Close Brothers Motor Finance has planted more than 150 trees as part of plans to reduce their carbon footprint.

The company teamed up with St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School in Doncaster to encourage young people to support the local environment. 

pupils of all ages were given the opportunity to plant their own tree in the school grounds, each tagged with a unique identification code.

James Broadhead, CEO of Close Brothers Motor Finance said: “Together these trees will grow to become an important part of our local landscape, providing a vital habitat for wildlife and enhancing our surroundings for many years to come.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for the next generation to learn about sustainability and the impact of CO2 emissions, and we are proud to be a part of it.

“As a motor finance company we work closely with the automotive industry, which is one of the highest producers of carbon emissions, so this is a small step for us to start offsetting our CO2 and to help preserve our community and environment.”

Close Brothers Motor Finance, alongside Close Brothers Premium Finance, another part of the Close Brothers Group, joined with Carbon Footprint Ltd on the programme, planting more than 300 native broadleaf trees at schools close to their head offices in Doncaster and Wimbledon.

Mr Nicholas Collins, headteacher at St Francis Xavier Primary said: “Planting these trees has been a wonderful experience for our pupils and it’s given them a practical lesson on the environmental responsibility we all share.

“It’s a lasting legacy for the school and we are all really excited to follow the progress and growth as the plantation develops. It’s also great to see a local company getting involved with the school to give something back, not only to our students but to the wider community.”

John Buckley, founder and managing director of Carbon Footprint Ltd, who was planting with the team said: “Close Brothers has an active environmental management programme. Their schools tree planting programme helps to reduce carbon emissions and shows their support to educating the new generation to be responsible for the environment.”