Christmas treecycling scheme raises fir-tastic funds for Sue Ryder

The green fundraising drive saw a team of tree-mendous volunteers from Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough set out to selected postcodes and collect real Christmas trees direct from local peoples’ homes in return for a donation.

1086 trees were collected through the Sue Ryder Treecycling Peterborough scheme helping to raise £17,199, which contributed to a tree-mendous 7,196 trees collected and £118,982 donated overall across the charity’s six initiatives. The money raised will help Sue Ryder reach more people when they really need it, so no one is left to grieve or die alone.

Real Christmas trees are 100% recyclable and the firs collected in the local area will be chipped, rested and spread in the grounds at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice as well as given to other local spaces for the benefit of the whole community. This means that residents who chose to treecycle this year were not only helping to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder, but also helping to reduce landfill and give back to nature.

Melissa Gray, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: “We want to thank everyone who signed up and helped our Christmas treecycling scheme to grow. As Sue Ryder continues to battle increasing costs to deliver its care, and with the number of people needing our support predicted to rise, your support this new year is more vital that ever so we can continue to be there for more people at the most difficult times of their lives.

“The Sue Ryder Treecycling Scheme is run entirely by volunteer-power and our appreciation goes out to all the businesses and individuals who donated their vans and their precious time to help us with the collections. Our thanks also go to our partners Safe Local Trades and Nene Valley Tree Services, as well as The Barn Garden Centre, Oundle, and Robin Dunlop at Wittering Grange Farm in Wansford who supported the scheme. Without everyone's help we wouldn't have been able to raise such an amazing amount of money."

Last year Sue Ryder provided palliative care to thousands of families across the country, including from its Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough. The charity also provides bereavement support through its online community forum, free bereavement counselling service, personalised text support and new Grief Kind Spaces in Stamford, Bourne and other parts of the country.

Find out more about fundraising events for Sue Ryder in 2024 by viewing our events calendar at sueryder.org/ourevents2024 or contact the fundraising team at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice on 01733 225 999 or email: [email protected] 

Find out more about Sue Ryder at sueryder.org