ANYONE wanting to dispose of their Christmas Tree in the New Year can take advantage of an initiative to recycle them and raise money for charity.

Darlington Rotary Club and St Teresa’s Hospice have again partnered to offer a Christmas Tree Collection Service in the New Year for the people of Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding area.

In return for a donation of £5, Rotary members will collect and recycle trees from people’s homes on Saturday, January 6.

A collecting 1,132 trees in 2017, the appeal is expected to grow even more this year, raising thousands of pounds for St Teresa’s Hospice and other Rotary charities.

As part of the service, almost 3,000 Christmas trees on sale around Darlington have been tagged by members of the town’s Rotary Club with information about the service.

Rotary club organiser David Hayward said: “We will collect trees from any home in the Darlington area on Saturday 6th January and take them to a recycling centre.

“This is a win-win venture, with the homeowner avoiding any mess in their car and a local hospice receiving much needed financial help. We’d like to thank Croft Christmas Trees and Elm Ridge Garden Centre for allowing us to attach information to almost 3,000 of their trees before being sold, as well as all the other tree sellers in the area who have distributed information.”

To register your tree for collection visit www.darlingtonhospice.org.uk, or contact the Hospice on 01325-254321.

For further information about Darlington Rotary Club can visit www.rotary-ribi.org for details.