• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Wednesday March 8 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Christmas tree drive raises £7,000 for Julia’s House children’s hospice

A Christmas tree recycling scheme backed by local businesses has raised just shy of £7,000 for Julia’s House children’s hospice.

Julia’s House staff and volunteers took to the streets of Pewsey, Devizes, Marlborough and surrounding areas to make their collections at the end of the festive season, with residents making a donation to the charity for taking their old tree away.

The team was also supported by volunteers and vans from local businesses, including the charity’s Christmas tree collection sponsor Rubicon People Partnership.

Once collected, the trees were then taken to The Old Potato Yard in Devizes and recycled as chippings for use on local farms and community spaces.

The charity collected 230 Christmas trees in Wiltshire and a further 404 trees in Dorset, raising £6,934 in total.

Claudia Hickin, community fundraiser for Julia’s House, said, “We’re delighted with the response we’ve had to our Christmas tree collection this year. From our dedicated team of helpers, to the local people who chose to make a donation in return for collecting their tree – we’d like to say a jolly big thank you to everyone who took part.

“We’re thrilled to have raised so much to help provide our vital care for local families, and we hope to make our tree collection even bigger and better next year.”