Roger’s festive rescue saves the day

A local businessman has stepped it to save a popular festive contest for schools with the donation of a dozen Christmas trees.

The Christmas Tree Decorating Competition, held annually at the National Botanic Garden and featuring hundreds of local schoolchildren, was thrown into doubt when the Garden’s supply of trees dried up.

But Roger Hunt, who owns and runs the company Cymru Christmas Trees and a massive plantation of 10,000 trees near to the Garden, has made a very special Christmas gift of 12 six-foot trees to ensure the competition goes ahead as planned – on Thursday December 4.

Education development officer at the Garden, Nancy Hardy said: “We are very grateful to Roger. It is a fabulous gesture and came just in the nick of time to save this special day in which hundreds of local schoolchildren take part.”

Mr Hunt said: “As a major supplier of Christmas trees, I am delighted to be able to help the National Botanic Garden with this competition.

“We are part of the Welsh Cooperative of Christmas Tree Growers and members of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association. We pride ourselves on being environmentally friendly and producing quality trees.”

There are 21 schools lined up for this year’s Christmas Tree Decorating, from Cardiff and Caerphilly, to Carmarthen, Kidwell, Port Talbot, Pembroke and Swansea.

The theme of this year’s competition is ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ to help mark 100 years since Dylan Thomas’ birth.

Schools will be up against the clock to decorate their Christmas tree using reused and recycled materials to create imaginative and colourful decorations based on this year’s theme.

The competition is sponsored by Base Wales, Cled Moses, Gas Services Wales, Dwr Cymru, Cwm Environmental and Carmarthenshire County Council.

The Garden is also grateful to Salem Christmas Tree Farm, near Llandeilo, for the donation of two trees.