Recycle your tree to help Hospiscare

Charity hopes to plug big funding gap

Hospiscare have launched their annual Christmas Tree Recycling scheme to support end-of-life care across the heart of Devon.

On Thursday 11, Friday 12 and Saturday 13 January 2024, Hospiscare and a team of volunteers will be heading out in full force to collect and recycle Christmas trees in return for a donation to the local charity.

Collections will take place in Crediton, Exeter, Exmouth, Honiton, Tiverton, Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary, with a recommended donation of £15 per tree.

Hospiscare’s annual Christmas tree recycling scheme is supported by volunteers and local businesses, with last year’s collection raising an incredible £24,000.

Donations will help ensure they can continue to provide their specialist services to local patients and their families living with terminal illness in Exeter, Mid and East Devon.

Laura Robertson, Fundraising Projects Manager at Hospiscare, explains

“We are so grateful to our local community for coming together in support of our Christmas tree recycling scheme every year. 2024 is set to be challenging as we face a £2.5 million funding gap, which could force us to axe existing services, making fundraising more important than ever. After the festivities are over, leave the effort of getting rid of your Christmas tree to us and help raise much-needed funds to continue providing our services.”

This year’s collections will be supported by a range of local businesses, including Thrifty, Jurassic Tree Services and Coastal Recycling.

In 2023, a team from Cornwall Glass volunteered their time to support the scheme. 

If you are a van owner or driver and would like to volunteer to collect trees to support your local hospice, Hospiscare is seeking volunteers for the dates above.

Whether you can help on all dates or just one of the days, please email treecollection@hospiscare.co.uk.

Click here to find out more and register your tree collection by 7 January 2024.