Christmas tree recycling in Kirklees has raised more than £48,000 for two Huddersfield hospices.

Kirklees Council joined forces with The Kirkwood and the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice to collect old trees and recycle them.

Residents across Kirklees backed the Treecycling scheme making a donation of around £10 per tree, beating last year’s total by almost £10,000.

A range of volunteers, including Kirklees Council staff, supported the two hospices in the collection and chipping of 3,600 trees.

The result was 36 tonnes of wood chips – that’s more than the weight of three full bin wagons! The chips will be used as topping on soil in local parks, sports fields and farms, while some will be turned into biomass for green heating.

Mayor of Kirklees Clr 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.”

Kirklees Council staff volunteers Eddie and Damian

Clr 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, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the support that we received. 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!”