A TRUST dedicated to protecting the environment in and around the River Ribble has been boosted by a new corporate sponsor.

The Ribble Rivers Trust, Clitheroe, is in the process of involving more local businesses in its plans to protect the county’s environment, with a range of projects under consideration.

Pearson Web Services, run by husband and wife team Steven Pearson and Zoe Hannan, are one of the first such businesses to join forces with the trust, becoming a corporate sponsor and taking part in a tree planting day.

Strategy director Zoe said: “When we set up this web services business, we did so with the desire to be environmentally responsible and therefore committed to regularly offsetting the carbon footprint produced by our website and workforce from the outset.

“In just six months of trading, we have planted almost 600 trees and reduced over 18 tonnes of CO2 by investing in certified climate projects around the world that remove more greenhouse gasses than our own carbon footprint puts in.”

She added: “This ethos is driven from our personal desire to do our part in protecting the environment.

“To give our children an example of how we should all be more environmentally responsible.

“We currently invest in climate positive projects around the world, but we wanted to do something local and close to our hearts.

“Supporting a local effort is hugely important to us both in our personal and professional life and being able to put boots on the ground in an area we are contributing to just makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Therefore, we started looking for local projects and when we found the Ribble Rivers Trust we knew it was the right direction for us.”

Preston-based Pearson Web Services say they are committed to helping their local environment and the human and wildlife communities across the Ribble.

The company says web hosting can have a much more significant environmental impact than people realise, with the average website producing over 2,000 tons of CO2 each year.

Pearson Web Services are carbon negative and hope to help their clients achieve similar status, which has not gone unnoticed by the Ribble Rivers Trust.

The charity is now hoping that other local businesses will follow their lead.

Trust CEO Jack Spees said: “Ribble Rivers Trust are seeing a steady increase in local businesses wanting to improve the local environment and support the local community, whilst tackling climate change.

“We hope to see more of this in the near future, and hope that others follow Pearson Web Services, we’re proud to have them as a supporter”

To find out more, go to: https://ribbletrust.org.uk/.