Tireless volunteers have been thanked for helping a Christmas tree recycling scheme raise more than £40,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The record-breaking total follows a year of unprecedented demand, with 3,300 trees registered to be collected across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
An army of both community and corporate volunteers stepped up to the task and picked up the trees in return for a donation to EACH.
The exact amount raised is still being totted up, but the final total is expected to be between £40,000 and £44,000 – smashing last year’s total of £29,000, which in itself was a 17% increase on 2023.
Tina Burdett, EACH’s Community Fundraising Manager, said: “It was our busiest year so far, and we’re grateful beyond words to everyone who made it such an incredible fundraiser.
“From the supporters who so generously donated to the volunteers who got the job done, we couldn’t be more thankful.
“People are always supportive and generous with their time and help, and it wouldn’t be possible without them. Again, huge thanks to everyone involved.
“It’s an amazing thing to be part of, and, thanks to sheer hard work, we collectively achieved so much.
“The money we raised is a phenomenal amount, and these funds will go such a long way to helping us continue our vital care and support.”
Registration opened in November – including more addresses than ever before – and the Suffolk project, run in conjunction with St Elizabeth Hospice, was sponsored by Jackson Civil Engineering.
The collections took place on 9th and 10th January.