Dorothy House Christmas tree collection – a tree-umphant year for Fundraising!

Over 5,500 addresses were visited by 200+ volunteers this year, our eighth annual charity Christmas tree collection, all in return for a voluntary donation towards the Hospice.

The team continues to break records and 2024 has been our biggest collection so far, raising over £97,000. This is the most we’ve raised to date, with the average donation amount up from last year; just incredible!

Where the Christmas tree collection fundraising goes

Dorothy House, in partnership with JustHelping, will be donating 5% of funds raised to local charities. In addition to supporting these charities, the Christmas tree collection also helps the environment, as all of the trees are chipped thanks to the efforts of local tree services and will be used across local allotments, local farms, as well as being used right here at the Hospice to protect our incredible Firefly light installation.

Thank you to all of our volunteers

This year we were excited to welcome back many of our long standing Christmas tree collection volunteers and also introduce some new faces! After our urgent appeal leading up to the collection, we were really humbled to be inundated with offers of support from local people and businesses offering their time and their vans. We had over 200 people come and support with collecting, chipping and providing refreshments to all of our team members.

Keynsham Allotment Association is one of the organisations to benefit from all the woodchip created from the recycling of Christmas trees for which we are very grateful. Here, allotment holders Mike and Julie get stuck in to the fresh delivery. The chippings are put to use as mulch and to create pathways.

Rob Stewart, Dorothy House volunteer and Assistant Site Manager, Keynsham Allotment Association.

“Pennys Group were delighted to be able to assist Dorothy House with their collection operations. We recognise the importance of Dorothy House to so many local individuals and families and that the services they provide would not be possible without fundraising events like this. This is our first year working with Dorothy House and I am sure it is just the start of more fundraising support to come!”

George Worle – Waste & Recycling Manager, Pennys Group Ltd

“Eight years and people still never fail to amaze me! I am so immensely proud and humbled by the whole operation and cannot thank everyone enough for going above and beyond to support the Hospice. We are so pleased to have been able to raise such a huge amount and we couldn’t do that without our incredible community. Bring on next year and smashing £100k!”

Steph Cox, Relationship Fundraising Lead at Dorothy House.

“The Christmas Tree Collection recycling scheme would not be possible without the kind support from these wonderful businesses:

Wessex Water, C&C Tree Services, Steve Vick International, E & H Drylining, Raceahead Services, Mills Engineering, Broughton Transport, Amazon, Hartley ARB, XPO, Medaco, The Holy Cow, Avonfield Kitchen, The Nursery, Pearns Tree Services, Moonraker Beds, Willmotts Transport Ltd, Whiterow Farm Shop, Medequip, Easy Storage, Corsham Patio and Fencing, Greenhill Tree Care, Geoghegan Builders, Avon Valley Gardens, Lackham Agricultural College, Go Self Drive, Cumberwell Park, Church Farm, Willo’s Fencing, The Sweeping Company, Islington Motor Group, Wessex Rural Crafts, ASE Couriers, Floorings Frome, Autoguide, Monarch Joinery, Rotork, Phoenix Chimney Services, Bison Waste Bath, Direct Utilities Solution, JHS Tree Services, Inspired Joinery, Fosseway Trees, Spotless Event Hire, JJ Van Sales, White Horse Waste and Disposal, Rigg Construction, SR Lime Plastering, DPD, Curo and Ricky Fenby.”