IT has been a busy summer for a Watford-based charity that has successfully completed three projects to help the homeless, children and refugees from Afghanistan.
Hand on Heart, which was established to support rough sleepers, the vulnerable and disadvantaged, held a summer homeless campaign, a back to school initiative and has teamed up with Hertfordshire County Council and the British Red Cross to support Afghan refugees arriving in the UK.
The charity once again mobilised its volunteer families in Watford for the summer homeless campaign, where 500 bags containing essential items – such as new clothing items, toiletries, and personal protective equipment – were distributed to rough sleepers in London.
Hand on Heart provided 500 essential packs at five central London outreach locations, working with the following partners in these locations: Who is Hussain, Charing Cross; Children of Adam, Holborn; Our Forgotten Neighbours, Tower Hamlets; The Little Things, Shoreditch; Nishkam SWAT, Charing Cross.
The campaign drawstring bags contained a polo shirt, t-shirt, underwear, socks, baseball cap, sun cream, deodorant, wet wipes, shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste, face mask, hand sanitisers and bottled water.
Hand on Heart’s co-founder Afzal Pradhan said: “We sometimes forget that rough sleepers need support all year round, not just during the colder season. Imagine wearing the same pair of underwear for months during the summer in sweltering heat.
“Our summer packs were carefully thought out and put together with this in mind, to provide some hygiene and dignity. They also included items such as baseball caps and sun cream for protection against the sun.”
Ahead of the new school year starting earlier this month, Hand on Heart provided 900 backpacks to children from low-income families.
The numbers of backpacks were split equally between primary and secondary school children through the charity’s partnerships with these organisations and areas: Watford and Hertfordshire county schools; Ealing Soup Kitchen; Hounslow Community Foodbox; Watford Seva Day; Milton Keynes Store House; Sufra NW London; Moor Park and Eastbury Neighbours Together; Acton Homeless Concern; Banbury schools.
Hand on Heart’s partner organisations have direct access to disadvantaged children and were able to supply the packs, containing items including stationery, a reusable water flask and a USB reading light, directly to them before the new school term started in September.
All the school backpack supplies were delivered to the organisation’s Watford headquarters and collected by volunteer families. The backpacks were put together by the families and children in their own homes to encourage volunteer engagement and to instil humanitarian and charitable values in children. The families then returned the completed packs for our core team to prepare for distribution.
Afzal said: “The vast majority of us take things for granted like being able to provide basic school supplies for our children. There are some families who struggle to put food on the table. Seeing the joy on the faces of both the children and the parents when they received the backpacks containing stationery items was an absolute joy.
“This particular campaign is designed to relieve the anxieties felt by parents as the new academic year approaches, and to give reassurance to them that their child will not be alienated by their peers for not having these basic necessities needed for study.”
Hand on Heart has also played its part to support Afghan refugees arriving in the UK, distributing a total of 210 welcome packs to date. These contain hoodies, head scarves, t-shirts, underwear, socks, toiletries, oral hygiene kits, PPE items and bottled water.
Furthermore, a set of 50 mother and baby and travel bags and 20 children’s learning backpacks have also been donated.
The charity’s objective with this project was to coordinate, collaborate and avoid duplication with the activities of other charities and community members.
It plans to focus on medium-term support where Hand on Heart has expertise, continuing to coordinate with the county council and the Red Cross to identify where it can provide help.
The charity also held two sponsorship events during the summer.
Almost £5,000 was raised by volunteers who took park in The Three Peaks Challenge, successfully scaled the summits of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike in 24 hours in the middle of July.
At the end of that month, more than 100 people took part in Hand on Heart’s inaugural sponsored walk.
This covered six miles across London, visiting sites where the charity serves its guests with partner organisations.
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