Saint Francis Hospice’s incredible supporters got the New Year off to an amazing start by recycling their real Christmas trees and raising more than £16,762 to help patients and families.
Over the second weekend of January, staff and dedicated volunteers collected 1,750 trees from homes across Havering and Brentwood in return for a donation.
“Thank you so much to everyone who supported this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling campaign – you have made a real difference to people who are seriously unwell and need our experienced palliative and end of life care,” said Lisa Denison from the fundraising team.
“It costs £54 an hour for our Hospice at Home team to care for people who wish to spend their last days or weeks at home with their loved ones by their side.
“This means your generous donations will fund 310 hours of care by our Hospice at Home team.
“And not only will our patients receive all the comfort and support they deserve, we will also be there to care for their families too.
“We’d like to say a very special thank you to West & Coe Funeral Directors for sponsoring the campaign and to all the amazing volunteers who worked so hard over the weekend to collect trees and bring them to our recycling points. The campaign wouldn’t have been possible without you!
In 2019, the charity collected over 1,000 trees and raised more than £12,000. This year’s campaign included the Brentwood area for the first time which enabled it to reach out to more supporters and raise even more vital funds.