To enable the Harpenden Trust to support local individuals and families, its Care Fund needs some £100,000+ a year.
The Christmas Appeal in the last two years has provided just over half of the money required: the rest comes from investment income, and from a number of individuals who make regular donations by standing order for which we are very grateful.
However, it still leaves us hoping that others will seek to donate and that local businesses and other organisations that raise funds for charity will remember the Trust.
You can make a donation to the Harpenden Trust in a number of ways. We can assure you that your name and address and any other details will not be passed on to other organisations.
If you are able to Gift Aid the donation we will be able to reclaim UK tax, currently at 25%, so adding to the value of your gift. If you pay higher rate tax, you will be able to reclaim further tax via your tax return.
Thank you in advance for your donation; all donations will be acknowledged as soon as possible by post or email. For security reasons, please do not send cash through the post.
CAF Donate (Charities Aid Foundation) is a way for individuals to donate online. It is simple, efficient and cost free, and is our preferred route for a single donation or regular donations as it avoids the need to write a cheque, complete a separate gift aid declaration and incur postal charges. To donate please click on the link below.
By sending a bank cheque or a UK Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) cheque, payable to 'The Harpenden Trust', to the Finance Director at the Trust’s Office at the address at the bottom of this page.
By making a payment directly to the Trust’s bank account at:
Barclays Bank, Harpenden; sort code 20-74-09, account no. 30469637; quoting your name as reference.
If applicable, download the Gift Aid Form and send it to the Finance Director at the Trust’s Office address.
If you wish to make a direct donation on a regular monthly, quarterly or annual basis, you can do so by standing order, payable to the Trust’s bank account at:
Barclays Bank, Harpenden; sort code 20-74-09, account no. 30469637; quoting your name as reference.
Please download the Standing Order Form and, if applicable, the Gift Aid Form.
Both forms should be sent to the Finance Director at the Trust’s Office address.
Giving in memory of a loved one is an incredibly special way to honour them and some people wish to make a donation to the Trust for this purpose.
If you would like to donate online or direct others to donate online in memory of a loved one, please click donate online.
If you would like to arrange a collection at the funeral service we can provide leaflets about the work of the Trust for you to distribute to family and friends. Please call or email us at [email protected].
If you would like to set up a regular annual donation in memory, please download the Standing Order Form and, if applicable, the Gift Aid Form. Both forms should be sent to the Finance Director at the Trust’s Office address.
We are most grateful for donations we receive in memory of a loved one.
Another way of donating, and a very welcome one, would be by leaving the Trust a legacy in your will to contribute to our continuing work.
Gifts to registered charities are currently exempt from inheritance tax.
We can provide the appropriate wording on request. Please call or email us at [email protected]
Donations from businesses, corporates and other organisations provide additional vital support in our work.
If your organisation chooses to become a partner of the Harpenden Trust you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to provide support to local individuals and families in need.
If you choose to make a commitment to support us in this manner, there are many ways you and your staff can make a big difference to local individuals and families.
Invite us to meet your staff and inspire them to fundraise for us through events, payroll giving or regular giving.
Suggest a fundraising idea of your own and we will help, where we can, to plan it.
Make a donation – whether that is money or by way of customer purchases.
If you wish to discuss a business, corporate or organisational partnership, please call or email us at [email protected].
For many years the Harpenden Trust has raised money for its Care Fund through its familiar Christmas Appeal envelopes. Some 250 volunteer Appeal collectors deliver an envelope to almost every house in Harpenden and later return to collect them where possible.
The 2021 Christmas Appeal provided a whole set of challenges, originally thrown-up in 2020, with the backdrop of Coronavirus restrictions. As far as was possible the Trust aimed to continue the door-to-door envelope delivery and collection by the volunteer collectors. However, the Christmas Appeal had previously broadened its approach to reflect the ‘new normal’ circumstances. This year’s Appeal has continued the emphasis on technology, including the strong promotion of on-line giving via the Trust’s website, text-giving by smartphone and the use of card readers. The Christmas Appeal also increased the number of envelope ‘drop-off’ points around the Town. The promotion of tech giving had an amazingly popular and generous response from the people of Harpenden
A quite remarkable £55,500, including Gift Aid Tax reclaimed from HM Government, was received for the Christmas Appeal 2023 - the third highest amount ever raised by the Trust - and this will provide some half of the budgeted expenditure in the year ahead for helping individuals and families in Harpenden through our Care Fund. Maintaining (and improving) the level of income from the Appeal is crucial to the Trust’s work of Supporting our Community.
We are very grateful to all donors who helped us raise such a fantastic amount. The Trust extends its thanks to Bubbles Hair Salon, Jelley’s Meats, Kinsbourne Green Post Office, Party Box, Thompsons Close Café, Total Looks, Shezzo's Cafe, Soft Water, Taylor Walton Solicitors and Whittakers Estate Agents for being the drop-off points.
The Trust also extends its thanks to all the collectors, area organisers, those who helped with counting the cash and others involved in the Christmas Appeal, for their time and commitment to making the Appeal such a success. The Harpenden Trust held a special event to thank the volunteers who were involved in the Appeal. The event was kindly sponsored by LiT Fibre and Savills, and was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the success of the Appeal and to thank the volunteers for their invaluable contribution.
Looking ahead the Trust would aim to continue with the door-to-door envelope delivery and collection. Inevitably, however, each year we lose some collectors and there are still roads without collectors, so we are always in need of more volunteers for this very seasonal, but vital, job. If you would like to volunteer for the Trust email us at [email protected] or call on 01582 460457.
None of the money raised by the annual Christmas Appeal goes to help local community groups. Instead, they are supported by the Trust’s Community Fund, which is separately financed by income from the Abbeyfield Endowment.
For our Appeal press release click here.
