As Christmas trees and decorations are taken down today as is traditional on Twelfth Night, people might be wondering what do to with their redundant Christmas trees in West Devon.

Lewdown Young Farmers are offering them a solution — feed them to the goats on a local farm who are rather partial to the taste of pine needles and raise money for charity Brain Tumour Research at the same time.

Becky Dennis and Amy Lethbridge are organising the collection of trees this Sunday (January 9) from addresses in Lewdown, Lifton, Launceston, Lydford, Bridestowe, Sourton, Bratton Clovelly, Okehampton, Ashwater, Halwill, Northlew, Hatherleigh and everywhere in between.

All those donating trees are asked to make a £5 donation per tree – with all the proceeds going to Brain Tumour Research, one of the club’s three chosen charities of the year.

To arrange for your tree to be collected, call Becky Dennis on 07415 064989 or Amy Lethbridge on 07443 461344. You can also contact them via the Lewdown Young Farmers Facebook page.

There is also an opportunity to donate your tree by just turning up in Holsworthy Square between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday. All the trees will be given to a local goat farm, where discarded trees are particularly welcome.

As Becky explained, the Christmas tree collection is just the latest in a series of fundraising activities undertaken by the club over the past few months, after club activites resumed in September following a pause due to coronavirus restrictions.

’We’ve held three charity events so far - a cider and pasty quiz in October raising £490 for the Stroke Association, a Christmas poultry bingo in December raising £1,106.80 for Hospiscare and most recently we sold Christmas wreaths that we made which raised £310.54 which is to be split between our three chosen charities of the year, the Stroke Association, Hospiscare and Brain Tumour Research. Altogether so far we have raised £2,000 which is amazing, and we have lots more events lined up for our 60th year.’

The club, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, now has more than 60 members, having recruited new members at a very successful new members’ evening in September. This followed some months when the club had to pause meetings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Autumn saw them touring the local carnival circuit with their float which paid tribute to the key workers who have kept the area going during successive covid lockdowns.

Becky said: ’We’ve been to Okehampton, Hatherleigh and Holsworthy Carnivals with our ’thank you key workers’ themed float and we came third in Okehampton.’

She said that the group had also enjoyed a packed social calendar alongside their fundraising activities, with social evenings including bowling, adventure gold and pumpkin carving.’