Weldmar Hospicecare is celebrating the record-breaking success of its annual Christmas Treecycle initiative. This year’s campaign saw local communities come together to raise a staggering £18,085 – the highest total in the project’s history – for end of life care across Dorset.
Over the course of just a few days, a dedicated fleet of volunteers and local businesses collected upwards of 1600 real Christmas trees from homes across the county. The funds raised will enable Weldmar to provide specialist care for adults with a life limiting illness and support for their loved ones.
“Weldmar’s Treecycle has become part of my Christmas tradition,” says Fiona Hansford, Weldmar Fundraising Lead. “It’s a fabulous community-spirited endeavour and I love going out and helping collect the trees along with all of our incredible volunteers, we couldn’t do this without their help. We are once again blown away by the amount of support we have had from the local community and local businesses including from partners Trinity Street Christmas Trees who coordinated the logistics for the massive volunteer effort!”
The collections took place across Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport and Beaminster, Blandford, Shaftesbury, Gillingham, and Sherborne.
Beyond fundraising, the initiative is an example of Weldmar’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. Knighton Countryside Management provided eco-friendly disposal of the trees at no cost to the charity, processing the trees into chippings. These chippings will be repurposed into biomass fuel, a renewable energy resource.
Alongside Trinity Street Christmas Trees, the record-breaking total was made possible through an extensive network of local partnerships, including:
- Logistical Support: Vehicles, fuel, and manpower were donated by Magna Housing, Pipefix Ltd, and David R White Builders.
- Drop-off Points: Premises were provided free of charge by Beaminster Motors, Bridport Town Council, and Dorset County Showground.
- Community Groups: The Bridport Freemasons alone collected over 150 trees.
A huge thank you to Weldmar Hospicecare to every local resident who donated in return for a tree collection, and to every volunteer who braved the weather to make this year the most successful to date.
