#Stevenage April 2022

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APRIL 2022

The unique magazine for #Stevenage

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FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVAL The return of the family-friendly festival Todd in the Hole promises to “feed your soul”, with something for everyone to enjoy.

The three-day event in Bury Wood, in Stevenage’s Todd Green, will be held from July 15 to 17 this year, with options to camp or glamp, or just make a day trip.

Todd in the Hole launched in 2018, and in 2019 attracted more than 9,000 people over the course of the weekend, but the festival could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boasting five stages and more than 80 artists over the three days, this year’s event will see tribute acts including Killerz, Mused, Wrong Jovi, Amy – a tribute, and Strictly UB40.

On Sunday, July 17, there will be a dedicated folk stage for Folk in the Woods, featuring music from the likes of Baldock Folk Club.

“From the world’s best tribute acts on the Main Stage, to emerging talent on our infamous Buskers’ Stage, we’ve got something for everyone,” said a spokesman for the festival, which this year has the East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity as its charity partner.

Afterparties will include 70s and 80s disco, and Classic Ibiza hosted by DJ Dave Pearce - the original

presenter of BBC Radio 1’s Dance Anthems.

As well as music, there will be a kids’ arena with plenty to entertain the little ones, including a traditional fairground, an interactive outdoor theatre, circus skills workshops, sand art and storytelling.

A wellbeing area will be new for 2022, and a tug of war tournament will raise money for Letchworth’s Garden House Hospice Care.

Food vendors will be offering everything from pizza, paella, hog roasts and Mexican dishes to sweet treats, milkshakes and ice-cream.

There will be several bars, including one for Pimm’s and one for real ale and scrumpy, as well as a VIP bar.

“Our festival is more than a music festival - it’s a family-friendly, food and drink extravaganza,” said the spokesman.

“The location is in a gorgeous rural setting, easily accessible by road and rail. In fact, to make your journey as smooth as possible, we offer a complimentary shuttle bus service to and from the station.

“From the talented musicians, to the real ale and delicious food, this is a festival that will not only feed your soul, but also show it a darn good time!”

For more information and tickets, visit the link.

A FREE FAMILY FUN DAY OUT The event has been given a boost by a grant from the Arts Council to support the cultural entertainment to be featured at Stevenage Day. Stevenage Borough Council is planning to introduce a new major arts programme, which will celebrate the diversity of the Stevenage community and its culture and creativity.

Stevenage Day – a free family fun day out – boasts being the largest free event of its kind in Hertfordshire, and is returning as a live event for the first time since 2019.

With the first ever Stevenage Day held in 1959, the event has a 63-year history and will be held this year on Sunday, June 12, at King George V Playing Fields.

The event, organised by Stevenage Borough Council, has been held virtually for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so this year’s much-anticipated Stevenage Day is expected to top the 30,000 people it attracted for its 60th anniversary in 2019.

The theme for 2022 is ‘Re-imagining Stevenage’, with a specific focus on arts and culture in the community, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games.

There will be lots of free, fun activities for a variety of ages, as well as specialist food vendors and over 200 stalls dedicated to charities, voluntary organisations and local businesses.

Stevenage Day will also include a main performance area and the twin stages of Rock in the Park, supported by the Practice Roomz recording studio.

The events under this programme will include storytelling and a craft tent, a carnival parade with live music, an interactive zone for local artists to offer creative workshops and promote their work, and a world music programme.

Mayor of Stevenage, Councillor Sandra Barr, said: “Excitement is building ahead of this year’s Stevenage Day - all the more so as this is our first as a town since 2019.

“Residents and visitors of all ages will find something they can look forward to on the day.

“It’s a great opportunity for local people to come together and have fun.

“Perhaps most of all, this year’s event will give a significant boost to our local charities, now they can benefit from face-to-face contact with people once more, after the last two difficult years of the pandemic.”

The results of a public consultation into the future of Stevenage High Street are in, with the majority of respondents in favour of the existing green bike racks and temporary outdoor restaurant seating, with a call for more trees and benches.

Stevenage Borough Council launched the consultation, in the form of a survey, to capture views on temporary High Street changes – including parking bays forfeited during the pandemic to accommodate temporary outdoor seating for restaurants and bars – and what people would like to see in the future.

The temporary changes have received a mixed reaction, with some concerned the loss of free parking deters shoppers and others embracing the al fresco café culture, so the council had said it wanted to “engage with and listen to the views of residents and businesses and form a plan for the Old Town High Street”.

