20/01/2025
Tree-mendous work by Flagship teams to raise funds for local charities
L-R Flagship’s Jamie Davies, Natacha Cravid, Tanaya Burnett and Martin Allen pose in front of a Flagship Neighbourhood Services truck during the Christmas tree collection for St Elizabeth Hospice.
Farmers, two hospices and a polar bear will benefit from a massive Christmas tree collection and fundraising effort.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) ran a used tree pick-up across Norwich and North Norfolk, while Ipswich-based St Elizabeth Hospice did the same around the Suffolk town.
The two-day effort was hailed as a success, with each fundraiser collecting around 1,300 used trees, and raising almost £25,000 to be shared between the hospices.
Housing association (HA) Victory Homes joined in the EACH effort, volunteering staff and vehicles, while another HA, Newtide Homes, join in with St Elizabeth.
Martin Allen, Newtide’s neighbourhood operations manager, said he was delighted they were able to contribute.
Mr Allen said: “It’s such a lovely feeling to be able to contribute and give back to a worthwhile charity that’s doing such great work.”
L-R Flagship’s Paul Howard, Callum Parkinson, Charlotte Bane and Joe McNeill during their Christmas tree collection for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
Joe McNeill, who works in the same role at Victory, said: “The tree collection was a great event to be a part of, and we enjoy being out in the community with other organisations that want to give back as well. We’re really looking forward to getting involved again in the future.”
The trees will be recycled and given to local farms. Some will be chipped to pad out the polar bear enclosure at Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park at Wherstead, near Ipswich, where the bear Ewa has been living since 2023.
Neighbourhood gardener Callum Parkinson with a Flagship Services truck carrying used Christmas trees, collected for donations to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
Kelly Nekrews, community fundraiser at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “Wow, thank you to all the volunteers and to everyone who donated towards this year’s ‘Tree-cycling’, your support has made a real difference to both hospices in such an environmentally green initiative.”
Tina Burdett, EACH’s Community Fundraising Manager, said: “This is our most successful year so far, and we’re grateful beyond words to everyone who makes it an incredible fundraiser for both charities."
Both Victory and Newtide are part of Flagship Group, the east of England’s largest housing provider. Other organisations from across the two counties also pitched in with the fundraisers.
St Elizabeth Hospice provides palliative care to over 4,000 patients across East and Mid-Suffolk, and into Great Yarmouth and Waveney, while EACH provides quality of life care to babies, children, and young people across the region.
Neighbourhood Services Manager Charlotte Bane by a Flagship Services van with one of the collected Christmas trees