Thousands of pounds have been raised for charity Sue Ryder thanks to the Gloucestershire community who supported its annual treecycling scheme.

The green fundraising drive saw a team of tree-mendous volunteers from Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice in Cheltenham set out to selected postcodes and collect real Christmas trees direct from local people's homes in return for a donation.

A total of 1,210 trees were collected through the Sue Ryder Treecycling Gloucestershire scheme, helping to raise £26,568, which contributed to a tree-mendous 7,196 trees collected and £118,982 donated overall across the charity's six initiatives.

The money raised will help Sue Ryder reach more people when they really need it, so no one is left to grieve or die alone.

Real Christmas trees are 100% recyclable and the firs collected in the local area will be chipped by Greenway Tree Care, with some of the nutrient-rich chippings being used to line the Bluebell Walk at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.

This means that residents who chose to treecycle this year were not only helping to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder, but also helping to reduce landfill and give back to nature.

Alysia Cameron-Smith, community fundraising manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, said: "We want to thank everyone who signed up and helped our Christmas treecycling scheme to grow.

"As Sue Ryder continues to battle increasing costs to deliver its care, and with the number of people needing our support predicted to rise, your support this new year is more vital than ever so we can continue to be there for more people at the most difficult times of their lives.

"The Sue Ryder Treecycling Scheme is run entirely by volunteer power and our thanks go to our partners JB Event Hire and Greenway Tree Care, and all the businesses and individuals who donated their vans and their precious time to help us with the collections. Without everyone's help we wouldn't have been able to raise such an amazing amount of money."

Last year Sue Ryder provided palliative care to thousands of families across the country, including from its Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice in Cheltenham.

The charity also provides bereavement support through its online community forum, free bereavement counselling service, personalised text support and new Grief Kind Spaces in Cheltenham, Gloucester, and other parts of the country.

Find out more about fundraising events for Sue Ryder in 2024 by viewing the events calendar at sueryder.org/calendar2024  or contact the fundraising team at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice on 01242 246270 or email leckhampton.fundraising@sueryder.org 

To register your interest for the 2025 scheme, visit www.sueryder.org/glos2024