St Barnabas Hospice brings back popular Tree-cycle scheme

St Barnabas Hospice has brought back its Tree-cycle scheme once more, collecting Christmas trees in exchange for donations.

The charity’s annual Tree-cycle initiative is a great way to get rid of an unwanted tree after the twelve days of Christmas in return for a donation so the Hospice can continue to provide care to people living with a terminal or life-limiting illness across Lincolnshire.

Chris Dunkley, Fundraising Officer at St Barnabas Hospice and ‘lead elf’ of Tree-cycle, said: “Our team can collect your tree from outside your door and recycle it in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

"You’ll be supporting a local charity, making a green choice, and you don’t have to worry about taking a trip to the tip or vacuuming needles out of your car!

“Tree-cycle isn’t just for individuals; businesses can also book to have their trees removed.

"All trees have to be under six-feet, and if we are collecting multiple trees, we would be very grateful if your donation could reflect this extra work.”

Chris continued: “We have partnered with several wood-chipping companies who have kindly agreed to chip unpotted trees, where wood chippings can be used for biomass boilers or can be turned into mulch for gardens. We can also collect potted trees; these will be replanted in local woodland by Rudies Roots Nurseries.

“It’s a tree-mendous offer, and we expect to see a huge take-up.”

The team of elves will be picking up trees from Saturday 7th to Wednesday 11th of January, and this year, they will be able to visit more villages and towns in Lincolnshire than ever before, thanks to increased support from local businesses and organisations.

Chris continued: “Once you have booked your tree collection, we will aim to let you know which day we will be collecting in your postcode area. Please keep an eye on our social media pages for updates on this. We aim to make the process as easy as possible for all involved.

“Please ensure your tree is left in a clearly visible location, either at the end of your drive or outside your door. We are unable to enter your property, back garden or shed, so please make sure the tree is ready for collection. And if we cannot see your tree, we will leave a calling card to let you know we visited, and we will aim to come back another time.”

Chris added: “We want to say a big thank you to all our volunteers, and for the support we’re receiving from local businesses and communities, it means so much to us to be able to offer this service and we look forward to another successful Tree-cycle.”

All donations for Tree-cycle will go towards the care and support of more than 12,000 people in Lincolnshire.www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/tree-cycle

Here’s an idea of what a difference your donation would make:

£18.84 could allow St Barnabas to care for and support a terminally ill patient in their own home for one hour.

£37.32 would cover the cost of one hour of specialist inpatient care.

£57.10 can pay for our Bereavement Helpline to run for a day so we can give urgent support to those struggling with their grief.

Registration for Tree-cycle closes on Wednesday, January 4 or when bookings reach capacity.

To find out more – including the exact areas covered - and to book, ‘log’ on to: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/tree-cycle