Standard Life boost for quarter of a million trees pledge

Press Release 2008

Contact: Kerrigan Bell. Telephone 01309 691292; Email marketing@treesforlife.org.uk.

Trees for Life, the award-winning conservation charity working to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands, today received a £10,000 boost from Edinburgh-based global asset managing business Standard Life.

James Mitchell of Standard Life presenting Alan Watson Featherstone with the cheque for £10,000, whilst looking on behind are (left to right) Trees for Life staff Anneke Klop, Kerrigan Bell and Adam Powell.

The donation, which will fund the purchase of 10,000 native trees, was presented to Trees for Life’s Founder and Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone at the charity’s offices in Findhorn Bay by James Mitchell an Account Manager from Standard Life.

Alan Watson Featherstone said: “We are extremely grateful to Standard Life for its generous and inspiring support for our work. This latest donation will enable us to take a big step forward in our commitment to plant a quarter of a million trees during 2008 and 2009.”

Trees for Life’s ambitious drive to plant 250,000 new trees is the charity’s latest pledge to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Trees Campaign – a global push to address climate change by encouraging people, organisations and businesses to plant seven billion trees worldwide by the end of 2009.

Garry Morrison, Corporate Pensions Director for Standard Life said: “I am delighted to have been involved with this exciting initiative and pleased that our contribution has boosted Trees For Life’s drive. Standard Life is committed to reducing our environmental impact and we are happy to make a difference.”

Standard Life launched its "Go Paperless" campaign with a commitment to have a seedling planted for each of the first 10,000 customers who switched from paper to electronic statements for their pension plan or bond. They now have over 13,000 customers signed up to this innovative service and as more customer sign up, less paper will be produced.

Standard Life has supported Trees for Life’s work since 2005. Its Treemail promotion saw over half a million members of The Standard Life Assurance Company opt to receive shareholder communications electronically, raising £150,000 for Trees for Life.

“It’s very significant and laudable that Standard Life, as one of Scotland’s largest companies, has made such a substantial commitment to the restoration of the Caledonian Forest. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership in the future, and we hope it will inspire other companies to help restore Scotland’s native forests,” said Mr. Watson Featherstone.

The Caledonian Forest originally covered much of the Scottish Highlands, with native pinewoods in a wild landscape of mountains, lochs and rivers. Today only one per cent of the forest survives.

Individuals and companies can support Trees for Life by having dedicated trees or groves planted for themselves or as gifts – creating a fantastic habitat for wildlife and people, as well as being a simple, positive step in the fight against climate change.

People and companies wanting to make a positive, personal difference to the environment while enjoying an inspiring visit to the wild Highlands can also join Conservation Volunteer Weeks. These suit all abilities and anyone over 18 years old can take part.

For more information or to support Trees for Life call 0845 458 3506, email trees@findhorn.org or visit www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Ends

Notes to editors

Trees for Life is a pioneering charity in ecological restoration. It aims to restore the Caledonian Forest to an area of 1,500 square kilometres in the Highlands west of Inverness. Today only 1% of the original Caledonian Forest remains.
Since planting its first trees in 1991 in Glen Affric, Trees for Life has planted over 650,000 trees. It has won several awards for its conservation work, including UK Conservation Project of the Year in 1991.
On 5th June 2008, World Environment Day, Trees for Life made a commitment to plant 250,000 native trees by the end of 2009, as the charity’s latest pledge towards the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Trees Campaign, which aims to plant 7 billion trees globally by the end of 2009. Trees for Life exceeded its original commitment to the campaign, of planting 100,000 trees in 2007, by planting over 109,000 trees last year.

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