Residents in Newton Aycliffe will, next month, have the opportunity to easily dispose of their used Christmas trees and, at the same time, support one of the region’s most valued hospices.
Over the weekend of Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th January, volunteers from Darlington Rotary Club will tour the area collecting any size of tree from households and have it recycled into usable products. In return the homeowner donates a small sum to Darlington’s St. Teresa’s Hospice.
“This is a win-win venture all round,” said rotary club organiser David Hayward. “Residents avoid the mess and fuss of tree disposals and the hospice benefits from much needed funds.”
Armed with a fleet of 20 large vans and 70 volunteers, the rotary club hopes, over the weekend, to collect around 1700 trees from the Darlington and Newton Aycliffe area and generate over £13,000 for the hospice.
“Over the decade we have been offering this service we have collected, on average, around 80 trees every year from the Newton Aycliffe area alone,” said Mr. Hayward. “Residents have proved to be very willing and generous participants.”
Vans are being loaned free from Darlington Council, plus rental companies Enterprise and Charter. The venture is hosted by Drive Vauxhall, with Darlington’s John Wade recycling centre, and tree surgeon Greenworx, converting the trees into fertilizer or biomass fuel.
To register your tree please visit www.darlingtonhospice.org.uk or phone 01325 254321 by 4th January.
Your donation will help the hospice raise the £3 million it needs every year to continue free its much praised ‘end of life’ and day care services to hundreds of local residents.