Love Herts Day - Celebrating local charities

On Wednesday, 6 September 2023 a team from Hertfordshire Community Foundation (HCF) joined the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, Liz Green, for a very special road trip around Hertfordshire to celebrate ‘Love Herts Day’.

With visits to Watford, St Albans and Hitchin the group visited four inspiring charities in our county. Love Herts Day highlights/showcases the essential work that local charities are doing to support vulnerable people in Hertfordshire.

Commenting on the day Liz Green, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, said; “Love Herts Day was an inspiring way to highlight some of the fantastic local charities who are behind so much of what is special about our county. We met some extraordinary people, and we want to showcase some of the excellent work going on in the county, particularly around my themes of empowering people though improving literacy and rehabilitation.”

The first stop of the day was New Hope, Watford a charity which supports people experiencing homelessness and vulnerably-housed individuals by providing them with accommodation and transformative opportunities. The group enjoyed a tour of The Haven and meeting the New Hope team and clients and seeing first-hand how they ensure everyone is treated with respect.

The next stop on the trip was to Open Door St Albans. Their night shelter and drop-in centre provides emergency support to homeless people and those at risk of homelessness in the St Albans area. During the visit the charity spoke about how their specialist homelessness advisor and outreach worker helps rough sleepers and make them aware of the available support

Back on the road the Love Herts Day Road trip continued to Centre 33, a charity who provide a drop-in centre that offers hot meals, drinks, shelter, and access to shower facilities for anyone in the St Albans area who is in need or homeless. The group toured the small but welcoming space and met some of the people for whom the charity is a lifeline.

For the final visit the team travelled to North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum in Hitchin who provide services to improve the quality of life for BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) people, offering guidance on housing, benefits, employment, education, training, and health matters. The group met people who have benefitted from some of the services including English, IT lessons and health and wellbeing events.

Commenting on Love Herts day Paul Robbin, CEO for Hertfordshire Community said; “Hertfordshire is very fortunate to have a vibrant and active local voluntary sector. The groups that we visited on Love Hearts Day are amazing examples of the passion, energy and commitment local people have to helping others. Local charities and groups work tirelessly to help local people when they are at their most vulnerable, they are the backbone of our communities. But it is a difficult financial climate for them and many struggle to raise the finances they need to continue to help people.

“HCF is a hub for those who want to support local charities but don’t know where to begin. Thanks to our supporters we are proud to have been able to support all of the charities we visited on Love Herts Day and hundreds more, either through our grant funding programmes or our training and development opportunities for the local charitable sector. Without local giving HCF would not be able to provide the grants and support that these organisations desperately need. Love Herts Day was about celebrating the incredible volunteers and staff who work tirelessly in the county to support local need and those that are in the fortunate position to be able to give where they live.

“It was a great privilege to visit so many dedicated and inspiring people who are all working so hard to improve the lives of local people.”