A local hospice is calling for Christmas helpers this year as it aims to make its annual Christmas tree collection service its biggest and best yet.
St Richard’s Hospice, in Worcester, is preparing to run its fifth Christmas Tree Recycling Campaign – an important fundraising event in a challenging year for the charity.
On Friday 8 January 2021, volunteers from a host of organisations will collect and recycle thousands of real Christmas trees from homes – in return for a donation towards the hospice’s free care to patients and loved ones. This year the charity would like even more local volunteers to help collect and chip trees if they can, with Covid-secure guidelines in place.
Last year’s campaign saw around 2,040 trees collected and chipped – raising more than £33,000 for the Worcester-based hospice.
Jayne Sargeant, hospice fundraiser, said: “We’ve been absolutely thrilled by the support from local businesses for this campaign to date, helping us provide a valuable service across the county.
“Last year we had lots of new organisations volunteer, so we were able to reach even more homes and raise more funds to help us care for patients and loved ones. We’d love it if that continued into this year and more come forward to help us in what’s been a really tough 2020; with fundraising events cancelled and charity shops shut for periods of time.
“The volunteers who get involved tell us it’s a fun day, at a quieter time of year for them, and they get so much out of knowing they’re helping us be there for patients and their families when they need us most. Could that be you and your colleagues this year?”
Katie Griffiths of Shrubbery Dental Practice in Worcester said: “We had such fun helping St Richard’s collect trees last year and there was a brilliant team spirit amongst everyone out collecting, if not a bit of healthy competition too!
“It’s a bit of a win-win situation signing up to get your tree collected. Not only can we take away the hassle of the post festive clear-up for you, but you can also help other families in the local area who are receiving support from St Richard’s.”
Most trees will be collected on Friday, January 8 – with recycling taking place over the weekend of Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 January.
St Richard’s volunteers, who will mix within their usual work team ‘bubbles’ and work in line with Covid-19 guidance at the time, will be out collecting trees in the following postcode areas: WR1, WR2, WR3, WR4, WR5, WR8, WR9, WR10, WR11, WR12, WR13 and WR14. For more information, or to register your tree, visit: https://www.strichards.org.uk/christmas-tree-collection/
To volunteer to help collect trees this year and support the care that St Richard’s provides contact Jayne Sargeant at
St Richard’s Hospice cares for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. It also supports their loved ones.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,400 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
St Richard’s is an independent charity and relies on donations and gifts in Wills for the majority of its income with 22% funded by the NHS.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk