Charitable Giving: At Home

As well as paying for the upkeep of St Mary’s, approximately 20% of all income received is donated to charities and special projects both in the UK and overseas. These charities are usually nominated by members of the parish who have a special interest in their work.

To find out more about our how you can contribute please visit our Stewardship section.

Here are some of the local and national charities we have recently supported:

• Action for Children: Formerly called the National Children's Home (NCH), the Methodist Church’s support of this charity continued when it joined with the Anglican Church at St Mary’s. Each year we raise money for this leading children's charity through our Carol Service and home boxes. The children, young people and families it works with face difficulties such as injustice, deprivation, inequality, disability and abuse. For more information please contact Christine Butler on 01923 778001.

• The Beat the Killer Cold scheme is run by Three Rivers District Council to provide grants to help cover the cost of winter fuel.

• The Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust was established in 1991 to raise and manage funds to help the restoration and repair of churches and chapels in the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and also Barnet.

• Church Housing Trust is a charity dedicated to the rehabilitation and resettlement of homeless people. The ultimate goal is to help homeless people regain their independence and resettle in the community, by supporting residents in over 60 projects including hostels, move-on housing, foyers, day centres, winter shelters, women’s refuges and mother and baby projects.

• The Children’s Society: Our most popular service at St Mary’s is Christingle which is held in December, during which we raise money for The Children’s Society. The Children’s Society works with and for children to help them deal with life’s harshest challenges and face the future with confidence. In particular, The Children’s Society is focusing on children at risk on the streets, children in trouble with the law, disabled children and young refugees. Please contact Bill Sylvester on 01923 775091 for more information.
  We collect used stamps for the Children's Society.

• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains dogs to alert deaf people to specific sounds, whether in the home, workplace or public buildings. To date it has placed over 1100 hearing dogs throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Hearing dogs change lives. They alert their deaf owners to sounds we take for granted, providing greater independence, confidence and security. Most are selected from rescue centres or are donated as unwanted pets.

• Herts Young Homeless Group was established in 2998 to improve provision and support for young homeless people in Hertfordshire. Its main objective is to enable young people to secure and maintain appropriate accommodation through prevention, crisis intervention and resettlement.

• The Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre is the cancer support and information centre based at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood. The focus of the LJMC is the Drop-in centre where patients and their relatives will find a safe haven where they can ask questions and seek answers about all aspects of cancer and its treatments. Further support is offered through the counselling and complementary therapy services. The LJMC receives approximately 15,000 requests for help each year and makes no charge for its services.

• Michael Sobell House is the specialist palliative care unit within the grounds of Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood. The staff at Michael Sobell house aim to ensure that all patients who are facing a life-threatening disease receive the best possible care to enhance their quality of life. They also aim to promote the patient’s physical and psychological comfort, respecting their dignity and individuality. The team involves and supports the patient and their carers to help them meet their emotional, social, physical and spiritual needs.

• The Peace Hospice provides day care for up to 80 people each week from within South West Hertfordshire. Services include access to medical staff, special therapies, reflexology and aromatherapy massages, hairdressing and specially adapted bathing. There is an 11-bed in-patient unit which aims to make patients’ last days as peaceful and pain-free as possible. They also care for those left behind with bereavement counselling and support. All these services are provided free to patients and their families.

• Watford New Hope Trust is an interdenominational Christian charity which provides homeless people in and around Watford with a range of welfare and accommodation services in the name and with the love of Christ, seeking to bring new hope and new opportunity to rebuild damaged lives. It works in professional partnership with relevant voluntary and statutory agencies. Practical support includes food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and training as well as building relationships, listening and caring.

• Watford Sheltered Workshop Ltd is a registered charity which provides meaningful employment to people with disabilities. It currently employs 24 people who work full-time Monday to Friday in a sheltered environment. The team carry out various types of work. Recent jobs have included library servicing, labelling and packaging (including heat sealing), and assembling mechanical and electrical equipment.

• Harvest Giving: Harvest Festival is a time when parishioners donate groceries and household goods which are distributed to needy people in the area. Some of the items go to a chosen charity, while the rest are distributed to local people. Thelma Shilling organises the list of recipients and the distribution of goods. Thelma can be contacted on 01923 774506.