What happens to the hospice Christmas trees?

Peter Chapman and Richard Raymond have been doing charity Christmas tree collections for 25 years ⓒ BBC/Phil Cunliffe

Recycling Christmas trees to raise money for hospices is now widespread across the UK.

But did you know it all started in Prestbury?

The East Cheshire Hospice Christmas tree collection service, was set up 25 years ago,

by Peter Chapman and Richard Raymond, who invited people to make a donation in return for their tree being recycled.

The initiative has raised about 2m for the hospice and the business model has since been adopted by hospices across the country.

Mr Chapman said they had come up with the idea of collecting trees from neighbours in 1999 as a way to raise money to buy a new organ at Prestbury Church, where his son then sang in the choir.

Each chorister received a £10 incentive to get involved and the family trailer was used to pick up trees, with the £10 being spent on petrol.

“Everyone said it was a brilliant idea and asked if we’d do it again,” he said.

“Pete asked me the second year if we could borrow a van from where I worked, and the third year said he felt he was on to something,” said Mr Raymond.

“We needed a charity that would appeal to everyone in the area, so we decided to support the hospice.”

Mr Raymond estimated that they had recycled 110,000 trees, with most turned into compost.

“It’s also a wonderful way of getting out into the community”, he added.

“To have done it for 25 years is very humbling and we’re proud to have done it for that long.”

The hospice’s CEO Karyn Johnston described the scheme as “brilliant”, explaining that their annual running costs were about £7m.

“People see it as part of their Christmas giving so it comes in at just the right time to get us through the difficult winter months,” she added.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c897wgd23l1o