For local residents who are wondering what to do with their real Christmas tree following the festive season, local hospice Dorothy House are offering a charitable collection across the Bath area.
Dorothy House Hospice Care is running its third annual charity Christmas Tree Collection fundraiser in partnership with the Justhelping charity.
Over 1,000 trees were collected last January in nine postcodes and Dorothy House doubled the funds raised by the 2017 collection to over £13,000.
Dorothy House hopes to double this sum again in January 2019 and already has 900 trees booked for collection.
This year the charity is offering Christmas tree collections in BA1 and BA2 in Bath and North East Somerset and BA11, BA12, BA13, BA14, BA15, SN12 and SN13 in Somerset and Wiltshire.
Dorothy House supporters and volunteers will collect only pre-booked Christmas trees between 11th-13th January in exchange for an online charitable donation.
Taking part is easy, visit www.charityxmastreecollection.com, type in your postcode to check that your area is covered, make a donation and list where your tree will be located.
Dorothy House asks for a donation to help fund the specialist palliative and end of life care services provided free by the hospice to patients with a life-limiting illness, their families and carers.
All trees must be pre-booked online, ready for collection from 8am on Friday 11th January and be clearly marked ‘Dorothy House.’
Trees can be collected from businesses, schools, churches and homes. While 90% of the money raised, after costs, will go to Dorothy House, 10% of funds raised will go to other local charities.
Dorothy House’s Christmas Tree Collection scheme is supported by local businesses providing vans and volunteers including Wessex Water in Bath, Islington Motors from Trowbridge, Wessex 4×4 Response from Chippenham, SW Machinery Hire from Lacock and Lackham Agriculture College in Melksham.
Other supporters include paving company SureSet and Wessex Rural Crafts in Warminster, Pearns Tree Services and Inspired Joinery both from Frome and the Bradford on Avon Rotary Club.
Providing hospice services requires significant funds and for every £1 received from the NHS, Dorothy House has to raise another £4.
Over Christmas, fifty carers from Dorothy House and their ‘Hospice at Home’ service will have travelled more than 6,000 miles and carried out over 200 home visits.
This service provides nearly 2,000 hours of care to our community, giving patients and their families the precious memory of Christmas together at home.
Henrietta Beard, Corporate Fundraiser for Dorothy House Hospice Care said: “We’re pleased to be helping local people recycle their used Christmas trees while also raising vital funds for Dorothy House.
“A big thank you to Wessex Water, all our corporate supporters and volunteers for their generous help and thanks also to Bath and North East Somerset Council for the use of their recycling centre.”
Councillor Bob Goodman, cabinet member for Development & Neighbourhoods at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “We’re delighted to support Dorothy House by recycling the trees they collect at our recycling centre.
“The Hospice provides essential end of life care in the local community and we wish them well with their charitable collection scheme. Our recycling team will also be offering a free Christmas tree collection in Bath from 28th January when our garden waste collection re-starts.”
Mark Knapton, Designer at Inspired Joinery in Frome said: “We’re looking forward to getting involved in the tree collection again this year and raising funds for Dorothy House while also helping the local community.”
Dave Roberts, Volunteer at Wessex 4×4 Response a charity based in Chippenham said: “We’re happy to provide four volunteer teams with vehicles and trailers for the Dorothy House Christmas Tree Collection and we hope it will help to raise lots of funds to support the excellent work of the Hospice.”
To book a Christmas tree collection and donate to Dorothy House by noon on 8th January, visit www.charityxmastreecollection.com.
