DOROTHY House Hospice Care’s sixth annual Christmas Tree Collection fundraiser, in partnership with the Justhelping charity, raised over £63,500 to fund hospice care.
Local people booked their used Christmas trees in for a charitable donation and 199 Dorothy House volunteers picked up around 4,280 trees between 7th to 9th January. The collection ran in 16 postcodes in the local community, including in Westbury.
Community Fundraiser for Dorothy House Hospice Care, Steph Cox, said, “This was our sixth Christmas tree collection with a record number of trees signed up to be collected. We are so pleased to have raised over £63,500, as this will go such a long way towards providing the vital care and support in our local community. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers and donors for their generous help and support.”
The Christmas Tree Collection scheme was supported by many local businesses providing volunteers and vehicles including SSEN, Wessex Water, Rygor, Go Self Drive, Western Skip Hire, Corsham Patio and Fencing, Steve Vick International and E & H Drylining.
Students from Lackham Agriculture College will be helping with tree chipping along with Greenhill Tree Care, Pearns Tree Services, ARH Gardening Services and Wessex Rural Crafts. Some of clippings will be used in the hospice grounds, near Bradford on Avon, around the Bruce Monroe Fireflies light installation.
Other supporters include Wilmotts Transport, Mobility Works, Willo’s Fencing, Mills Engineering and The Sweeping Company. While 90% of the money raised, after costs, will go to Dorothy House, 5% of funds raised will go to other local charities.
Helen from Rygor, in Westbury said, “It was another great day helping Dorothy House; always a pleasure, always a giggle and always something to laugh about! Armed with Hi-Vis jackets, coffee and snacks, we set out and squished as many Christmas trees into that eSprinter as we could – it was like the Doctor Who Tardis. A great time was had despite the wet weather and wet trees, and all for such a great cause. I am still finding pine needles now, but it was well worth it!”
