Recycle Your Christmas Tree and Support Local Hospice Care With St Barnabas Tree-Cycle

Looking for a simple and sustainable way to discard your Christmas tree this new year? The elves at St Barnabas Hospice are here to help! 

Tree-cycle is St Barnabas Hospice’s annual, seasonal initiative where Santa’s little helpers work to collect Christmas trees across Lincolnshire in return for a donation. The funds raised will support the provision of hospice care and related services to over 12,000 people across Lincolnshire every year.

Your unwanted trees are collected after the 12 days of Christmas and taken to be recycled using chippers across the county. The chippings produced are then repurposed into biofuels or other usable goods, such as mulch for gardens or fertilisers and bedding for agricultural use.

Chris Dunkley, Fundraising Officer at St Barnabas Hospice and lead elf of Tree-cycle, says: “Our service offers a great opportunity for you to have your tree collected from right outside your door, safe in the knowledge that it is going to be recycled sustainably.

“By booking your tree collection with us, you will support vital hospice care in the local community whilst making an environmentally friendly choice, alongside freeing up extra time to spend with your family and friends instead of needing to make that trip to the tip!

“Tree-cycle is also open to all individuals alongside local businesses who can also book to have their trees removed. All trees must be under 7 feet, and if we are collecting multiple trees, we would be very grateful if your donation could reflect this.

“We do request that businesses get in touch directly if they have a large number of trees that they would like collected. To enquire about three or more trees to be collected from one location, please email fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk.”

The St Barnabas elves will be picking up trees from Saturday the 6^th to Wednesday the 10^th of January. This year, they are able to visit more villages and towns in Lincolnshire than ever before, thanks to increased support from local businesses.

Chris continues: “Once you have booked your tree collection, we will be in touch to inform you of which day we will be collecting in your postcode area. For updates, please check our social media pages, which will be up-to-date with any changes.

“Please ensure your tree is left in a clearly visible location, either at the end of your drive or outside your door. We are unable to enter your property, back garden or shed, so please make sure the tree is ready for collection. If we cannot see your tree, we will leave a calling card to let you know we visited and will aim to come back another time.

“We want to say thank you so much to all our volunteers and for the support we’re receiving from local businesses and communities. We are so grateful to be able to offer this service, and we couldn’t do what we do without their support. Here’s to another successful Tree-cycle!”

All donations for Tree-cycle will support the care of over 12,000 people in Lincolnshire every year. By way of example, please see below the difference your donation would make:

• For a suggested donation of £19.93, you would cover the cost for St Barnabas to care for and support a terminally ill patient in their own home for one hour.

• £30.00 would cover the cost of providing a comfort bag to a child or young person.

• £50.00 would pay for the Hospice’s bereavement helpline to run for a day so urgent support can be provided to those struggling with their grief.

Registrations for Tree-cycle are now open and are due to close on Wednesday, 3^rd January or when bookings reach capacity. To find out more and to book your tree collection, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/tree-cycle.