Treecycling campaign: Kirklees residents raise over £48,000 for two local hospices

The Treecycling initiative has been supported by residents across the borough, with a further £10,000 raised more than last year’s effort.

The Mayor of Kirklees, Coun Masood Ahmed, who has chosen the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice as his charity of the year, said:

“As Mayor I have seen the generosity and kind-heartedness of our residents first hand. The support shown to help these two charities has been no exception. I would like to thank all those who volunteered their time and to those who donated. The money raised will go a long way in enabling the charities to support people in our borough.”

A range of volunteers, including staff at Kirklees Council, supported the two hospice charities in the collection and chipping of 3,600 trees, resulting in 36 tonnes of wood-chips.

The chipped trees are now ready for reuse across the local community as top dressings on soil in local parks, sports fields, and farms, while some will be turned into biomass for green heating.

Councillor Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said:

“What a fantastic result for the charities this year! This is the fifth year that we have supported the Treecycling campaigns, and every year I am so proud to see the generosity shown by residents across Kirklees.

“I’d like to congratulate all involved, including the volunteers for their efforts and everyone who donated to help fund the vital work of these two local charities.”

Gareth Pierce, director at Forget Me Not Hospice, said:

“We’re so grateful to everyone who booked a tree collection with us this Christmas. It was our most successful year ever, raising a whopping £19,019 which will make an incredible difference to the children and families we support across West Yorkshire.

“Thank you to all our customers and, of course, to all our wonderful volunteers who travelled the length and breadth of the county to collect over 1,650 trees!”

Katie Hirst, from The Kirkwood, added:

“We have been overwhelmed with the support that we received for our 2023 Tree Recycling campaign. With almost 2,000 trees collected and £29,000 raised, this will not only make a huge difference to The Kirkwood, enabling us to support anyone affected by a life-limiting illness across Kirklees, but the trees collected will also help the environment as they are all recycled and reused in local communities.

“Thank you to everyone who registered their tree, made a donation, provided a service or volunteered their time – you are tree-mendous!”