Hope at the Haven - Celebrating 25 years

On Friday 8th July, we celebrated 25 years since the official dedication of the Haven by opening up our doors to members of the public. It was a wonderful opportunity for members of partner organisations, donors, neighbours and anyone else who was interested to come along and find out more about the vital services which we provide.

The Haven, at 4 Whippendell Road, provides hot food, showers, laundry facilities, clothing, housing advice and one-to-one support to those who are rough sleeping or at risk of losing their home.

We were thrilled with the turnout, as many associates, supporters and former service users came along on a hot and sunny day to meet staff and volunteers, learn about the needs of those experiencing homelessness in our community and all that the Haven team are doing to help them transform their situations. Amongst the guests were Anne Hegerty, a star of television’s The Chase and the local MP, Dean Russell.

Dean later wrote, “I always enjoy visiting New Hope and I had a lovely afternoon celebrating 25 years of The Haven. The Haven has been providing an invaluable service to those experiencing homelessness in Watford for 25 years now, and what makes it so special is they offer such a wide range of support, alongside practical support. The work that everybody at New Hope does is amazing, the staff and volunteers are so dedicated to helping others.”

Dr Tim Robson OBE and Sheila Meaning BEM, two of the founding members of New Hope were also present to mark this special day, and joined in with cutting the special celebration cake!

It is a sad reality that the services of the Haven are still needed and that people in our community are finding themselves in the extremely challenging position of rough sleeping or at risk of losing their home. However, we are grateful that we have been able to provide this invaluable help from the Haven for so long, as together with the other services provided across New Hope, it means that people who find themselves homeless can access humanitarian aid, support and advice.