Harpenden Helping Hand 
Harpenden's Helping Hand logo

Need Help

If you want help please call

01582 764599

Weekdays, answer phone available
Harpenden's town sign

Harpenden Helping Hand is a Charity founded in 1971. Our volunteers provide help to anyone living in Harpenden who needs a ‘helping hand’ whatever their age and whatever their circumstances. 


Our volunteers are able to drive people to local hospitals, doctors’ and dental surgeries and opticians when taking public transport or a taxi would be difficult. All we ask is as much notice as possible, and a small donation to the charity for the help received. We can also help by taking people who have difficulty shopping alone to the shops or, if they are housebound, by undertaking their shopping for them. Volunteers can befriend the housebound or offer respite to a carer.

NEWS ALERT

We are spreading the news about the work our drivers do around Harpenden with coverage in local media.


The creative works below will be featured from March 23rd to engage with more residents across the town, spread the word about our services and recruit some new drivers.


Learn more about our current drivers on the Volunteers Page by clicking here.


Harpenden Helping Hand were at the Seniors' Fair in Harpenden on Tuesday April 4th held at the EMC. Chairman Chris Marsden and Helen Loveland spent the time explaining how they help local residents and persuading more local people to become volunteer drivers.

AGM Sept 28th 2023

 

Helping Hand back to pre-Covid levels


Chris Marsden, Chairman of Harpenden Helping Hand, announced that the amount of car journeys to local surgeries and hospitals and supermarket shopping done for needy local residents had returned to 2019 levels. He was speaking at the Harpenden Helping Hand annual general meeting held on 25th of September 2023 and attended by Town Mayor, Fiona Gaskell, representatives of local charities and volunteer drivers and shoppers.


The problem, Marsden went on to say, was that while the demand for car journeys had returned to normal, about 30 a week, the number of available drivers had fallen. He challenged the meeting to think of ways of attracting more drivers. A lively discussion session followed the meeting raising useful ideas about helping non-driving disabled seniors get Blue Badges and advertising our need for drivers at gatherings of the many luncheon clubs and charity events held regularly in the town


Chris Marsden, Chairman of Harpenden Helping Hand addresses the Harpenden Helping Hand AGM

Town Mayor, Fiona Gaskell, attending the Harpenden Helping Hand AGM

Helping hand Volunteers 1

Profile of our Secretary,  Helen Loveland

Helen has lived in Harpenden since 1974. She joined Harpenden Helping Hand (HHH) ten years later. In those days HHH was a larger organization aimed at helping anyone in Harpenden who needed assistance.  As far as possible every significant road had a designated Local Helping Hand and roads were grouped together under District Helping Hands, who served on the General Committee. Helen was initially assigned to Piggottshill Lane and later became District Helping Hand for the surrounding roads. Most of her work was befriending and helping with shopping. In 1990 she was persuaded to become Vice-Chair of HHH and became Chair in 1992.


Helen stood down as chair in 1996 and became less involved in HHH as she was teaching full-time. When she returned to part-time work in 2003, she volunteered as a driver, as by then there was a greater need for drivers. She joined the committee again, as vice-chair and then secretary. She was chair from 2014 until 2021: the last three years of that time she acted as secretary when the previous secretary left.


Apart from helping clients with lifts, shopping and befriending, some of which she does with the Harpenden Trust, Helen does the secretarial and membership paperwork, including DBS checks, and is part of the transport organising team. She also enjoys opportunities to network with related charities.

Harpenden Helping Hand- Registered Charity No. 261426

 
Copyright © Harpenden Helping Hand  - All rights reserved