Local businesses, volunteers and supporters have helped raise more than £17,000 for a Dorset children’s charity through a successful “treecycling” scheme.

Hundreds of people living in Dorset had their real Christmas trees collected and recycled from their doorstep while also making donations to Julia’s House children’s hospice.

The charity collected 1463 trees in Dorset and a further 627 Christmas trees in Wiltshire, raising £17,229 in total donations. The figure was described as a "record haul" increase on last year’s collection of 404 trees in Dorset and 230 trees in Wiltshire.

Charlie Squires, from the Julia’s House Fundraising Team, said: “We’ve been blown away by the response we’ve had to our tree collection – it’s been brilliant to see bookings more than triple in Dorset.

"We’d like to say a jolly big thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s event a fundraising success, from our dedicated team of helpers to the local people who made donations for their tree collection.

Dorset Echo: Julia's House volunteers collecting Christmas trees for recycling

 “We’re thrilled to have raised these vital funds to support our care for local families, and we hope to make our tree collection even bigger and better next year.”

The Julia’s House fundraising team was supported by volunteers from local businesses, including ECO Sustainable Solutions and The Fencing Centre, who sponsored the promotion of this year’s Christmas tree collection in Dorset.

The Julia’s House is a charity dedicated to supporting the families of children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions across Dorset and Wiltshire.

The charity receives just eight per cent funding from the government and relies mainly on the local community, through donations, fundraising and charity shop sales.

More information about the charity can be found on Julia's House website:  https://www.juliashouse.org/