Category: Christmas Tree Collection

Retired science teacher Mike Thompson has a unique role in the history of the East Cheshire Hospice tree collection.

Back in 1998, he suggested giving fellow choristers at St Peter’s Church in Prestbury a £10 note to raise funds for a new organ.

The idea came from a sermon by Revd David Ashworth about the Parable of the Talents, a Bible story of how success is the product of work.

Mike said: “I was listening to the vicar because I like that story. The organ was going downhill and in desperate need of renovation.

“I told my late wife Lis that I was pondering the Talents story, especially as the church needed money. She said, ‘I know what you’re going to say.’

“I suggested giving all 30 of us choir members a tenner to see what we could do with it.

“If we could turn that into £600 then we were on our way to getting a new organ.

A reunion for (from left) Pete Chapman, Mike Thompson, Richard Raymond and Andy Chapman.

“No one came back with just £10. Money-making ideas included giving lifts, baby-sitting, washing cars, sewing and cooking.”

Andy Chapman, then a teenage member of the choir, relayed the story to his mum Heather who suggested collecting Christmas trees. The rest is history.

Some 25 years later more than £2m has been raised for the Hospice by countless volunteers after Andy’s dad Pete founded the scheme with Richard Raymond.

Both men were deservedly honoured with an award by Macclesfield’s Clare Hayward, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, after the latest collection.

Mike was head of science at Tytherington High School from 1970 and became acting deputy head, retiring in 1989 before joining Barracks Fabric Printers.

He made a nostalgic visit from his Anglesey home to join the tree celebrations.

He said: “I did collect in the early days going out on vans with the vicar’s son. It’s nice to be invited back each year and made to feel so welcome.

“Pete and Richard are dynamos – they make me tired just looking at them.

“I’m not surprised the collections have done so well. It’s directed from above – God moves in mysterious ways.”

Andy said: “I probably wanted to spend my £10 in a sweet shop but thankfully mum came up with a much better idea.

“Pete and Richard have made an incredible effort over the years and it’s good to be back for the 25^th anniversary.”

We’ve made it!

Volunteers are celebrating raising a magical £2m for East Cheshire Hospice from collecting Christmas trees.

Appropriately, the milestone was reached during the 25^th year of the scheme when around 7,200 trees were collected, raising more than £150,000.

Marshals (from left) Katherine Beswick, Annabel Hipkins, James Bunker, Karen McLoughlin, Howard Stringer and Richard Bunker.

Co-founder Richard Raymond said: “It was Sunday afternoon when a van brought in a tree which meant we had passed a total of £2m.

“It’s been a fantastic community effort by thousands of volunteers over many years. We can’t thank them enough for their amazing contribution.

Volunteers (from left) Gill Burgess, Gerti Cocker and Carol and Richard Waterhouse give driver Neil Osborne refreshments.

“This eye-watering sum has funded the care of patients, their families and carers.”

The latest collection was delayed for a week because of snow and ice, forcing Richard and co-founder Pete Chapman to hurriedly re-arrange plans.

Ready to go …volunteers set for the tree collection.

Richard said: “It was the right decision to postpone as we have a duty of care to our volunteers and didn’t want to risk injury.

“Out of our 250 volunteers, nearly 50 were unavailable for the new dates while some who couldn’t make it initially were then able to help.

“We managed to pull together a new rota after a massive amount of work.

Clive Acton (left) and Dave Newton collecting trees in Macclesfield.

“We want to thank our customers for their understanding and support, as well as sponsors, volunteers and Hospice staff who kindly accommodated the late change.”

A fleet of vans set off from the Hospice early on Saturday, among them a crew which included Clive Acton and Dave Newton, both from Macclesfield.

Staff from the Ansa recycling plant and Swift Tree Services mulched trees.

Clive works for HSBC which match-funded £500 of the collection.

Trees were recycled for biomass fuel after mulching at the Ansa recycling depot at West Park and Swift Tree Services in Adlington.

Organisers of the East Cheshire Hospice Christmas tree collection plan to celebrate its silver jubilee in style.

The 25^th anniversary of the scheme falls coincidentally in 2025 with trees collected on the weekend of January 11 and 12.

The scheme has been an extraordinary success, raising almost £2m for the Hospice.

Registrations are open at www.echtrees.org.uk

Co-founder Richard Raymond said: “This next collection is a big one for us and we want to make it a special celebration.

Tree collection co-founders Pete Chapman (left) and Richard Raymond. 

“We wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the amazing dedication of volunteers, donors and sponsors over the years.

“It has been an incredible journey and, importantly, we need to continue to raise funds for the Hospice which now needs to fundraise £9,362 daily.”

The tree idea came in 1999 when Heather Chapman, wife of co-founder Pete, suggested collecting discarded Christmas trees to help buy a new organ at Prestbury Church where son Andy, then 15, sang in the choir.

Each chorister received a £10 incentive. The family trailer was used to pick up trees and the couple realised the fundraising potential.

Pete said: “We used the £10 note to pay for petrol to collect trees from the neighbours and raised £600 for two charities. Everyone said it was a brilliant idea and asked if we’d do it again.

“The success has been beyond our wildest dreams, inspiring dozens of similar collections around the country.”

Volunteers at the last tree collection.

Richard said: “Pete asked me the second year if we could borrow a van from where I worked and the third year said he felt he was on to something.

“We needed a charity that would appeal to everyone in the area so from 2001 we decided to support the Hospice.

“More than 160 hospices run Christmas tree collections, all originating from ours. Many have had help from us.

“Peter and I liaise with them over Zoom and they email with questions.

“As we’ve been down that road, we know what to do. We created help sheets and have set up a resources library which hospices can access.”

Macclesfield MP Tim Roca is among volunteers in January.

Sponsorship covers running costs meaning every donation goes directly to providing care. The collection covers postcode areas CW12, SK9, SK10, SK11, SK12 & WA16.

* Visit echtrees.org.uk to find out more or call the customer care helpline on 01625 708939.