How well do you know Hertfordshire?

Hertfordshire is a county of contrasts - there’s much to be proud of but still much to do.

Hertfordshire is renowned for its rich history, beautiful countryside and its desirability as a place to live, but there is another side to Hertfordshire which remains largely hidden.

Despite many Hertfordshire residents living comfortably, pockets of deprivation exist across the whole of the county, with around 10% of the county’s population living in the most deprived communities. The results that this deprivation can have on those living and working in Hertfordshire is significant.

Did you know…

An estimated 30,000 children in our county currently live below the poverty line

Hertsmere and Three Rivers are in the 10% of most deprived areas in England

Domestic abuse in 2016 accounted for nearly 13% of all police reported crime with 8,290 cases.

172,558 adults aged 18-64 suffer with mental health problems

People under 35 make up 29% of the population but shoulder 48% of the debt

18.5% of residents have no qualifications and the number of jobseekers aged 50+ is increasing

(* See HCF’s ‘Hertfordshire Matters’ report as a source of data with links to a variety of national statistics available at www.hertscf.org.uk as part of its ongoing commitment to understanding the needs and challenges in Hertfordshire)

Hertfordshire Community Foundation is a local charity which works to tackle need and deprivation in Hertfordshire. Since our launch in 1988 we have provided more than £11 million in grant aid, helping over 1,000 groups and organisations across the county. The difference this funding has made to these organisations and the people they help is literally life changing for some.

Examples of HCF’s recent support includes:

£300 – to buy an oven so that a family living in crisis can, once again, provide hot meals for their children

£1,000 – to enable a local foodbank to provide 400 meals to families in Hertfordshire

£4,500 – to enable a musical therapy organisation to establish a new group helping people suffering with dementia and their carers

£5,000 – to support a project designed to help break the cycle of domestic abuse (through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund)

£ 10,000 – to help a local charity to provide safe overnight accommodation for 18-24 year olds in times of crisis, helping prevent rough sleeping

Help us help Hertfordshire - give where you live!

Hertfordshire Community Foundation changes people’s lives for the better. We help to build stronger, safer communities by encouraging local giving to target need and deprivation.

Whether you want to support HCF as a family, individual or business, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Love Herts - You can make regular or one off donations to support our ‘Love Herts’ appeal. Donations are used to support a wide range of deserving causes and community initiatives across Hertfordshire which may otherwise go unsupported.

Named funds - You can set up a named fund to give now, or build over time. Creating a personal fund is an effective way for you to get directly involved in local giving, without the administrative and legal costs of setting up a separate charitable trust.

A gift in your will - Leaving a legacy in your will to Hertfordshire Community Foundation is a simple way to help your community for generations to come.

Herts100 - Through the Herts100 Club we aim to build a group of 100 businesses to support small, grassroots community organisations that work hard to improve the quality of life for people across the county.

For further information visit www.hertscf.org.uk or contact Helen Gray, Foundation Director, at helen.gray@hertscf.org.uk or call 01707 251351.