Even a rainy day couldn’t dampen the spirits of our hardy team of students, staff and employer partners as the Merrist Wood College community once again came together with Shooting Star Children’s Hospices for our fourth annual Christmas Tree Collection chipping day – and what a success it was!
During the week, partner organisations such as Sky, Galliford Try, Balfour Beatty, Drainline and Kier Group delivered the collected trees, seeing a significant increase in community support.
A record number of 820 trees were delivered to our site (1081 trees collected in total) meaning that the charity raised a remarkable £31,300 which could fund a valuable family support worker or a dedicated care assistant for an entire year – making a real difference to families supported by Shooting Star in their time of need.
Industry partner, Graham Benton of Benton Arboriculture, generously gave his time and brought along his commercial chipper to help process the record number of trees, as well as giving our students a full tour of the machine as well as some key insights into the industry. We’re hugely grateful that he took a day out of his busy schedule to support us.
We were also delighted to welcome Makita UK back to campus. Always so supportive of the work we do here, their team ran live demonstrations and gave students hands-on opportunities to try out some of their professional equipment.
Our Horticulture, Arboriculture and Countryside Management students gained valuable experience throughout the day – accepting tree deliveries, using our small chipper and gaining practical experience with professional equipment supplied by our industry partner Makita UK – all of which helped to reinforce their studies and professional development.
As part of our on-going commitment to sustainability at Merrist Wood College, the wood chippings will be allowed to naturally decompose into mulch before being used in the college’s pinetum to protect and nourish our pine and conifer trees.
Working together with charities, employers and local supporters not only amplifies the impact of what we can achieve but also fosters deeper connections and learning opportunities for everyone involved.
Richard Cant, Curriculum Manager of Arboriculture, Landscaping and Horticulture at Merrist Wood College and University Centre, said:
“This collaborative project offered invaluable learning experiences for our students, while fostering a strong sense of purpose and connection to the local community.
“We are extremely grateful to Benton Arboriculture for kindly bring their large chipper, which enabled our students to witness industrial-scale equipment efficiently process all 820 trees.
“We are proud to support Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, which is a much-loved local charity, and the vital role it plays within the community, and we look forward to supporting their Christmas 2026 appeal.”
Find out more about our Arboriculture and Countryside Management courses here: https://bit.ly/4qOY0um