A tree-mendous initiative from Queenscourt is being run for the third year in a row.

Volunteers from Queenscourt Hospice are urging residents to sign-up for their official Christmas Tree collection service to help get their 2019 fundraising efforts off to a great start.

It's teaming up with staff from Just Helping, a charity that works with hospices, businesses and volunteers to recycle real trees to raise money for good causes; the team of volunteers will collect and remove trees from homes across the whole of Southport, Banks, Hesketh Bank, Tarleton, Formby, Freshfield, Ormskirk, Burscough, Scarisbrick and Rufford - all collections need to be pre-booked online by 5pm on Tuesday, January 8. The trees will be collected on Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13.

After costs, 90% of the monies raised by the collection go directly to Queenscourt, with the remaining 10% being donated to another charity nominated by the hospice - for 2019, Queenscourt has nominated Twinkle House in Skelmersdale, a wellness and sensory centre that provides free support sessions for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. The funds will go towards a new hydrotherapy pool.

In 2018 the initiative raised more than £8,000 and volunteers collected 800 trees in total. Every year, Queenscourt Hospice supports hundreds of patients with life limiting illnesses and costs £400 an hour to keep it running. The charity relies heavily on community support and donations.

Rachel Kennedy, Queenscourt Hospice community fundraiser said: “We’ve had fantastic support from local communities for past Christmas Tree Collections and we hope that 2019 will be another great year for us.

“It’s wonderful to be working alongside the Just Helping team to raise much-needed funds for both Queenscourt and Twinkle House – a charity that bears many similarities to ours and also works with patients who are receiving palliative care. We want to say a big thank-you this year to Tesco who are allowing us to use part of the car park at their Kew store for tree chipping and also to Hickorys Smokehouse, who will be providing our volunteers with free bacon butties and hot drinks to kick-start their day.”

Trees gathered by the collection service are recycled in a number of ways, with chippings used on paths in gardens and parks or as a mulch on farmland. The trees, although withered, can also be used in woodland areas to provide a habitat for small animals or to protect sand dunes from erosion.

Bookings can be made at charityxmastreecollection.com