Mike Lavender
22 May, 2025
News

Local charities/good causes benefit from Rotary’s Christmas Tree collections

Storrington and Pulborough District Rotary is delighted to announce that thanks to the generous donations received for their 2025 Christmas tree recycling project, they not only raised £3,335 for Chestnut Tree House Hospice for Children but have distributed a further £3,335 to a variety of local youth and community charities and projects.

Rotarians Mike Webster and Ken Collins collect one of 420 trees in January.

These include donations to three local food banks covering Storrington, Pulborough and Billingshurst, Family Support Work helping children and families through difficult times, and Little LifeSavers teaching CPR and other Basic Life Support Skills in schools. 

Other funds raised by the Rotary Club have gone to local youth groups, including 1st Pulborough Sea Scouts and Ashington Youth Club, contributed to sensory equipment for SEN and Autism sessions at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, funded activities and events aimed at combating isolation and loneliness in older people, and supported youth development projects at Storrington Primary School, The Weald School in Billingshurst and Steyning Grammar School.

Rotarian Anne Fielding Smith is delighted with the support given to the collection service by two local farms and Brinsbury Campus, and TreeSmiths Ltd of West Grinstead who chip the trees and recycle in environmentally friendly ways. The project is sponsored by King & Chasemore, Martin Lundy-Lester, Guy Leonard and Fowlers estate agents and SivTech garage. “The increase in the number of trees collected shows that the community welcomes and appreciates this service and we are grateful to everyone who contributed so that we have been able to support so many deserving causes in the district.”

For 7 years Storrington and Pulborough District Rotary Club has offered residents in the RH20 postcode and surrounding areas a service to collect and recycle their Christmas Trees in exchange for an optional donation. The service is offered in partnership with Just Helping, a national charity which provides marketing support, takes bookings and collects the donations.