Recycled tree mulch used for safari animal homes

Recycled Christmas trees will be used in animal enclosures at a safari park or turned into biofuel, a charity said.

Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust is among organisations collecting trees in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area for voluntary donations.

It said the trees would be taken to recycling sites and chipped into mulch, some of which would will be scattered on pathways and put in enclosures at West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley.

The trust will collect trees between 10 and 13 January and people can check if their postcode is eligible. The charity said it was hoping to beat its record of last year which saw more than 600 trees recycled, raising over £12,000.

Founded in memory of four-year-old Grace Elizabeth Kelly, who died in 2014, the Worcestershire-based charity works to improve early diagnosis and treatment for children with cancer.

Treecycling organiser and fundraiser Kirsty Murray said: "We have seen an unprecedented surge in demand for our services, reflecting both the growing number of children being diagnosed with cancer and the longer, more complex treatments they are facing."

She added Treecycle and other campaigns as well as "the generosity of the community" enabled the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust to offer its services and helped fund vital research.

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