Sprucing up the New Year with our Christmas tree collection service

This week, our Christmas tree collection service returned with a bang! 24 dedicated volunteer teams hit the streets in their vans, collecting trees across Surrey and West London. We are excited to reveal that we set a new record – collecting 776 trees and raising an amazing £21,655 (and counting!).


We would like to extend a huge thank you to our sponsor, Ridge & Partners, for their invaluable support in helping raise awareness across 21 GU, TW, and KT postcodes. A special shout-out also goes to our volunteer supporters, local garden centres, and Christmas tree vendors, who helped distribute leaflets and spread the word in their communities. And a big thanks to Good Gym for hitting the streets and distributing 5,000 leaflets.
We were thrilled to welcome back many of our loyal volunteer teams and to add a few new ones, all of whom worked tirelessly to ensure no tree was left behind. A big thank you to Kier Group, Ellis Wines, Galliford Try, Drainline, Balfour Beatty and Sky for contributing a collective 336 hours of volunteer time – we’re sure they’ll be finding pine needles in their vans until next Christmas!
This fantastic achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the ongoing support of Merrist Wood College and The Tree Agency, who helped us recycle the collected trees. At Merrist Wood, the trees are used in their educational programme, where students learn how to operate chipping machines. The resulting mulch is used on site, and some trees even find a second life in their bird aviaries!
Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported our Christmas tree collection service this year. Your efforts and donations are truly making a difference to the children and families we care for at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.
If you would like to donate, please click here and find out more ways you and your business could support your local children’s hospice.