From Friday 14 January, 2022, and for a busy few days afterwards, a small army of Wirral Hospice St John’s staff and volunteers, eager to work off their festive feasting, will be buzzing all around Wirral picking up used real Christmas trees from outside people’s homes and businesses.
Around thirty large vans, many of which have been lent to the hospice, are sent everywhere around Wirral. One person will take the wheel and navigate a pre-planned postcode route, while one or two crew members, will pick up the tree from each address and load it onto the back of the van.
All volunteers will have gloves, a liberal supply of hand sanitiser and masks ready if they need to converse with a homeowner and, of course, everyone will be working outdoors.
The hospice tree collection makes a significant contribution to funding the hospice’s specialist care and support services. People make their suggested – and greatly appreciated – donations, relating to the size of their tree, £7 up to 5ft, £8 if 6ft, £10 if 7ft, and £15 over 7ft, and then simply leave their used pine/fir/spruce tree in an accessible spot outside their house or business and soon their tree ‘magically’ disappears.
Once each van is fully loaded with trees it is driven to various pre-arranged temporary ‘drop-sites’ around Wirral to offload for chipping, then it’s back on the road heading out for the next load. The chipped trees have further recycled uses, maybe in biofuel or even spread around at community farms and paddocks. Other small local charities also receive around ten per cent of the monies raised.
All the people who give their valuable time are well fed and watered while fuel costs are offered to everyone who volunteers the use of their vans.
Every Wirral postcode area is eligible to register and people can book from now, until 11:59pm on Sunday 9 January, to secure the hassle-free collection of their REAL Christmas trees.
Elaine Connell, Wirral Hospice St John’s fundraising officer, said, “People from all over Wirral really get behind our Christmas tree collection campaign. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who supports Wirral Hospice St John’s, including all those who give up their valuable time and the use of their vehicles to help with the collections and, of course, all those people who make their generous donations for us to pick up their used real Christmas trees. We certainly know it’s a lot of fun for our hardy volunteers who come back year after year.
We’re also very thankful to those organisations who lend a hand, equipment or space including, Aaron Garden Services, A Douglas Garden Solutions, Affordable Tree & Garden Care, Allan Morris Transport, All Seasons, Arb Line Ltd., A S H Services, B&M, Birkenhead Van Hire, Carsons Tree Services, Claremont Farm, Clover Technical Services, Continental Landscapes, Deadwood Tree Services, Discount VW Audi Centre, Don’t be Stumped, Express Maintenance Services, HJA Fencing & Landscaping, Howarth Maintenance Services, Karl D Williams, Landforces, Lawns & Leaves, Lush Green Lawns, Lumbers Tree & Hedge Care, Mid Wirral Rotary Club, NARPO, Ness Village Hall, New Brighton Cricket & Bowling Club, Oldershaw Rugby Club, Oxton Tree & Garden Services, SP Energy, Tranmere Rovers, The Green Team, West Kirby Football Club, West Wallasey Van Hire, Willaston Community Farm, Wirral Lions and Wirral Tree Services.”
To register a tree for collection people can book online at www.wirralhospice.org/treecollection 
or call 0151 343 0778
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