Macclesfield: What does a hospice do with Christmas trees?

Macclesfield: A couple of guys, Peter Chapman and Richard Raymond, have been collecting Christmas trees for charity for 25 years now. It all started in Cheshire, and it’s grown into something pretty amazing.

They set up a service to recycle trees and raise money for the East Cheshire Hospice. Can you believe they’ve raised around £2 million? That’s a lot of trees!

The idea came about back in 1999 when Peter wanted to fund a new organ for his church. They got the kids in the choir involved, and it just took off from there.

Now, every January, hundreds of volunteers come together for this big collection weekend. They’re expecting to raise about £150,000 this year alone!

Karyn Johnston, the hospice CEO, thinks it’s brilliant. She says it helps them during the tough winter months when they really need it. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with the community.

After all these years, they’ve recycled around 110,000 trees, most of which get turned into compost. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!