date.
• The organisation’s roster of famous alumni boasts an impressive number of world-famous names including Dame Kelly Holmes, David Hempleman-Adams, Katherine Jenkins, Alice Beer, Ben Fogle, Steve Blacknell, and Kevin Keegan.
• This year the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is encouraging all participants to log the hours that they have given to the community and are hoping to reach a grand total of 1 million hours in 1 year.
• Further information can be found at www.theaward.org
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
Tree For All: It is a new kind of movement that gives children the chance to understand nature and the power to care for it. The campaign aims to plant 12 million trees throughout the UK, between September 2004 and 2009, involving people of all ages by planting native trees.
