Christmas Tree Recycling – Thanet 2025

Say farewell to your festive fir with our tree collection service supporting local hospice care.

Back for its 4th year, residents in the Thanet District Council area can register their real Christmas trees in return for a chosen donation, and our friendly team of Pilgrims volunteers will collect them from outside homes.

We will be collecting in the following areas between Friday 10th – Sunday 12th January 2025:

• Margate
• Ramsgate
• Broadstairs
• Westgate-on-Sea
• Birchington
• St Nicholas-at-Wade
• Minster
• Surrounding villages within the Thanet District Council area

Check whether your address is in the Thanet District Council area here!

Register and donate by midnight on Sunday 5th January 2025, and doorstep collections will take place between Friday 10th and Sunday 12th January 2025.

Pilgrims volunteers will be collecting trees on specially-planned routes from households in the Thanet Council District area. Once booked, the Pilgrims team will email you to confirm your registration, and in the days prior to the collection with instructions for your tree.

There’s no need to mess up your car with pine needles as Pilgrims will do all the hard work for you and, in turn, you will be helping to support the vital end-of-life care of local people through your donation.

Tree Recycling doorstep collections are returning to Thanet, and we hope that our community supports their local hospice by donating and booking their tree in for collection.

Karen Kenward, Pilgrims Hospices Thanet Community Fundraising Manager

Registration

You must register your tree for collection by midnight on Sunday 5th January 2025.

Please note:

• Collections will take place between Friday 10th and Monday 12th January 2024 from 7:30 – 16:00.
• All trees must be left in a clearly visible place at your property, and must be easily and safely accessible for our team. We cannot accept responsibility for collecting your tree without accurate instructions and we cannot return to collect trees which could not be easily found by our crews.
• Our volunteer tree collectors will be working hard to collect hundreds of trees across the weekend. So, when booking, please give an accurate description of the location where the tree will be left at your property, including a What3Words location.
• Any trees over 8ft tall or 4ft wide must be chopped ideally in half or into reasonably-sized pieces in advance of collection. Larger trees will not be collected due to vehicle capacity restrictions.
• Please let us know when booking if you have more than one tree (maximum of 2 trees per household).
• Trees with decorations, in bases or pots will not be collected, as these cannot be recycled with the trees. Please make sure only the tree is left out for collection. Trees must be left at the exterior of the front of your property and please do not block public access.

Tree recycling is operated as a free service by Pilgrims Hospices. Please show your appreciation by giving generously to support Pilgrims Hospices to be there for the next family who needs our specialist care.

Check whether your address is in the Thanet District Council area here!

Christmas Tree Recycling Terms & Conditions. 

How your donation could help

This Christmas, your kind support could help local people who are living with a life-limiting illness.

• £12 could pay for a patient’s Christmas dinner.
• £15 could give a complementary therapy session to a patient, relieving anxiety.
• £20 could provide for a physiotherapy session to help a patient stay active and enjoy festive games with their family on Christmas day.
• £30 could enable our Community Team to hold a consultation with a patient in their own home.
• £45 could pay for one-on-one counselling for someone struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one this festive season.
• £100 could allow our community nurses to continue making home visits, ensuring that patients can spend Christmas at home with family and friends.

How are the Christmas trees recycled and how is the money raised?

The last Christmas tree recycling campaign raised over £60,000 to support the vital care of patients facing incurable illness in east Kent, with more than 3,250 real Christmas trees collected in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet. We are only able to raise this through our community giving generously when registering online.

Once your tree has been collected, it is taken back to your local hospice where the trees are chipped and processed. Some of the tree chippings are used in our hospice grounds, or for composts locally. So, as you can see, your tree’s onward journey is far more valuable than just being put out after Christmas!

Companies pledge support

Special thanks to Kent County Council and Thanet District Council for supporting the initiative.

Thank you so much for your support

Every generous donation from our amazing community helps to make sure we can be there for the next family who needs us.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, find out about the full range of services Pilgrims can offer.

Why not embrace the spirit of Christmas even more with our other festive fundraising activities:

• Santas on the Run!: Choose from a 3k, 5k, or 10k challenge and dash your way along Herne Bay’s scenic seafront with hundreds of fellow Santas in aid of a good Claus. 

Christmas Tree Recycling Terms & Conditions.