The overwhelming majority of respondents to the survey (76%) said they like the outdoor seating at the southern end of the high street.

Three large bright green bike stands installed in the high street in 2020 have been widely criticised for taking up valuable parking spaces and for not being in-keeping with the look of the historic high street.

In March last year, the council said it would replace the much-maligned bike racks using part of the

£77,818 allocated to SBC from the government’s Welcome Back Fund, which aimed to support retail and leisure industries as they reopened, with council leader Sharon Taylor saying: “We get that you don’t like them, so we will replace them with more popular designs.”

However, a year later and the green bike racks are still in situ, and the consultation asks if they should actually be kept, to which the majority of respondents (44%) said they should, with 24% opting to have them replaced and 15% to have them moved to a more suitable location.

Three-quarters of respondents to the survey (76%) said more benches are needed in the high street, and 64% said they would like to see more trees lining the street.

When asked what type of activities and events people would like to see in the Old Town, the most popular response was music events and festivals (15%), followed by street markets and fairs (8%).

A spokesman for the council said: “In addition, many respondents mentioned that they loved Old Town Live and they would like it to become an annual event.”

The council says it will use the responses to the survey to formulate a plan for the future of the high street.

As Russia’s war with Ukraine continues and the humanitarian crisis grows, the people of Stevenage have been uniting to gather and send vital aid to desperate Ukrainians.

partner Ukraine Lifeline to deliver aid to depots to deliver to the borders and inside Ukraine.”

Kayleigh added: “We are so proud of our community.”

Among the town’s army of volunteers are three mums – Kayleigh Clayton, Victoria Copeland and Natalie Martin – who have set up Stevenage Stands with Ukraine to collect donations of essential items such as first aid kits, sleeping bags and water bottles.

The initiative is supported by Stevenage Football Club, which has helped transport the donations to Ukraine Lifeline.

A spokesman for the club said: “Everyone at Stevenage Football Club stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine impacted by recent events.

The most recent donation collection point was at The Nobel School in Stevenage on Saturday, March 12, when The Fish and Chip Shop in Stevenage High Street supplied food for the volunteers, to keep them going.

The donations are sent to Ukraine Lifeline in Ely, where a logistics company ensures they are sent where they are most needed.

Natalie said: “We coordinate all large-scale collections in Stevenage and work with our charity

“The club and Stevenage Football Club Foundation are urging supporters to support local causes that are working tirelessly to provide aid and support to those impacted by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

“The club has been working to support Stevenage Stands with Ukraine.”

Stevenage Stands with Ukraine has also set up an Amazon wish list.

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Serving the local community for ten generations

The journey of Covid the Cobra - a snake made from more than 10,000 stones hand-painted by the Stevenage community during the first lockdown in 2020 - is now documented in the town’s indoor market.

The unique snake was started by mum Dawn Parnell and her young children, Eddie and Owen, on Stevenage’s Grace Way cycle path, to unite the community during the coronavirus lockdown.

The aim is to preserve Covid the Cobra in Grace Way, after people voted for the location in a public poll, and Stevenage Borough Council has put the stones into storage while funds for the project are raised and the design finalised.

The council says it has sourced a spare unit in Stevenage Indoor Market “to bring the artwork to life with a timeline about its journey”.

A spokesman said: “The unit provides a source of information to the whole community on the development plans for the project.

“We are currently working with all parties involved to find a permanent home for the artwork in the Grace Way area, as the community voted for.

However, due to the sheer quantity of stones, pandemic restrictions and preferred locations being mainly highways property of the county council, there have been delays.”

Phase one of the project will be a mural in the underpass where the cobra started.

Phase two will be using the stones to create a lasting feature.

A planning application for a 54-bed adult inpatient mental health unit has been submitted to Stevenage Borough Council, after the NHS “identified an acute need for the facility”.

If the application is approved, the specialist unit, provided by the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, will be built south of Graveley Road in Stevenage, close to Lister Hospital.

“The design and location of the proposed development will provide a comfortable and therapeutic environment for people at a time of acute mental distress and vulnerability,” the application says.

zones and a therapy zone.

Rooms will have views of nature, and the gardens will aim to encourage activity through the creation of “wandering routes of discovery”, growing beds and flexible open space for fitness and sport.

The proposed development will “ensure appropriate levels of psychological and environmental safety and security, and support meaningful activities and provide a high-quality environment,” the application says, providing “a balanced provision of adult mental health beds between the east and west of the county”.

