Thursday 8th and Friday 9th January saw the inaugural ‘Oakhaven Treecycle’ campaign raise vital funds for Oakhaven Hospice. The project raised £5,000 thanks to costs being covered by the campaign sponsors Heppenstalls Solicitors and New Forest Escapes.

The new initiative was very well received, with Oakhaven taking over 200 orders to collect trees from the BH25, SO41, SO42 and SO45 areas.

Throughout November and December, supporters were encouraged to book a tree collection and make a donation to Oakhaven Hospice. Volunteers were then organised to collect the trees, saving homeowners the hassle of disposing of their unwanted Christmas trees after the festivities.

Hannah Davies, Oakhaven’s Community Fundraiser who led the campaign, commented; “Many thanks to everyone who supported Oakhaven Treecycle, in particular our sponsors, Heppenstalls Solicitors and New Forest Escapes. Their sponsorship has helped by covering our costs, ensuring that all donations made with the bookings will directly support our services helping local families.

“Many, many thanks also to the thirty enthusiastic volunteers who donated their time to drive vans and collect the trees. Not even storm Goretti could dampen their spirits or stop them from collecting nearly 220 over two days! Working with our dedicated Oakhaven Hospice patient drivers and volunteers, invaluable support was given by staff at SLB, NFU Mutual, SME HR Consulting, Shorefield Holiday Parks, and HSBC ensuring every tree could be collected on time.

“In addition, we are very grateful to This Is Eco in Parley for their support in responsibly recycling these trees into mulch, free of charge.

“This new fundraising event was supported by several New Forest Christmas tree retailers including Agars Nursery, Everton Nurseries, Fairweathers Garden Centre, Moles Country Stores, Redcliffe Garden Centre and Strawberry Fields Christmas Tree Farm.

“Such was the success, Oakhaven Treecycle will be back next Christmas and will incorporate even more areas, including the SO40 and SO43 areas.”

Clarissa Ronchese from Heppenstalls, said; “We’re thrilled to have been the headline sponsor of the Oakhaven Treecycle. It’s a fantastic way to support our local community, raise vital funds for Oakhaven Hospice, and help recycle Christmas trees across the New Forest.”

Jane Wilkinson from New Forest Escapes, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have partnered with Oakhaven Hospice for the first year of the Christmas tree recycling initiative. As a proud B Corp, we’re always looking for meaningful ways to give back to our community and reduce our environmental footprint. This partnership not only supports vital hospice care but also ensures that something as simple as recycling a Christmas tree can make a real difference — both for people and the planet.”

All funds raised by Oakhaven Treecycle will help to fund Oakhaven’s day-to-day running costs, which last year amounted to £9 million. With only 11% of funding covered by the NHS, your local hospice relies on kind donations, fundraising, gifts in wills and income from its charity shops and home care provider, Oakhaven Care Ltd, to cover the remaining 89% of costs.