Did you hear what we’ve been up to?

The grants team (Grace Da Costa, Mick Hayter and Peter Howard) have been very busy during the pandemic and have managed to bring in an incredible £46,300 for the charity and its clients this year! £14,800 of that was secured with the help of a professional fundraiser, Karen Mayoh, who has been assisting us to get funding for our very first paid member of staff. 

We’ve been delighted to bring in a lot of money to help clients’ children. Hertfordshire Councillors Nigel Bell, Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Asif Khan, Mark Watkin and Tim Williams generously donated £2750 from their Locality Budgets to pay for school uniforms for children starting primary or secondary school in September. Thanks to a grant from Hertfordshire Community Foundation, we were able to provide Chromebooks for children who were having to study at home during lockdown. One befriender who delivered two Chromebooks to a client said:

“You should have seen the smile on her face! She had not told the two girls and so it was to be a complete surprise. I felt like Father Christmas!”

Some of the latest grants will also enable us to pay for laptops for older children and adults, which is particularly important while libraries and other facilities are closed because of Covid-19. Other large grants have helped pay for food, hygiene products, boxes for food delivery, and PPE for volunteers. We also secured one hardship grant for an individual client. Thanks to everyone who helped us apply for and distribute these grants.            

Grace Da Costa, Grants Coordinator