£58,000 raised and over 3000 trees collected in the 2022 Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme

• 17 January 2022

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is delighted to share that, thanks to the support of the local community, over 3000 trees were collected at the start of January in our annual Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme – a steady increase from the 2,900 trees collected last year!

As well as helping people dispose of their trees safely, easily and in an environmentally friendly way, the remarkable scheme has raised an incredible £58,000, again exceeding our £54,000 total last year.

Now in its seventh year, the scheme hosted a collection between Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 January. 170 volunteers kindly helped to collect pre-registered trees from houses in CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB21, CB22, CB23 and CB24 postcode areas and Waterbeach.

The trees were then taken to drop off points, where they were chipped. They were then used as mulch either on location or at the Hospice. Some trees that were still in soil were re-planted and will hopefully continue to grow.

After costs, 90% of the money raised will go to the Hospice and the remaining 10% will be donated to Rotary Club of Cambridge, to distribute amongst local charities.

This year’s ‘treasure hunt for trees’ was kindly sponsored by Cooke, Curtis & Co and Cyber Business Growth.

We would also like to extend our thanks to all those involved in making the scheme a success, including: those who registered their trees and made a donation; each and every volunteer who assisted with leafleting, drop off points, driving and picking up (often prickly and awkward!) trees; Cambridge City Council and South Cambs District Council for their support of the scheme, and the long list of local businesses who contributed to making this year’s event a huge success:

Simpson’s Garden Centre, Borley Brothers, GE Renewable Energy, Rotary Club of Cambridge, Mead Plant and Grab, Springboard Pro Ltd, Barnes Construction, Martyn Morris Plumbing and Heating, Cambridge Tourist Guide, The Moller Institute, HSBC, Barclays (Histon), Alley Cats Van Hire, Russell Cooper Gardening, Millcam, ASC Tree Care, Acacia Tree Surgery, QAV UK, Steve Silvester & Ben Hudson (Chippers), Brookfield Contracting & Farming Ltd, Rectory Farm (A10), Scotsdales Garden Centre (Shelford), Abington Sawmill, Cross Country Carriers.

If you’d like to find out more about how this year’s tree collection went, have a listen to the BBC Radio Cambs interview from one of our chipping sites during the Christmas tree collection.