Some of the most prominent figures in Watford and Hertfordshire are to take up senior positions with a community project which is becoming a registered charity and seeking to become a blueprint for others to follow.

One Vision, which has been at the forefront of the town's response to the coronavirus pandemic, was established to bring people together with the common goal of helping the community.

Founder and chairman Enoch Kanagaraj told a special community forum meeting held virtually that the project will become a stand-alone charity and it was also announced who will sit on the board of trustees, the executive board or become a patron.

As well as Mr Kanagaraj, the trustees will include One Vision vice-chairman Harjit Singh, Watford MP Dean Russell, former Watford Grammar School for Girls headmistress Dame Helen Hyde and Watford FC legend Luther Blissett.

Mr Kanagaraj will be the chief executive and chairman of the board, with Mr Singh as vice-chairman, while the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Henry Holland-Hibbert, Dame Helen and elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor will be among the patrons.

The One Vision founder told the Watford Observer after last Thursday’s meeting that it had always wanted to register as a charity, but the Covid-19 crisis had seen the demand for all its services increase. Furthermore, it is a goal of the project to serve as a blueprint for other community initiatives across the county and potentially beyond.

Mr Kanagaraj said: “That’s one of the reasons One Vision was nominated for a High Sheriff award last year and we won on that basis that we’re bringing people together with a common goal of helping the community.

“That’s exactly what we want to do in other towns. We have a plan but this is one of our short, medium, long-term goals, how we can be a role model to others in other towns of what we’re doing in Watford.”

Cllr Liz Burns, who is One Vision’s operations lead and will serve as vice-chairman on the executive board, told the meeting that it had supplied 100,000 meals over the past eight months to those in need, having started with 30 a week in March.

The project currently has 95 volunteers and these have also helped deliver 20,000 food parcels in that time, and One Vision is currently supporting 350 families and 22 schools in areas including Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Borehamwood and every Watford postcode.