It says: “The NHS has identified an acute need for the facility” and the proposed development will “increase bed provision to address ongoing bed pressures and reduce need for out-of-Trust beds”.

It also points to the economic benefits arising from the proposed development, which will include employment opportunities during the building and site development phase, and the creation of full and part-time jobs across a number of operational areas once the unit is open.

If approved, the new unit, which will provide acute care, will include courtyards, social spaces, quiet

A decision on whether to grant planning permission or not is expected in May.

A charity dedicated to creating libraries for deprived communities in Kenya is holding a prize draw for a holiday, to help raise the £10,000 needed for its next project.

Just be a Child was founded in 2013 by Lenka McAlinden, who lives in Stevenage, following a holiday to Kenya.

The charity collects secondhand donated books and sends shipping containers, filled with these books, to the African country, where the containers are turned into libraries and learning centres, and run

by Kenyan volunteers.

Just be a Child is raising money to establish its eighth library and has launched a prize draw, with the chance to win a holiday for two, including return flights to Kenya and a seven-day stay in an oceanfront hotel.

Entry to the draw is £5 and is open until March 27.

To enter, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/p/win-a-holidayfor-two-kenya.

A spokesman for the charity said: “While you will have the chance to explore the wonders Kenya has to offer, we will be able to supply thousands of books to thousands of children.

“For most of those children, our books will be the very first they have ever seen.

“Your £5 will send one book to Kenya.

This book will be read by at least 25 children each month.”

The prize for two people includes return flights from London Heathrow to Mombasa, a seven-day bed and breakfast stay at a beach hotel, transfers between airport and hotel in Kenya, and assistance with booking excursions and safari trips.

Entrants must be 18 years or over. Unlimited entries are allowed. The holiday can be redeemed up to November 30, 2024.

A consultation has launched over relocating a day service for adults with learning disabilities, due to the current building needing “extensive repairs and improvements”.

Hertfordshire County Council is suggesting replacing the Leyden House Day Service in Stevenage’s Leyden Road with a new purpose-built facility on the former Pin Geen School playing fields in Hayward Close, 2.4miles north of the current facility.

The facility provides daytime services during the week for adults with learning disabilities.

Rachel Halliwell, head of day services at the county council, said: “The current building needs extensive repairs and improvements, so we are suggesting the day service is relocated to the former Pin Green School playing field.

“By relocating the service to a modern purposebuilt building, we hope to secure a local service for the future.”

She added: “Everyone who uses the current service will be able to continue to attend, and Leyden House will continue to operate until the new service opens.”

Rachel said: “Information about alternatives will also be made available. Have your say. Please let us know your views.”

The county council says the proposed site has good public transport links across to local amenities, and the new facility will have parking and outdoor space.

A new retirement living facility is proposed on the remainder of the site.

Pin Green School opened in 1964 and closed in 2005.

A consultation on the proposal to relocate the day service launched on Friday, March 11 and will close on June 3.

If the proposal proceeds, the county council says everyone who attends the current day service, as well as their family members, carers and staff, will have the opportunity to take part in the design of the new building, to ensure it will meet the needs of everyone.

As well as this consultation, meetings will take place individually with everyone who uses the service, as well as family members and carers, to discuss the proposal and give their feedback.

To request a hard copy of the consultation, or if you need help understanding the information, you can email dayserviceconsultation@hertfordshire.gov. uk or call 01438 843329.

To have your say, complete the online response form at https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/aboutthe-council/consultations/adult-social-services/ leyden-house-consultation.aspx

A woman who has received life-changing support from a charity that helps people recover from addiction has told her story, as the charity prepares to hold two open days.

The Living Room was founded by Janis Feely MBE in Stevenage in May 2000, after she successfully overcame her own addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.

The award-winning charity, which also has centres in St Albans and Watford, supports people with addictions to anything from alcohol and drugs to gambling and sex, and champions abstinencebased treatment delivered by counsellors with experience of overcoming addictions themselves.

The charity has supported more than 7,000 people to full recovery over 22 years.

Client Felicity was consumed by an addiction to alcohol when she went to The Living Room for help.

“Since my first drink at the age of 13, I’ve had an obsession with alcohol,” she explained. “For the

first time in my life, I felt like I had an identity, confidence and a social presence.

That was also the first time my using would lead me to have an altercation with the police, and the first time I frightened my family. It was the start of 16 years of misery.

“For the first time in my life, I laugh genuinely, with those who understand me. I finally feel like I deserve to be happy and be myself, which, so far, has given me seven months of sobriety. The further away I get from my last drink, the more I feel like I have something to live for.”

