FASTSIGNS Hull Supports East Yorkshire's Inaugural School Green Travel Tree Challenge

Taking place in June 2022 across 12 primary schools, including Beverley Minster Primary School, Martongate Primary School and Market Weighton Infants School, the initiative was designed to encourage children and young people to travel to and from school in a sustainable manner – whether by foot, bike or scooter.

Each participating establishment played host to a Green Travel Tree, a three-dimensional 5’ tree designed and produced by FASTSIGNS Hull and displayed in a prominent position in the school’s reception area or hall. Each morning throughout the week, pupils were given a leaf upon arriving, green ones if they had travelled sustainably, brown ones if they had arrived by car.

To showcase the range of green transport options available, each student received a personal record card where they could tick off which mode of travel they had used each day. Those living far from the school were offered a ‘park and stride’ option, encouraging parents and carers to park a couple of streets away and enjoy a five-minute walk together.

The success of the initiative was evident in the resulting healthy, green-leafed ‘trees’, which themselves were a product of eco-conscious manufacture. Tasked with crafting the product from green materials, FASTSIGNS Hull turned to organic, PVC-free “Swedboard” structured paperboard to form the foundation of the Green Travel Tree. The material is also FSC certified and fire retardant, making it ideal for an education setting. The leaf stickers were designed to be fully recyclable, as were the posters and banners used to promote the challenge.

The winning school was presented with a living tree that will be planted in the grounds, providing its pupils, present and future, with a living testament to the rewards of striving for a greener future. Thanks to the success of the project, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has announced that the Green Travel Tree challenge will become an annual fixture, with further schools invited to join in 2023.

Commenting on the collaboration, director of FASTSIGNS Hull, Anthony Green, said:

“Community and sustainability are incredibly important to us as a business, and so we were thrilled to be part of something that we hope will encourage the younger generation to adopt greener habits and promote a more sustainable future for Yorkshire.

“With the Green Travel Tree, we are proud to have produced such an impactful visual display, which allowed the children and parents to see their achievements and endeavours come to life in an organic and colourful way.

“The tree can be recycled and repurposed for future initiatives and is testament to the versatility and durability of eco-conscious materials, the usage of which we are committed to support as much as possible throughout all our projects.”

FASTSIGNS Hull forms an integral part of a network of 24 FASTSIGNS centres across the UK.

For more information on the range of services the centre offers, visit www.fastsigns.co.uk/hull.