The local charity’s popular annual Christmas Tree-cycle, kindly sponsored by Tree & Lawn Company, is now open for people to register their tree to be collected in the New Year and recycled in exchange for a donation to St Helena Hospice.

Volunteers will be out across Colchester and the surrounding areas and some parts of the Tendring area on Saturday 7th January 2023 collecting registered real Christmas trees from the postcode areas of CO1 to CO9, CO11 and CO13 to CO16.

Jo Clarke, senior fundraiser at St Helena Hospice, said:

“It may seem far away right now but let us help a little with your post-festive clean! 

“By registering your real spruce or fir tree for Christmas Tree-cycle and making a small donation to help St Helena Hospice, you’ll be helping us continue to provide vital individual care and total support to patients and their families in the face of dying, death and bereavement.

“The trees will be collected and taken for recycling by our fantastic team of volunteers; it’s a win for you, our hospice and the environment!”

Christmas Tree-cycle is sponsored by Tree & Lawn Company, whose Managing Director, Peter Cannon, said:

“Each January, many people arrange for the collection of their Christmas trees in exchange for a small donation to St Helena Hospice. The kindness and generosity of the Hospice organisation should be applauded and rewarded, and so quite a few companies and individuals are more than happy to help. 

“It has always been, and continues to be, our great pleasure to support St Helena Hospice each year with the Christmas Tree-cycle campaign. The work they do, day in and day out, to help so many of us, deserves all the support they can get, and this is one way we at Tree & Lawn Company can show our appreciation.”

The tree collection on Saturday 7th January is supported by Colchester Borough Council, Tendring District Council and Birch Airfield Composting Services.

Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services & Waste, said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting St Helena Hospice and their fundraising efforts once again this Christmas.

“It’s sad to see trees out with people’s rubbish after the festive period, so when it’s time to take off the decorations, make sure you give your Christmas tree one last special role by recycling it with St Helena Hospice’s tree-cycling scheme for a donation.

“I would encourage residents to sign up to Tree-cycle and not only support an amazing local charity but also help the environment.”

Cllr Michael Talbot, Tendring District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, added:

“I’d encourage people to sign up for this fantastic scheme from St Helena Hospice, which not only sees your Christmas tree recycling in an environmentally-friendly way, but also raises funds for a cause which, I know from personal experience, is a truly great one.”

To register your festive tree to be collected for recycling in this year’s Christmas Tree-cycle initiative, go to www.sthelena.org.uk/treecycle23 and make a donation to St Helena Hospice. 

St Helena Hospice would also welcome people to volunteer their time by helping to collect trees on the day, or for people to supply a van for volunteers to use on Saturday 7th January. To help with volunteering or vans please contact fundraising@sthelena.org.uk or call the fundraising office on 01206 931 468.