Trinity Hospice volunteers collect more than 2,000 Christmas trees as annual collection is a £27,000 record-breaker

A team of 116 volunteers spent the weekend collecting a total of 2,151 trees from across the Fylde coast, with a best-ever total of £27,500 was given in donations by householders booking their trees for collection.

Not put off by strong winds, which had some trees blowing across gardens, the team set off to work on Friday to collect the trees from homes in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre, with Fleetwood post codes being added to the collection for the first time.

Also new for this year’s collection, sponsored by sponsored by Easthams Solicitors and Ameon, was support from Amazon, which provided 12 vans over the three-day event with crews to add to the team of volunteers.

Trees were deposited at recycling points at Ashworth Road and Bristol Avenue in Blackpool, North Beach car park in St Annes, where trees will be replanted as part of an ongoing project to restore the sand dunes, and HASSRA (Health and Social Security Recreational Association) Sports Pavilion in Thornton, where the trees were chipped on site.

Janet Atkins, Trinity Hospice’s corporate partnerships manager, said: “Each year we find ourselves amazed at how well our Christmas Tree Collection has done, and that’s a testament to the incredible teams of volunteers from individual supporters and groups from local businesses who were out in challenging weather across the weekend collecting people’s trees.

“The addition of Amazon was fantastic – the teams worked so hard and thoroughly enjoyed their time supporting us.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who made a donation through our tree collection, which has raised a fantastic amount and will go towards helping our outstanding care teams provide specialist hospice care to everyone who needs it on the Fylde coast.

“Huge thanks goes to our sponsors, as well as to Blackpool Council and Fylde Council, whose help and organisation both in the run up to the event and over the weekend itself we just couldn’t do without. Also to James Andrew at HASSRA Sports Pavilion for his support over the campaign.”