A TREE-mendous response made a hospice’s Christmas tree recycling project a record breaker.

A spokeswoman for St Helena Hospice said almost £30,000 was raised from the scheme, which saw volunteers collect unwanted festive trees from across north Essex in return for a donation.

A team of 94 volunteers made up of supporters, businesses and St Helena Hospice staff members, all donating their time and the use of their vehicles, to collect more than 2,300 trees on Saturday.

The trees were then taken to recycling centres to be disposed of, alongside the regular garden waste, meaning it will avoid landfill and help the environment.

READ MORE - Colchester Zoo reveals how many animals it has after head count

Fundraising manager at St Helena Hospice Sarah Wilson said: “We were delighted to see the incredible uptake of this year’s Christmas Tree-cycle, and have been blown away by the generosity of all those who donated in exchange for us picking up and recycling their trees.

“In total, we have raised over a fantastic £28,500, which will be used to support people facing incurable illness and bereavement.

“This would not have been possible without the help of our wonderful volunteers who collected the trees, and the support of Birch Airfield, Colchester Council, Essex County Council and Tendring District Council.

“We would also like to say a massive thank you to Tree and Lawn Company who sponsored the Christmas Tree-cycle and donated their time and the use of their vans to help with the collection.”

The hospice has also announced it will be running the Christmas Tree-cycle again in 2023 and registration will open later this year.

For more information about St Helena Hospice and how you can support it, visit sthelena.org.uk.

Gazette: Tree-cycling - Volunteers taking donated trees to recycling centres to be disposed ofTree-cycling - Volunteers taking donated trees to recycling centres to be disposed of Gazette: Pile of Green - Over 2300 trees were donated through the hospicePile of Green - Over 2300 trees were donated through the hospice

Gazette: Shredded Down - Trees were recycled to avoid landfill and help the environmentShredded Down - Trees were recycled to avoid landfill and help the environment

Gazette: A Truck Full - The operation was massive, with volunteers working all day to dispose of the treesA Truck Full - The operation was massive, with volunteers working all day to dispose of the trees

Gazette: Two Man Job - Trees of all shapes and sizes were donated to the Hospice for the campaignTwo Man Job - Trees of all shapes and sizes were donated to the Hospice for the campaign

Gazette: Heavy Lifting - Plenty of hard work went into the eventHeavy Lifting - Plenty of hard work went into the event