Maddie collected over 20,000 cardsThanks a million!

 

A record one million-plus cards have been recycled from the Vale of Glamorgan thanks to the efforts of the area's schools and its local communities.

 

The cards were collected as part of the annual Christmas cards recycling initiative for local schools which is organised by the Vale council's visible services division. The competition is always popular, and this year was no exception, with 47 local schools on board.

 

Charles was also a winnerIt was the first time that the number of cards collected for recycling had topped a million and, now the results are in, there’s no doubt . . . . not only do Vale pupils just love to recycle cards, they are good at it too.

 

A total of 1,024,288 cards were counted, and the exact number collected was thousands higher as some schools didn’t count; they were just happy to do their bit for recycling.

 

With prizes up for grabs, all based on pupil numbers so that even the smallest schools had a chance to win, the anxious wait for results is over but it was a really close run competition.

 

St Joseph’s RC (Penarth) collected a tremendous 114,988 cards to become the primary school winners 13 their huge total averages out at 525 cards per pupil. More than 34,000 cards brought St Richard Gwyn RC High (Barry) the secondary school prize and, with each pupil collecting 335 cards, Ysgol Maes Dyfan (Barry) proved the special school supremos.

 

Connor scooped the secondary school prizeIndividual pupils also compete to become card collecting champions. And didn’t they do well.

 

Maddie-Jo Rowland (pictured top right), from Llanfair, collected a whopping 20,346 cards to win the primary school spot, while Maes Dyfan enjoyed a double celebration when Charles Stratton-Ross (above left) scooped the individual special school prize. Connor Rowlands (right), from Barry Comprehensive, was the top secondary school pupil.

 

The results delighted project organisers at the council, and cabinet member for visible services Cllr Rob Curtis said: “What an amazing result. However, you and your children were involved, a big thank you. Your support is what made this scheme successful.”

 

07/03/2008