“By the time I was 15, I would take any opportunity to be under the influence of alcohol, which took me to very desperate places and compromised my safety. Even at that age, I lived for a drink and sacrificed my self-worth and dignity.

The Living Room is holding a virtual open day from 9.15am to 10.30am on Thursday, April 21, and a meet and greet open day from 2pm to 3.30pm on Thursday, April 28, at all three centres.

“It very quickly became my way of life and I would live in my alcoholic bubble more often than in the real world because it was easier to live without pain.

It consumed me.

“I’ve broken the law; I’ve been raped, drugged, abused and sectioned; I lost my job; I endangered young family members and almost lost my sight. I didn’t care about any of it, as long as I knew there was a drink at the end of it.

“My family were totally broken watching someone they love uncontrollably killing themselves and implored me to try The Living Room, which I agreed to if it got them off my back.

“Within an hour of being there, something changed in me. I walked into a room full of people from all walks of life who were so open about the things I’d kept secret for so many years. The fear, shame and loneliness I was wrapped up in fell away, for I finally felt I belonged.”

Over the coming weeks, Felicity’s symptoms of withdrawal lessened and, the further away she got from her last drink, the more she opened up. She was making friends for the first time in years.

She said: “Once I started to learn that behind my drinking were traumatic events, a lack of love for myself and an allergy to alcohol that wanted me dead, I was able to learn tools I could carry around with me to keep me safe.

“The counsellors are inspiring, my peers are some of the realest people I’ve ever met, and I now have the building blocks for a life where I’m truly free to be myself.”

She continued: “I have friends who truly care for me and guide me away from danger instead of to it.

At both events, you will have the chance to hear from The Living Room’s team and listen to clients’ recovery stories. There will also be a Q&A session.

A spokesman for The Living Room said: “As we emerge from a tumultuous couple of years, we have decided to hold two open days and we are delighted to invite you to both events.

“We are immensely proud to have run a continuous service for our clients, who have needed our support more than ever during this difficult period.

We have run our counselling groups online during lockdown, and in our hubs when it was safe to do so.

“We have learned a lot about ourselves and our service and we would like to share this knowledge with you. Pease register for one or both of the open days at livingroomherts.org/Event/the-living-roomopen-days.”

For more about The Living Room, visit livingroomherts.org or, if you have any questions, email enquiries@livingroomherts.org

Can you help raise funds to refurbish the outdated stroke rehabilitation kitchen at Stevenage’s Lister Hospital?

“After a stroke, people can often be left with reduced strength and balance, and with coordination and thinking skills impaired,” explained a spokesman for the East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity, which is running an appeal to update the kitchen.

She said: “Being able to make your own meals is hugely important and integral to a person’s independence, wellbeing and self-confidence.

“With the right rehabilitation, many people who have had a stroke can re-learn lost skills needed to live independent lives.

bright sky art panels to introduce light into the space, and updated appliances and crockery, including adaptive aids.

The East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity funds medical equipment, research, training and facilities for patients at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust’s hospitals, including Stevenage’s Lister.

The charity’s spokesman said: “We fund a wide variety of projects that support newborn babies up to the elderly, with each and every one making a difference.

“The new kitchen will allow our occupational therapy team to help patients who have had a stroke use a kitchen so that they can return home and live independently.”

“Donations have meant we have been able to purchase highly advanced equipment for urology, maternity, emergency care and cancer services.

“We strive to be at the forefront of medical care and this means we also fund innovative research and specialist staff training.

“We also fund small refurbishments and building projects to enhance our patient and visitor comfort.”

The refurbished kitchen will have height adjustable counters that can rise and fall, sockets within easy reach, adequate turning space for a wheelchair,

If you would like to make a donation towards the stroke rehabilitation kitchen refurbishment, visit enhhcharity.org.uk/appeal/project-stroke

The wait is almost over - the new Marks & Spencer store in Stevenage opens next week.

The M&S store on the Roaring Meg Retail Park is set to open on Thursday, April 28.

Having taken over the former Debenhams site, it covers nearly 10,000 square metres across two floors and includes a foodhall and café.

The opening has been highly-anticipated by many, since work to transform the site got under way last year.

One shopper said: “It’s wonderful news and will benefit Stevenage greatly. A much-needed store and foodhall, with a café thrown in too, for good measure.”

Another said: “Really good news. Love their food.”

