Record-breaking donations for West Midlands Christmas tree recycling schemes
By Susie Rack
West Midlands
Despite the challenges posed by snow and ice, charities across the West Midlands have raised an impressive sum of over £500,000 through their Christmas tree recycling initiatives. These programs encourage residents to donate their trees, which are then shredded to create biomass, compost, or chippings.
Many charities reported record-breaking years for donations, expressing gratitude to their supporters.
Birmingham Hospice's 2026 Treecycling campaign was their most successful to date, with over 6,200 residents contributing a total of £153,000. Project lead Roisin Mooney highlighted the dedication of their 250 volunteers, who collected over 7,000 trees despite the weather disruptions.
Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust in Worcester also achieved their biggest collection year, gathering 956 trees and raising over £19,350, a 57% increase from the previous year. Kirsty Murray, a spokesperson, explained that this amount could fund over 250 one-to-one sessions for children with the Family Support Team.
Primrose Hospice in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, also set a record, with 40 volunteers collecting over £17.5k from 1,200 trees. Fundraiser Hannah Isaac praised the initiative as a convenient way for the local community to support their hospice.
St Giles Hospice in Lichfield raised over £100,000, marking their most successful year. Compton Care in Wolverhampton raised a "tree-mendous" £25,000, with volunteers from various organizations collecting 1,300 trees.
In Staffordshire, Dougie Mac Hospice's TreeCycle collection brought in over £36,500 for specialist care. Jayne Dono, from the charity, expressed gratitude to the volunteers and supporters.
Katharine House Hospice in Stafford raised £17,000 from approximately 780 trees, with Lyndsey Howard emphasizing the community's support in covering the daily operational costs.
Myton Hospice and Pass the Smile for Ben Crowther in Warwickshire raised an estimated sum exceeding £62,000, with Scott Crowther expressing delight at the campaign's success, which will support research into improved childhood cancer treatments in memory of his son, Ben.
These initiatives demonstrate the power of community support and the positive impact of recycling Christmas trees.
