Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme – Arthur Rank Hospice

Please see attached Christmas Tree Appeal for Arthur Rank Hospice.

Hospice needs volunteers, vans and van drivers to support Christmas Tree recycling scheme!

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is asking the local community for their support with its annual Christmas Tree collection, sponsored by Cooke, Curtis & Co (Trumpington) and Cyber Business Growth (Royston). The ‘treasure hunt for trees’ will be taking place on Thursday 6, Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 January 2022.

It is the seventh year of the fundraising scheme which last year saw more than 2900 pre-loved trees collected and composted, raising over £54,000 for the Hospice’s vital frontline services! The scheme depends on a unique collaboration between the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity team, Just Helping, Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire County Council, local businesses and scores of volunteers who generously donate their time.

This year’s recycling scheme covers the CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB21, CB22, CB23 and CB24 postcodes. An additional area for this year will also be CB25 postcodes situated in Waterbeach. In exchange for taking away your tree, the Charity welcomes a donation to the Hospice.

The trees will be chipped at temporary drop off points and either used as mulch or chippings in the Hospice gardens, or at the drop off sites.

There is one element of the plan which still requires some extra support. Alison Pinney, Community Fundraiser explains:

“We are appealing for more volunteers who can drive (preferably their own van) and crew members, to help us this January so we can achieve our target. We will be running the scheme in line with the any current government guidelines, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our volunteers.”

If you, and/or someone you know, might be able to help, please contact the Hospice’s fundraising team on 01223 675888 or email christmastrees@arhc.org.uk. A video illustrating what is involved when you volunteer as a tree collector can be found on Arthur Rank Hospice Charity’s YouTube channel (short watch – 1 min 36 seconds).

If you live within the postcode areas listed and would like to register your tree for collection, we can do all the hard work for you! Visit arhc.org.uk/tree-recycling and register your tree to avoid awkward tree handling, needles in your car, queuing at the tip and petrol costs! Registrations close at 10am on 4 January 2022.

Ends

Photos 1-4: Volunteers assisting with last year’s Christmas Tree Recycling scheme, which raised over £54,000 for the Hospice’s vital frontline services! (Photo 1 is available in high resolution at: https://arthurrank.sharefile.eu/f/fo887c08-0c0b-4008-8b0c-6093ed7dfdab)

For further information, please contact: 

Dawn Easby, Head of PR & Communications, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity

01223 675875 – dawn.easby@arhc.org.uk – 9.30am-7.30pm, Monday-Friday (excluding Wednesdays)

OR

Alison Pinney, Community Fundraiser, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity

01223 675888, christmastrees@arhc.org.uk, 9.00am-5.00pm, Monday-Friday

Notes to Editors:

1. Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (Registered Charity No 1133354) supports people in Cambridgeshire, living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Services are provided free of charge to patients and their families, helping them to make every moment count. 

The Hospice provides care and support to around 4,000 patients each year at the Hospice in Cambridge, the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre in Wisbech and in patients’ own homes via the Arthur Rank Community Team. This ‘Outstanding’ care supports people to improve their quality of life and fulfil their end of their life choices. 

Alongside the care provided by the Inpatient Unit, Living Well services and Hospice at Home teams, patients can access: patient and family support (including counselling, bereavement and spiritual support); lymphoedema care; complementary therapy; medical and pain outpatient clinics; and advice from the clinical nurse specialists within the Specialist Palliative Care Home Team.  In recent years the Charity has also launched a transitioning young adults programme supporting people as they move from children to adult services, a Caring Communities initiative to help reduce isolation and the Palliative Care Hub, which is a phone line operated via the 111 service for anyone who needs specialist palliative care advice or support.

Programmes are practical, holistic and tailored to the individual patient, family member or carer. Depending on need, length of support can vary from a matter of hours to a period of years and may also include rehabilitative support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological support.

2. It will cost £10.5 million in 2021/2022 to run services, which are provided free of charge to patients and their loved ones. Contracted services from the NHS are budgeted at £6.98 million, meaning that £3.52 million needs to be raised through donations, fundraising activities and trading. The Charity is extremely grateful to the local community for the continual dedication, commitment and generosity they show in supporting towards meeting this target.

For further information, please visit arhc.org.uk