Christmas tree recycling service will raise funds for hospice charity

A charity is encouraging people to take advantage of a special Christmas tree recycling service this year, which will not only help take away the headache of disposing of Christmas trees once the festivities are over, but will also raise money for local people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

National charity, JustHelping, is organising Christmas tree collections in local areas to raise money for charities including St Ann’s Hospice.   

Trees will be collected by volunteers between 14^th and 17^th January, and trees can be registered at online along with a voluntary donation. The real Christmas trees are recyclable and are shredded into chippings to be used locally in parks and sports clubs.  

The collections have been run by community volunteers, sponsors and donors for more than eight years, with the hospice receiving 80% of the net proceeds.  The 2020 collection raised over £30,000 for the patients and families the hospice cares for. 

Fiona Cosgrove from JustHelping said:

It’s really exciting that we’ve been able to raise such a huge amount of money for charities like St Ann’s in previous years, and we’re hoping we can do even better this time around. 

“It’s fantastic that we’re able to bring people together to raise money for such fabulous causes, and of course, the fact that the trees we collect are recycled is also good for the environment – not to mention that it takes away the headache of disposing of the tree from local people too.” 

The Christmas tree recycling service will be collecting in the postcode areas SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8, M20, M21, M22, M27, M30, M32 and M33, and those wishing to have their tree collected can sign up online. 

Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s, said:

2020 has been a difficult year for all of us, and at the hospice our teams have been working incredibly hard to make sure that our patients and their loved ones have been able to access the specialist care and support they need. 

“We’ve only been able to continue to provide – and indeed expand – our services to meet the changing needs of patients during the pandemic thanks to the incredible support of people in our local community.  They’ve truly meant we can keep our doors open. 

“The JustHelping tree collection initiative is a fantastic example of local people coming together in support of others, and the real community spirit that comes from that too.  We’re hugely thankful to the team there, the army of volunteers who support them, and everyone who makes a donation, and would encourage anyone that lives in one of the eligible postcodes to sign up.  It will help ease the post-Christmas tidy-up, and will also make a huge, huge difference to the lives of local people who really need your support.  Thanks so much.” 

St Ann’s Hospice cares for people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses from its three sites in Heald Green, Little Hulton and The Neil Cliffe Centre in Wythenshawe Hospital, as well as via a range of community and outreach services.  It is one of the oldest and largest hospices outside of London, and will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2021. 

Image: Lucy Leeming and Sam O’Reilly from St Ann’s Hospice at last year’s Christmas tree collection.