Tarmac celebrates fourth year of ‘People and the Planet’ initiative with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust

Tarmac is celebrating entering its fourth year of a ten-year partnership with Clapham-based Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, which will see the education and development of 2,500 people from disadvantaged backgrounds and the completion of a staggering 7,700 hours of volunteering.

Since the partnership began in 2020, Tarmac volunteers have planted 7,200 trees in the Yorkshire Dales and the surrounding areas, offsetting an estimated 1,200 tonnes of carbon over the next 50 years, creating beautiful woodlands for wildlife and people to enjoy.

In 2022, Tarmac employees took part in four volunteering events, completing 483 volunteering hours between them. These events included tree planting, woodland maintenance, and the removal of 3,000 plastic tree guards for recycling as part of YDMT's Plastic Free Woodland's project.

Last year also saw the first 'Rock to Road' event since before the Covid lockdowns, with school children from Leeds visiting Dry Rigg quarry, in Settle, in October. The group were the first educational group to use the newly refurbished classroom at the site, where they learnt about the quarry, how materials are created for roads, along with finding out about the varied wildlife the quarry attracts. The group then had a tour around the quarry to see the site in action.

Richard Hore, development officer at the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, said: "We've really enjoyed getting to know more of the Tarmac team in the last 12 months. It has been great to see so many volunteers, with lots of first-time volunteers engaging with the partnership and connecting with nature. Together, we are having a positive impact on our environment and creating beautiful places for people to visit."

Steven Curtin, senior area operations manager at Tarmac, said: "It has been wonderful to see how the partnership has developed over the last three years and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to see what we can achieve to help create woodlands and protect the national park.

"The volunteering events are an excellent way for our employees to give back to the local environment and are thoroughly enjoyed by all who attend. Access to nature is something we know is important for people's mental health, so it is great to be able to offer this opportunity for our employees to take time away from their regular jobs and get outside whilst doing their bit for the environment.

"The 'People and the Planet' initiative is something we are immensely proud to be involved with and we are looking forward to taking part in more volunteering activities and 'Rock to Roads' events throughout the year."

Tarmac's partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust supports its sustainability strategy, Act, to support environmental stewardship and community involvement.

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) is a small charity doing big things to look after the people, landscape, and wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales.

Over the last 25 years YDMT has delivered diverse and inspirational projects that help to create habitats for our wildlife, tackle climate change and empower people to stand up for nature. We have helped to plant nearly 1.6 million trees and restored more than 800 hectares of wildflower hay meadow. We are passionate about empowering disadvantaged groups and young people to care for this special part of the world.

The Trust has recruited more than 50,000 supporters to date. Find out more at www.ydmt.org

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