VOLUNTEERS for a fund-raising Christmas tree collection scheme are hoping to break records in raising money for two local charities.
Now in its third year, the Coventry and Warwickshire Christmas Tree Appeal – which collects used Christmas trees for a charity donation – has set ambitious targets, aiming to collect 2,500 real Christmas trees across the weekend of January 8-10.
The appeal, which raises much-needed funds for local charities The Myton Hospices and Pass The Smile, started in 2020 when a small team of volunteers in four vans collected 362 discarded trees. In 2021, the scheme expanded to 14 vans and 1,201 trees – raising almost £17,000 in the process.
Clare Cropp from The Myton Hospices said collecting real Christmas trees for a charitable donation involves a surprising amount of work.
She said: “After we’ve finished one year and taken stock of that, we’re straight into thinking about the next.
“This time around we contacted Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, Rugby Borough Council and Coventry City Council to partner with them to make the whole appeal bigger and better.”
Scott Crowther from Pass The Smile – a named research fund at the Childhood Cancer & Leukaemia Group – added: “Expanding into new areas is a challenge, but also exciting. It gives us that opportunity to reach places like Rugby, Balsall Common, Meriden and more parts of Warwick and Kenilworth than we did last year.
“In doing so we hope to collect many more trees and raise more money for both charities, as well as having some fun in the process.”
Tree registration is now open with the organisers hoping that more people than ever are minded to dispose of their real Christmas trees in a planet-friendly manner. All the trees collected are shredded and used as pathways at Russells Garden Centre in Baginton.
Visit www.charityxmastreecollection.com to register a tree for collection. Registration closes at midnight on January 5.
Collection organisers are also enrolling volunteers, people with vans or those with a little time on their hands to help in promoting or collecting across the weekend.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/yck8a8vn to register for the 2022 collection.
Those without a real tree can also donate by texting TREE5 to donate £5 or TREE10 to donate £10 to 70300. Texts cost the stated donation amount plus one standard network message charge. Donations will be shared between the two charities.
Visit www.facebook.com/covxmastrees, www.twitter.com/covxmastrees and www.instagram/covxmastrees for more information and updates.
