Christmas tree chipping raises £1,300 at Whitstable RNLI

ByEd

Jan 11, 2023

Photo: Chris Davey RNLI

Firs ‘flew’ into the chipping machine at a rate of knots, as dozens of Christmas trees arrived at Whitstable lifeboat station on Sunday morning to be chipped in aid of the station’s funds raising £1,300 in the process.

They arrived in cars with many on roof racks, in vans, on trolleys or just dragged by hand, and even four large ones came on a lorry, as families and groups came to bid farewell to the season’s centrepieces to aid the cause of ‘Saving Lives at Sea’. The RNLI’s ‘Stormy Stan’ the Lifeboat Man was on hand to oversee operations.

Whitstable RNLI’s Kellie Gray said, “For the second year running, again with the generous assistance of tree surgeons A. Bird Ltd, we held a Christmas tree chipping day outside the boathouse. Although there were slightly fewer trees chipped, we had an excellent response to the scheme, with a steady stream of arrivals from 10.00 am”.

“Alex Bird and his team had their two chipping machines running almost non-stop for three hours and, as last year, it provided a spectacle for passers-by and families bidding farewell to their trees.”

Alex Bird, Proprietor of A. Bird Ltd, said, “We were kept busy with trees of all sizes but the arrival of a large lorry from Bill Cordes Horticultural with four of the trees he supplied to WhitSparkle was quite a sight and, as last year, the day was most enjoyable. I am delighted that for a second year running we have been able raise funds for the RNLI, in addition to the chipping session held at Macknade Fine Foods on Saturday, which helped raise funds for the Pilgrims Hospice.”