The Harpenden Trust is delighted to announce the commencement of its 2023 Christmas Appeal in support of all the work that the Trust’s Care Fund undertakes across our local community. The Care Fund relies on the donations from the Appeal to ensure it can continue to help those local individuals and local families who may be struggling.
As Christmas approaches, Harpenden residents will soon be seeing the Trust’s Appeal envelope coming through their letterboxes. We would again ask the residents of Harpenden to consider responding with the incredible generosity they have shown in previous years.
As well as many of the dedicated Appeal volunteer teams returning to collect the appeal envelopes directly, the envelope also outlines details of the various alternative ways in which you can donate: through our website, by text, by QR code or by leaving the envelope at one of ten local drop off points in the town. It is easy to make a donation that will make a meaningful impact on the lives of those local people who seek our help.
The Trust works all year round in many ways to support those in need across our local community, although with much of its work is anonymous and unsung. Donations to the Harpenden Trust enable its Care Fund to provide financial and practical support to local families and residents, just last year involving over 680 visits to assist with various aspects of life, including food costs and maintaining essential appliances. Awareness of isolation and loneliness increased through the pandemic and over the last few years the Trust’s Care Fund has been offering befriending services for over 90 local residents, organising six outings for some 150 seniors annually, running coffee mornings twice a week for those seeking companionship and delivering 150 Christmas parcels to local seniors and families. It has also provided utility grants to 80 local residents on low incomes each year. Alongside partner charities and our local GP surgeries, the Trust has established the Harpenden Wellbeing Hub, running initiatives to support local residents with their mental wellbeing, including the “Frazzled Café", the Ribbon Cancer Support, the Compassionate Café, Arts on Prescription, the Memory Lane Café, the Intergenerational Choir and group activities with Youth Talk. In addition, the Care Fund has supported over 50 local children with the costs of essential school trips and uniforms. The Trust has also continued to help with booster vaccinations at local GP surgeries; with the Harpenden Library opening on Wednesday afternoons; as well as in June this year opening the Trust’s own Well Bean Community Café five mornings a week.
Richard Nichols, Chairman of the Harpenden Trust, said, “The Harpenden Trust’s Christmas Appeal is such an incredibly important source of revenue for the Care Fund. I would like to offer a huge thank you to the residents of Harpenden who have supported our Christmas Appeal over the years with such incredible generosity. With your help we have been able to make a real difference to some of those in our local area who have sought our help”.
Lynn Kennedy, Appeal Director, said, “I would like to thank all the Harpenden Trust volunteers who undertake to deliver envelopes across our local community this year, raising awareness of the work of the Harpenden Trust Care Fund, our annual Christmas Appeal and securing donations. Your help and assistance makes such a huge difference.”
To find out more about the fantastic work happening across the Harpenden Trust, please visit: www.theharpendentrust.org.uk .
Ways to Donate:
· Online at: www.theharpendentrust.org.uk
· Through the Appeal envelope posted to those in Harpenden, which Appeal collectors will return to collect (unless otherwise advised)
· Drop the envelope off at local drop off points:
· By Phone: call The Harpenden Trust on weekdays between 10am and 12pm (noon) on 01582 460457 to donate by debit or credit card By Text
· By Text: to give £5, £10 or £20, text HARPT5, HARPT10 or HARPT20, to 70085
01 December 2023
