Volunteers collecting Christmas trees for charity

Four volunteers collecting old Christmas trees to raise money for Dorothy House Hospice. They are wearing orange hard hats and a small pile of Christmas trees is visible at their feed, while behind them is a machine that shreds the trees
Volunteers will be collecting trees until Sunday [Dorothy House Hospice Care]

Volunteers are collecting thousands of Christmas trees to raise money for a hospice.

The team from Dorothy House Hospice offers the collection service across Somerset and Wiltshire and will be collecting trees from doorsteps until Sunday.

Since the service was launched eight years ago, they have raised £370,000 for the hospice, raising more than £118,000 so far this year.

Dan Varley, from the hospice's fundraising team, said: "We do it as a way to support the community, but also to raise funds for the hospice which is so, so vital for us."

A woman standing in the back of a van with a used Christmas tree. The van has a Dorothy House graphic on the side. The woman is wearing a long green puffer coat and a high vis pink vest. She has dark hair tied up in a bun. She is looking at the camera and smiling while holding her thumb up.
This year the team has raised more than £118,000 for the hospice [Dorothy House Hospice Care]

The annual collection runs in partnership with the national charity Just Helping.

ADVERTISEMENT

Residents living across 18 postcodes covering Bath and Swindon can sign up for their tree to be collected in return for a donation to Dorothy House.

Many of the trees collected are shredded and chipped, with the waste recycled and used in local agricultural spaces and parks.

Mr Varley said the team "really enjoys" collecting the trees.

"It's grown and more and more people have gotten involved," he said.

"One of the biggest things about the collection is that everybody that takes part and offers their time and energy volunteers.

"They do a fantastic job."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More on this story

Related Internet Links