A third joked: “I can’t wait for M&S to open in

Stevenage, but I’m not sure my bank account will feel the same!”

M&S had left Stevenage in 2015, saying the town centre store in Queensway was no longer commercially viable.

With the new store creating up to 150 jobs, Stevenage Borough Council leader Sharon Taylor said: “We look forward to welcoming Marks & Spencer back to Stevenage, along with the job opportunities for local people.”

A planning application has been submitted to Stevenage Borough Council for permission to erect a giant Percy Pig on the roof of the new M&S store for a 12-month period.

The intended structure - an illuminated fibre glass pink Percy Pig sign - is almost four metres high and nearly six metres wide.

As the cost of living crisis grips the nation, we’ve put together 10 ways you could save money in Stevenage.

Food Rescue Hub Stevenage Food Rescue Hub – an environmental project aimed at rescuing food destined for landfill and offering it to people on a pay-as-you-feel basis – is held at The Old Red Lion in Hydean Way every Saturday, between 9.30am and 11am.

People are invited to take two empty bags and fill them with fruit, vegetables, flowers, bakery goods and store cupboard staples.

The perfectly good food is collected from supermarkets by volunteers the night before.

The suggested minimum donation for two full bags is £5, but making a donation is not essential.

You don’t have to meet any criteria either – it is not a food bank.

Visit foodrescuehub.uk for more information.

Foodshed The Foodshed, coordinated by Stevenage Vineyard Church, distributes donated food to people who are struggling financially.

Open from noon to 2pm on Wednesdays at The Orbital Centre in Stevenage’s Cockerell Close, a spokesman said: “Don’t forget to bring your referral voucher, if you have one, but if you don’t have one, come down anyway.

Spruse – Stevenage Reuse Scheme Donated good quality secondhand furniture and white electrical goods are available at low prices.

All residents can buy from Spruse, but if you receive benefits or a pension, you can register and buy at a reduced price.

Spruse is located in Willows Link, off Broadwater Crescent. For more information and opening times, visit spruse.org.uk, call 01438 362900 or email info@spruse.org.uk

Charity shops Save money and support good causes by going on a charity shop trawl. There are plenty of charity shops across Stevenage, filled with everything from clothes and accessories to toys and homeware, so you’re bound to find what you need. What’s more, Cancer Research UK’s superstore on Oaklands Retail Park in London Road even has a wide range of furniture in store.

Citizens’ Advice Stevenage If you are struggling financially, Citizens’ Advice Stevenage can provide free confidential and impartial advice. Advisors can also help make applications for any discounts or grants you may be eligible to claim, as well as check your benefit entitlement.

Visit stevenagecab.org.uk or call 0800 144 8848 (free from mobiles and landlines) to get help. The advice line is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Household Support Fund

Choosing between heating and eating? Check with We can still help you out, and can signpost you to Stevenage Borough Council if you are eligible for further support in getting a referral voucher for next the Household Support Fund. The last tranche has time.” just closed, but there is a new one. The council may also be able to point you to other help.

For more information, visit stevenage-vineyard.

Visit stevenage.gov.uk/contact-us or co.uk/compassion/foodshed call 01438 242242.

Outdoor gyms

Fairlands Valley Park

Take advantage of the free-to-use outdoor gym equipment in Stevenage’s green open spaces, including St Nicholas Park, Town Centre Gardens and Hampson Park.

Situated within the heart of Stevenage and covering 120 acres of parkland, Fairlands Valley Park provides plenty to keep the family entertained, including a large children’s play area and aqua park.

Stevenage Museum Looking for a trip out that won’t break the bank?

General admission to Stevenage Museum is free, with just a small charge for some events.

Located underneath St Andrew and St George’s Church on St George’s Way, the museum has a wide range of displays and children’s activities on offer.

Opening times are 10am to 4.30pm Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. stevenage.gov.uk/stevenage-museum to find out more.

Why not take a picnic, feed the ducks, fly a kite, or play football or frisbee? There’s so much to do and, best of all, it’s free!

Freegle and Freecycle Join websites such as ilovefreegle.org and freecycle.org where people advertise their unwanted items that they are giving away for free!

You can filter by town, so it’s easy to see what’s up for grabs in Stevenage.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

Austin’s raise almost £250,000 over 20 years of their Charitable Fund There are celebrations all round as this year marks 20 years of the Austin’s Charitable Fund.

The fund was set up back in 2002 by the Austin family to support and benefit charities and organisations in the local community, and includes a local Annual Charity selected by the family alongside some significant other financial support to local causes.

