We’ve made it!
Volunteers are celebrating raising a magical £2m for East Cheshire Hospice from collecting Christmas trees.
Appropriately, the milestone was reached during the 25th year of the scheme when around 7,200 trees were collected, raising more than £150,000.
Marshals (from left) Katherine Beswick, Annabel Hipkins, James Bunker, Karen McLoughlin, Howard Stringer and Richard Bunker.
Co-founder Richard Raymond said: “It was Sunday afternoon when a van brought in a tree which meant we had passed a total of £2m.
“It’s been a fantastic community effort by thousands of volunteers over many years. We can’t thank them enough for their amazing contribution.
Volunteers (from left) Gill Burgess, Gerti Cocker and Carol and Richard Waterhouse give driver Neil Osborne refreshments.
“This eye-watering sum has funded the care of patients, their families and carers.”
The latest collection was delayed for a week because of snow and ice, forcing Richard and co-founder Pete Chapman to hurriedly re-arrange plans.
Ready to go …volunteers set for the tree collection.
Richard said: “It was the right decision to postpone as we have a duty of care to our volunteers and didn’t want to risk injury.
“Out of our 250 volunteers, nearly 50 were unavailable for the new dates while some who couldn’t make it initially were then able to help.
“We managed to pull together a new rota after a massive amount of work.
Clive Acton (left) and Dave Newton collecting trees in Macclesfield.
“We want to thank our customers for their understanding and support, as well as sponsors, volunteers and Hospice staff who kindly accommodated the late change.”
A fleet of vans set off from the Hospice early on Saturday, among them a crew which included Clive Acton and Dave Newton, both from Macclesfield.
Staff from the Ansa recycling plant and Swift Tree Services mulched trees.
Clive works for HSBC which match-funded £500 of the collection.
Trees were recycled for biomass fuel after mulching at the Ansa recycling depot at West Park and Swift Tree Services in Adlington.