The donation continues Firstsource’s corporate social responsibility programme in Northern Ireland which was initiated last year with tree plantings in Claudy Country Park.

The call centre has donated 200 sapling trees to schools in the Derry and Belfast areas under a scheme organised by the charity Tree Appeal.

Schools to benefit from the scheme are Belmont House Special School, Foyle View, Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Derry Model Primary School, Oakgrove Integrated College and Oakgrove Integrated Primary School.

Sean Canning, Firstsource UK Operations Director, said the trees would increase pupils’ understanding of nature alongside improving the landscape of the schools selected.

“This year’s donation of trees to schools is to encourage young people to be aware of the environment, he said.

“We hope that they will nurture the trees that they have planted and see how they develop into maturity. In an urban situation, the trees will contribute to making the schools’ landscape more attractive and improve the local environment. The trees will also help to offset some of our carbon emissions.”

Dr. Michael Dobbins, Principal of Foyle View School, said the trees would provide a valuable learning resource for his pupils.

“This is a wonderful initiative designed to encourage schools to make the most of their grounds by planting trees, he said.

“The trees will provide a hands-on educational resource in terms of the planting of the trees, watching them grow, seeing how wildlife is encouraged and charting the changing seasons and weather.”

The tree planting initiative is part of Business Process Outsourcer, Firstsource’s global Corporate Social Responsibility programme by which the company puts back resources into communities.