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A new company is delivering Christmas trees to London homes – while also supporting entertainers who have been hit hard by the year’s events.
Green Elf Trees is employing out-of-work musicians and performers to deliver their Christmas trees and a range of decorations by hand throughout the holiday season. With every purchase, they are also making a £3 donation to your choice from three charities (Great Ormond Street Hospital, Shelter or Dogs Trust).
The website is from the same people behind Plantsavers – a lockdown enterprise that sold plants from closed garden centres that would have otherwise gone to waste – and it offers two different types of full-size Christmas tree, starting at £49.99. The first tree, a Nordmann Fir, is your classic festive living room item, vibrant green and wide in shape. The other tree on offer is a Fraser Fir, which has a slimmer, more pointed shape and a richer dark-green colour. The Fraser also keeps its needles better, so it's a good choice for those of you who don't want to spend your whole life hoovering. You can also buy pot-grown trees that are said to last for years.
Smaller tree options start at £34.99, with miniature table trees available for those who might not have enough space for a full-sized fir in their London flat. In terms of decorations, there’s a range of wooden and glass items, LED lights and fancy toppers for your new tree, as well as sustainable wooden advent calendars in which you can place your own daily surprises.
When ordering, you can pick a week-long window (starting from November 16) and Green Elf will confirm the exact day of delivery at a later date. The team of musicians is currently delivering in and around London, with a postcode checker on the website to see if your area is eligible. All deliveries are contact-free and made by PPE-wearing drivers, too. They will also pick up your tree at the end of the festive season for eco-friendly disposal, where it will either be upcycled or composted.
Every purchase of a Christmas tree also comes with a link to a playlist made up of songs by the musicians working for Green Elf. No, we’re not crying – you are!
Find out more and make an order here.
Not in the mood yet? Check out these Christmas lights now shining in London.
Or blast out these anthems from our list of the 50 best Christmas songs.