Volunteers help recycling effort and the environment Christmas tree collection raises cash for hospices

More than 40 volunteers and 10 local businesses gave their time at the weekend to raise £8,500 for the Pilgrims Hospices as the charity staged its second Christmas treecycling effort.

The scheme gives people the chance to sign up and have their Christmas tree collected from their doorstep to be recycled by the charity, in return for a donation.

Nigel Donkin, regional fundraising manager for Pilgrims Hospices, said: “It was absolutely fantastic, better than ever.

“We had more than 660 people signing up, with more than 700 trees recycled, busting last year’s total. The community spirit was extra special, too. We cannot thank everyone enough.”

Behind the scenes, volunteers from the hospice had been planning and promoting the collection since July.

Over Christmas they were out on foot in all weathers leafletting houses to remind people to sign up.

Local nurseries also got on board, adding treecycling tags to every Christmas tree they sold to spread the word. On Saturday and Sunday, teams from Givaudan, Orbital Marketing, Menzies, Medash Signs, Direct Courier Company and Abbies Army brought along their own vans – complete with Christmas music, lights and hats – to travel around Ashford and the surrounding villages collecting trees for recycling. Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council backed the scheme by allowing trees to be recycled at the Ashford Waste and Recycling Centre. Mr Donkin said: “The support from the community has been brilliant.

“Nothing was too much trouble for the volunteers, and the support from the households who registered and kindly donated has been second to none.

“The staff at the recycling centre were amazing too, so efficient and happy to help.

“They made sure the turnaround for tree deliveries was always quick to keep everything running smoothly,” he added. Leanne Brown and Gavin Maynard from BP Travel & Marketing, who took part in the Pilgrims Hospices treecycling effort

Andre Stiffell, Dave Webb and Andy Renshaw from Givaudan who took part in the Pilgrims Hospices treecycling effort