Managing Director, Claire Austin, explained that, prior to the Fund being set up, they would always have a lot of people writing to them with small charity requests, such as sponsorship for the London Marathon and other challenges; so they decided to focus their efforts and raise even more money for a few, select causes each year instead.

Each Annual Charity is promoted through their branches, website and social media.

Funds are raised through families donating to the cause after losing a loved one, a percentage of profits, annual events such as the Christmas Carol Service at Harwood Park, and donation boxes in all of the branches.

Claire said: “The original concept of the Austin’s Charitable Fund was to find a way to ‘give back’ to the community we serve.

The bereaved families we look after live and very often work locally.

Many of them have been supported by local hospices and care providers. Therefore, we feel we are creating a ‘circle of giving’.”

Jackie Lawrence and Maggie Bashforth hand over the cheque to EHAA Over the last 20 years the fund has raised an incredible £242,385.54, after the most recent donation of £5,709 was made to 2021 Charity of the Year, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT).

A representative from Austin’s always visits the charities to hand over their cheques and this year it was Jackie Lawrence and Maggie Bashforth who were delighted to present the donation to EHAAT at their base in North Weald.

“We chose Herts Air Ambulance as our 2021 charity because they provide an amazing, but largely unseen, lifesaving service to our community and are funded purely by charitable giving,” said Claire.

A blog published last year by the Charity Commission stated that over 90% of charities had experienced some negative impact from Covid-19, “whether on their service delivery, finances, staff, or indeed on staff morale, resulting from the months of frustration and uncertainty”.

Furthermore, 60% saw a loss of income, and 32% said they experienced a shortage of volunteers.

While charity fundraising is always vital to their survival, the last few years have been particularly tough for everyone and highlights the impact something like the Austin’s Charitable Fund can make.

Just some of the charities represented by the Fund over the years include: Riding for the Disabled (2005), Hertfordshire Young Homeless Group (2007), Cancer Hair Care (2014), North Herts Samaritans (2015) and Resolve (2018), as well as local hospices, hospital charities and bereavement charities.

They’ve all received donations between around £5,000 and £7,000, and some even more.

Alongside the Charitable Fund, there are other avenues of fundraising that Austin’s finds to raise more essential funds.

Claire herself has had her fair share of challenges, visiting India in 2010, Vietnam in 2015 and, most recently, the Arctic Circle just before Covid hit, to raise funds for Home Start Hertfordshire.

In fact, Home-Start Stevenage (as it was called back then) was Austin’s first ever Charity of the Year back in 2002.

Another avenue is the recycling scheme at the crematorium at Harwood Park.

The metal that is left over after a cremation (hip joints etc.) is collected and sent over to Holland who then send some money back.

Around every 4-6 months, Austin’s submit an application to the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management with a suggestion of who this money should be donated to.

We will shortly be donating £15,000 to the Rennie Grove Hospice.

This year’s chosen Charity of the Year is the Anne Robson Trust.

Austin’s look forward to raising funds for this wonderful charity and another 20 years of fundraising, because, in the words of Helen Keller, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

A voluntary service that provides support to patients at the end of their life in Stevenage’s Lister Hospital is appealing for donations and corporate sponsorship for its inaugural fundraising ball.

The Lister Butterfly Volunteer Service, which was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020, sees trained volunteers provide support and companionship to dying patients, and support for their loved ones.

The first-ever Butterfly Ball, to help raise funds to run the service, will be held in September at Knebworth Barns.

The team of volunteers are inviting donors to help achieve their fundraising target of £25,000 for the ball by sponsoring a table, the meal or the entertainment, or to donate auction and raffle prizes.

The Lister Butterfly Volunteer Service is funded entirely by the East and North Hertfordshire

Hospitals’ Charity, and relies on donations and support to raise the £45,000 a year needed to run this award-winning service.

The funds raised each year help to ensure that the volunteers are able to continue spending time with patients, so nobody has to die alone.

The ongoing pandemic has meant that even more patients are alone due to visiting restrictions and, whilst end-of-life patients are allowed visitors, it is not always possible – making the role of the Butterfly volunteers even more valuable.

Different sponsorship packages are available for the Butterfly Ball, along with an opportunity to have company logos and advertisements in the programme and displayed throughout the event.

For more details on how to donate or support the Lister Butterfly Volunteer Service with its fundraising, email Angela Fenn at angela.fenn@ nhs.net or call her on 07825 072142.