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Dec 2023

Last Updated: 28/12/2023

Community

Young farmers to collect Christmas trees in Harrogate and Knaresborough

by Phoebe Hobbs

| 28 Dec, 2023

The chairman of the club was left "gobsmacked" by demand last year. Image credit: Sean Foster.

A Knaresborough club for young farmers is to collect Christmas trees for charity again.

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next year, will be collecting used trees on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January.

This is the second year the collection is taking place after the response to the first left chairman Katy Addyman "gobsmacked".

She said:

"We thought we might get 10 trees, we might get 15.

"Literally within a week we had 200, 250 trees. We had to close the booking form because we were just gobsmacked by the demand for it."

The Christmas tree collection will take place in Harrogate, Pannal and Starbeck on Saturday 6 January.

Collections in Knaresborough and the surrounding villages of Farnham, Ferrensby, Follifoot, Goldsborough, Kirk Deighton, Lingerfield, Little Ribston, North Deighton, Scotton and Spofforth will take place the following day.

A minimum donation of £5 per tree is required to raise money for their chosen charities.

You can book a collection online.

Once collected, the trees will be put in a wood chipper to make bedding for cows.

The proceeds will go to MS Society and Harrogate charity Saint Michael's Hospice.

Ms Addyman said:

"One of the biggest supporters of the club suffers with MS.

"We chose the MS Society as a way of giving back to him."

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club has noticed a rise in young people taking an interest in agriculture. A few years ago, the club had "two or three" junior members, or, members aged between 10 and 16. Today, there are 30.

Ms Addyman credits the documentary series Clarkson's Farm with the increase in members.

Her own history with the club is less recent: her father was also chairman.

She said:

"When I told my dad I was joining young farmers, he was like 'Oh my God, you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for!'"

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club accepts members between the ages of 10 and 28. Anyone interested in joining can email yfcknaresborough@gmail.com.

Boroughbridge collection

Boroughbridge Young Farmers Club is offering a similar service on January 7. It will be collecting trees from the town and nearby villages.

Booking isn't required — people are asked to leave th e tree outside their home or on the street and pay £5 cash when it is collected. The service raises money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Further details are here.

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Young farmers to collect Christmas trees in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Boroughbridge collection

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