Just Helping’s 2026 TreeCycle Appeal broke every previous record, amassing 88,544 real Christmas trees and drawing £1,885,915 from more than 12 million households across the country. Four thousand volunteers cleared streets, while 70 lead charity partners—mostly hospices—received the bulk of the donations.
The trees are hauled to local hubs, where they’re chipped into mulch, biomass, and land‑management products. The process prevented an estimated 1.4 million kg of CO₂e, or the equivalent of driving a petrol car over six million miles, cutting emissions by roughly 80 percent compared to landfill.
Founder Nick Stammers thanked the volunteers, saying, "Every year, I’m reminded that the true strength of the Appeal isn’t measured by the number of trees collected but by the extraordinary people who make it happen." He added, "Together you’ve strengthened communities, protected our environment, and raised vital funds for local causes across the UK."
Hospice partners drew £1,479,271 to fund palliative care, while 109 smaller community groups—sports clubs, youth groups, food banks—received £114,675. The charity’s report shows 81.2 pence of every pound went straight to these 70 leading partners, with the remainder covering logistics and future growth.
Looking ahead, Just Helping plans to broaden the scheme to additional local authority areas and hospice catchments before the next festive season. Corporate partners such as Bupa and Enterprise will supply electric vans to reduce the carbon footprint of future collections. The next campaign is slated to launch in early 2027, with outreach expected to reach even more households.