Volunteers from SLC were among a number of West Midlands organisations giving up their time at the start of this month to raise money for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice by collecting and recycling Christmas trees.
The Hospice has been running its ‘Treecycling’ scheme for nine years, providing residents a greener and easier way to get rid of their Christmas tree in return for a donation to the charity. It continues to grow in popularity and this year raised over £85,000.
SLC has been involved in this event for the past four years and assisted by donating vans and people power from SLC Rail and SLC Property.
Susan Fisher, Senior Property and Rail Specialist at SLC Property said: “Treecycling is a fantastic thing to do to help some of the people who need it most in our community, and after the excess of Christmas it reminds us that not all families are having such a great time.”
David Munt, Senior Project Manager at SLC Rail said: “This was the first year I got involved in this event and I’m glad I did! It was incredibly rewarding volunteering for this event and knowing you are helping to make such a difference to people’s lives. It was also a great teamwork exercise and I’d urge other businesses to get involved.”
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice cares for local people living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell. The Hospice provides care and support to 500 people every day, in people’s homes, in the community and at the Hospice itself.
Treecycling is part of the Hospice’s ‘Care at Christmas’ campaign, which is a festive appeal that aims to boost support for the charity leading up to and over the Christmas period.
Charlotte Dowling, Community and Corporate Fundraising Manager at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “We were delighted to welcome back volunteers from SLC Rail and SLC Property, helping us to recycle over 4,500 Christmas trees this January.
“As a charity, we’re really proud to have a number of big-hearted businesses backing our Treecycling campaign, as it means that every penny raised goes directly towards the Hospice. At Birmingham St Mary’s, all of our services are free of charge so we really do rely on the generosity of local people and businesses to help care for individuals and families when they need it most.”
