Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire in Wallingford has thanked the local community for going green and supporting its Christmas Treecycling service, which raised thousands of pounds for families needing compassionate care.
The hub’s scheme, which took place last month, saw 220 real Christmas trees collected from people’s homes across South Oxfordshire after the festivities had ended.
Residents made donations in return for their trees being collected, chipped into mulch, and recycled.
In total, £3,500 was raised to help Sue Ryder continue to offer its expert and compassionate palliative care and bereavement support to local families.
220 Christmas trees were collected by volunteers to raise funds for Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire
Big-hearted people and organisations rallied around to support the festive initiative. Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire worked in partnership with Just Helping, kindly supported by Ashburton Landscaping Ltd.
Nine volunteers, which included representatives from local companies Ashburton Landscaping Ltd, Cisco Systems and PJ Wise & Sons, kindly donated their time to help collect the trees, which were then chipped down to create an organic product to be spread across fields.
Gemma Wise from Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire said: “Christmas Treecycling is a green and practical solution to the problem of what to do with a real tree once the festivities are over.
“We want to say a very special thank you to the local community for supporting our scheme. By recycling your no-longer-needed trees and making kind donations, you have helped to reduce landfill and raised a tree-mendous £3,500.
“This will help us to continue providing our expert care in the community and filling families’ final days with love. We also want to say a big thank you to Ashburton Landscaping Ltd for donating their time and for their incredible efforts and hard work – we really appreciate it.”
Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire is now calling on local people to lace up their trainers and take on the Reading Half Marathon in April to support its vital work.
Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire operates from Battle Barns in Crowmarsh and provides expert palliative care and support for people who are living with life-limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families.
The hub’s team of Sue Ryder Nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, family support and befrienders provide a Hospice at Home service, Day Service and Care Coordination and Advice Line.