Hundreds of Newton Aycliffe residents will, next month, have the opportunity to easily dispose of their tired real Christmas trees and, at the same time, support one of the region’s most valued hospices.
Over the weekend, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th January 2024, over 70 members of Darlington Rotary Club will tour local areas, including Newton Aycliffe, with large vans, collecting trees direct from homeowners and have them recycled into green energy biomass fuel pellets. And, in return the residents donate a small sum to Darlington’s St. Teresa’s Hospice.
“This is a win-win venture for everyone,” said Darlington Rotary Club organiser, David Hayward. “We spare the homeowner from any mess in their cars while disposing of their trees and the hospice benefits from much needed funds.”
Last year the club collected around 120 trees from the Newton and School Aycliffe areas alone contributing significantly to the record over £13,000 raised for the hospice.
To promote the scheme before Christmas, trees on sale in Darlington and at several Newton Aycliffe garden centres are being tagged with relevant details.
Hospice chief executive, Nicola Myers, said; “every year the hospice offers professional and compassionate ‘end of life’ care free to over 1000 local residents and we are always short of essential running costs. We are very grateful to the residents of Newton Aycliffe, and the whole area, for their help in raising vital funds.”
Everything is loaned free. Vans are supplied by hire companies Enterprise and Charter Self Drive; Vauxhall’s Darlington Drive garage acts as the operation’s base and trees are chipped by tree surgeons Greenworx and Jackson Trees.
Even the ‘fuel’ for the 70 volunteers comes free in the form of 150 bacon butties and 150 pork pies, courtesy of Taylors Pies.
To register your tree for collection visit:
www.darlingtonhospice.org.uk/CTC
or phone the hospice on 01325 254321 before midday 3rd January 2024.