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Joint Hospice ‘Tree-cycling’ Scheme is a Success

16 January 2025

St Elizabeth Hospice and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) have thanked the local community for their support, after they helped the charities’ joint Christmas tree recycling scheme with Just Helping – ‘Tree-cycling’ – raise over £24,000 for the charities.

Held between 9and 10 January, returning for the fourth year, Tree-cycling saw teams and volunteers from both hospices collect more than 1,300 Christmas trees from homes, businesses and organisations throughout Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket and the surrounding area, with each supporter making a donation in exchange for collection of their trees.

Generous support was also provided by volunteers from Amazon, Flagship Housing, Kier Group, Network Rail, BT Open Reach, Our House and Medequip with trees chipped by Eastwood Trees to be recycled to turn into woodchip for the bears at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.

Kelly Nekrews, community fundraiser at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “Wow, thank you to all the volunteers and to everyone who donated towards this year’s ‘Tree-cycling’, your support has made a real difference to both hospices in such an environmentally green initiative”

“Although sadly collecting Christmas trees signals the end of festive period, we are so pleased to see the community raise such a fantastic amount. These funds will make a big difference in helping both children and adults under the care of the two hospices and we look forward to working with EACH again in the future.”

Funds raised by Tree-cycling will go towards St Elizabeth Hospice and EACH. With St Elizabeth Hospice providing vital free services to improve life for people living with a progressive or life limiting illness throughout East & Mid-Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

While EACH supports families and provides care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

Tina Burdett, EACH’s Community Fundraising Manager, said: “This is our most successful year so far, and we’re grateful beyond words to everyone who makes it an incredible fundraiser for both charities.

“From the supporters who so generously donate to the volunteers who get the job done, we couldn’t be more thankful.”