Volunteers and staff from Farleigh Hospice have celebrated a record-breaking year for their annual Christmas tree recycling campaign, collecting thousands of trees from across mid Essex to support vital hospice care.
A Decade of Green Fundraising Success
This year marked the tenth anniversary of the popular initiative, which has been running since January 2016 with only one interruption in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. The 2026 campaign was the most successful to date, with 109 volunteers collecting a staggering 3,754 trees from homes and businesses. This effort generated record donations of nearly £74,300 for the hospice.
Marie Goldman, MP for Chelmsford, visited the recycling hub at Generals Farm in Boreham to meet the fundraising team and volunteers. She praised the community spirit, saying it was "lovely to see first-hand the community coming together to support Farleigh Hospice's wonderful work and, at the same time, doing something that's environmentally conscious." She was particularly impressed by the number of volunteers and organisations, many with no prior connection to the hospice, who donated their time.
From Landfill to Local Pathways
Instead of ending up in landfill, every collected tree was sustainably repurposed. The trees were shredded into wood chippings by Green Net Eco Ltd. This material is then used as biomass fuel and for surfacing pathways in local parks, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to waste.
The campaign's growth highlights its importance to the community. In its first year, 2016, the scheme saved 613 trees from landfill and raised £5,274. The latest haul of 3,754 trees and £74,300 in donations brings the total raised over the past decade to an amazing £427,000.
Personal Stories Fuel Community Effort
The campaign is driven by deep personal connections to the hospice's work. Volunteer Richard Butler, who collected trees with his six-year-old son Oscar and wife Rebecca, explained his motivation: "My dad passed away 12 years ago. He was cared for by Farleigh at the hospice and at home. They helped him and gave him a lot of support in his last few days, so we've been collecting Christmas trees for four years as it's something we can do to give back."
Long-time supporter Elizabeth Newman-Earl added: "Farleigh does an amazing job and, as the local hospice, has helped lots of people that I know, so it is a cause I believe in supporting."
Collections took place across a wide area, including:
- Braintree, Chelmsford, and Maldon
- Coggeshall, Danbury, and Dunmow
- Halstead, Kelvedon, and Witham
- Southminster and South Woodham Ferrers
- The Four Colnes, Stock, and surrounding villages
An additional collection in the Dengie area was run by Burnham Rugby Club.
Debbie de Boltz, Farleigh’s Head of Fundraising, expressed immense gratitude: "A huge thank you to all of our fantastic volunteers who worked so tirelessly to collect the trees... and to all of the tree owners who generously donated. Farleigh Hospice is a charity that relies on the support of our local community so we can continue providing the specialist care that our patients and their families rely on. This is a fantastic start to our fundraising for 2026."
Farleigh Hospice provides free, compassionate care to adults with life-limiting illnesses and their families across mid Essex, alongside support for bereaved children and adults.
