A CHRISTMAS tree recycling scheme in Cornwall has raised £7,875 for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) which runs the Little Harbour hospice in St Austell.

CHSW fundraiser Kiley Pearce said: “There was a fantastic response to our ‘treecycle’ campaign this year, with over 500 trees being collected from postcodes across central Cornwall, which resulted in over £7,000 in donations.

“Our sister hospice, Little Bridge House, in Devon also ran the scheme and we were delighted to collect and recycle 1,245 trees in total this year, which has raised an incredible £23,206. These vital funds will ensure that we can continue to support families when they need it most.”

The charity joined forces with waste and recycling firm Biffa to collect trees this month. People were able to book a collection in return for a donation to CHSW.

Supporters of the charity simply left their real Christmas trees outside their homes to be picked up in return for a donation.

The collected trees have been turned into chippings to be used in the gardens at CHSW’s hospices as well as parks across the South West.

Kiley said: “Thank you so much to everyone who booked in a tree for collection. We’d love to be able to roll out the service to even more postcode areas in in the future. It is such an easy, green and charitable way to support our hospices.

“We’d also like to thank the team at Biffa for generously donating their time and vehicles to help us collect the trees – we are very grateful for their support.”

CHSW was first registered with the Charity Commission in 1991 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021. The charity is dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives, providing the best possible hospice care for children living with life-limiting conditions and their families.