The tradition of having a beautifully-decorated, twinkly Christmas tree in our homes is one that is deep-rooted and brings us plenty of joy. But the problem of what to do with a real tree once the festivities end is a common one.
To help solve it, a local hospice is branching out and encouraging residents to recycle their real trees through its Christmas Treecycling service.
Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice’s green scheme will see Christmas trees that are no longer needed collected from people’s homes, chipped into mulch and recycled.
Not only that, but the initiative will raise vital funds so Sue Ryder can continue offering its compassionate palliative care and bereavement support – and help people make every moment count this Christmas.
Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger will work in partnership with Just Helping to offer its Christmas Treecycling service, kindly supported by Brightman Brothers Tree Care and J & R Tree Services.
People who live in MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45, SG18 and SG19 postcodes will be able to have their Christmas trees collected from their homes between Saturday 8th and Monday 10th January 2022.
They can sign up at sueryder.org/stjohnstrees by Wednesday 5th January 2022.
A donation to Sue Ryder is welcomed in return for collecting the Christmas trees.
The trees will then be chipped down into mulch by the teams at Brightman Brothers Tree Care and J & R Tree Services, and recycled by being spread over the hospice’s gardens to help plants and flowers thrive.
This means residents who choose to Treecycle will not only help to raise funds so the hospice can continue caring for local families, but will also reduce landfill and keep the hospice’s grounds looking beautiful for patients and loved ones to enjoy.
Joanne Landucci, Senior Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice said: “Once all the fun and festivities are over, it’s difficult to know what to do with our real Christmas trees. We are really excited to announce our tree-mendous Christmas Treecycling service is a practical and green solution to this problem – and will also raise vital funds for our expert palliative care and bereavement support. Each Christmas tree we collect and each donation that is made will help us to continue supporting people to make the most of the time they have left – and filling their last moments with love and care. A special thank you to the teams at Just Helping, Brightman Brothers Tree Care and J & R Tree Services for their wonderful support.”
The teams at Brightman Brothers Tree Care and J & R Tree Services are lending their support to the initiative by chipping the Christmas trees. Speaking on behalf of her husband Robin, from J & R Tree Services, Chelsea Zwetsloot explained why they were inspired to get involved: “The teams at Brightman Brothers Tree Care and J & R Tree Services have a personal connection to Sue Ryder, and Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice especially. Not only have they previously completed work in the hospice’s grounds, but they have also experienced family members and loved ones needing support from the hospice and its care teams. Robin’s granddad spent time there before he died, so Robin knows first-hand the quality care that all patients receive there. His family have also been heavily involved in supporting the charity with other key fundraising events, some of which have needed to be postponed because of the pandemic. Therefore the hospice needs all of the support it can get at this vital time.”
Chelsea added: “The teams are keen to encourage the recycling of Christmas trees, as they see the value of reusing tree chippings in their day-to-day jobs. Tree chippings can be used for a multitude of uses, such as in gardens, for biomass energy and for equestrian centres. Bill, from Brightman Brothers Tree Care, is particularly keen to encourage everyone to remember the importance of reducing what ends up in landfill. The biodegradable nature of real Christmas trees makes them a valuable asset in reducing waste.”
Find out more about Christmas Treecycling and book a collection at sueryder.org/stjohnstrees
Contact the fundraising team at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice with any queries on 01767 642 412 and stjohnsfundraising@sueryder.org
