Festive Tree-cycle scheme lays its roots

19 December 2024

This Christmas, Katharine House Hospice is putting festive waste to good use with the return of its Christmas Tree-cycle, an innovative fundraising initiative that makes disposing of your old Christmas tree hassle-free while supporting a vital cause.

Katharine House, which provides support for people affected by life-limiting illnesses, is offering to collect and recycle real Christmas trees in exchange for a donation.

After the festive season, participants who live in the below postcodes can register for the service and volunteers will pick up their tree directly from their doorstep. The trees will then be chipped by Acreman’s Arboriculture Ltd into eco-friendly mulch, supporting local environmental efforts.

The hospice will arrange pick ups from postcodes:

• OX7 (3,4,5,6)
• OX15 (0,4,5,6)
• OX16 (1,2,3,9)
• OX17 (1,2,3)
• NN13 (5,6,7).

To take part in the Christmas Tree-cycle, visit our partner JustHelping’s website to register your tree collection and make a donation to the hospice. Then leave your tree outside your home from 8am on 9 January and Katharine House will take care of the rest.

Jenny Mead, who has taken part in the Christmas Tree-cycle since its launch in 2021, said: “I’m so pleased to hear Katharine House is going to be providing the Christmas Tree-recycle again this year. We have been using it for the last three years and it’s so easy and efficient.

“My sister Lucy was wonderfully cared for at Katharine House during 2010-11 (we were too!). Lucy loved Christmas and putting up the Christmas tree was something she never missed, so using the Christmas tree scheme is an acknowledgement to her as well as a simple way to support the hospice too.”

Carley Lambourne, Katharine House Hospice Events & Challenges Officer, said: “Once the celebrations are over, getting rid of the tree can be a real hassle. We want to help take some of the stress away and raise money for our services at the same time.

“Our Christmas Tree-cycle is a win-win for everyone. Not only does it take the hassle out of the post-Christmas clean-up, but it also helps raise much-needed funds for our essential services, helping make a lasting impact on our community this festive season and beyond.”

Anyone wanting to get their tree recycled by Katharine House, which is run in partnership with national charity Just Helping, will need to sign up on the Just Helping website before 10am on Sunday 5 January.

This year the Christmas Tree-cycle scheme is kindly sponsored by Beyond Carbon, the UK-based consultancy specialising in the design and engineering of beyond-zero-carbon buildings.