Hitchin Property Trust Support Community Charities
Music24 is a leading community-based music charity, working to support individuals affected by ill-health and/or disability. They use music to help reduce loneliness and isolation, improve wellbeing and confidence and build a social support network. They specialise in working with individuals living with dementia, mental health problems or learning disabilities. They make live music with 450+ people every year across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
There is increased evidence of the positive impact music can have on those suffering with dementia and their family, helping communication and also an important tool for the wellbeing of both the person suffering and their carer, Music 24 runs group sessions and 1:1 sessions across Hertfordshire using professional musicians and volunteer staff. If you would like to learn more about their work, or indeed volunteer, get in contact with Music24 today!
Up on Downs is a parent run organisation which supports families of children with Down’s Syndrome. They support other parents by sharing information and creating opportunities for families to socialise and learn together. They support their children by arranging specific activities and by working with other agencies to increase awareness of Down’s Syndrome and improve the opportunities available to people with the condition.
Due to reduced funding UponDowns were unable to continue with their invaluable Speech Development & Communication program – this provides weekly sessions to 22 children. Communication is crucial for those with Down’s Syndrome and whilst young children may receive some therapy through the NHS, this is typically only 2 sessions a term and stops as soon as they make basic progress.
Hitchin Property Trust are delighted to say we were able to fully fund the next 12 months of the Speech program, and provided £1500 towards their annual Summer Outing which was also in danger of being lost. The Summer outing provides an opportunity not just for the children but also their family to enjoy a day out. This is particularly beneficial to the siblings, as allows them to meet other children who also have a sibling with Down’s Syndrome and share their experiences with no judgement. For some parents it is also one of the few times they have the confidence to go out as a complete family.
Hatfield Women’s Refuge and Support Services
WHWR provide temporary and crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic abuse and are at risk of serious harm or domestic homicide. In addition they provide counselling and practical advice to help them move forward with their lives. This includes finding schools for the children and providing support to the children during this time.
Last year Hitchin Property Trust funded a new CCTV system at both their refuges. This year we are funding the creation of a Children’s centre providing a safe, nurturing and fun environment for the many children that unfortunately end up here. The support provided to the children aims to reduce the likelihood of long-term negative consequences of having lived in an abusive environment, and also overcome the trauma of often being quickly taken from their homes with little or no possessions and being placed in a ‘new life’ away from everything they are familiar with. We are also talking to WHWR about proving play equipment for a new outdoor play area.
In the last 12 months 35 women and 64 children stayed at their 2 refuges and in addition WHWR managed 1600 high risk interventions.
Wingman Mentors is a non for profit organisation that focus on trying to stop the exploitation of children by violent gangs and radicalisation. By working with young people vulnerable to exploitation they see early intervention as crucial to stopping the flow of young people to gangs and county lines. For example, there is currently very little support for children who for example have been excluded from school, and yet this single decision could significantly change their future leading them directly to those who are eager to exploit them. Wingman Mentors tries to work with schools to intervene before the exclusion has happened. They
support in schools, at basketball courts, and on referral to mentor children giving them the confidence to find an alternative to gangs, and mentoring them in how to leave gangs safely. They are newly set up but have big ambitions and are based in Luton where unfortunately gang activity and knife crime are ever increasing.
There is currently an excellent campaign in Bedfordshire to help raise aware of knife crime. https://bedsveru.org/just-drop-it/
Wingman Mentors are working on a project to reduce the number of youth knife deaths. Many young people carry a knife believing it will protect them despite the statistics showing that you are far more likely to be a victim of a knife crime if you carry a knife than if you don’t. There is also a misconception that stabbing someone will not kill them. It takes less than 3 minutes to bleed to death from a knife wound to a major artery and there is no chance of an ambulance getting there in that time. Critical Bleed Kits provide essential medical supplies to stop a bleed and Wingman Mentors are looking to install these throughout Luton. Similar to defibrillators these kits will be registered with Emergency Services so if someone calls 999 they can be directed to the nearest kit. Using the kit will stem the bleed and give time for the emergency services to get there, and could literally save that person’s life. They are not just for knife wounds, but dog attacks, car accidents, industrial accidents – any scenario where the victim is suffering from potentially life threatening bleeding.
Hitchin Property Trust are funding 10 of these kits in Luton and will also fund a community training session on how to use the kits and bring awareness of their locations. We are also talking to Wingman Mentors about how we can fund the early prevention work they can do in schools in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. If anyone is interested in learning more please check out their website:
Hearts for Herts is run by Justin who is a paramedic. His aim is to train people on life saving skills, particularly heart attacks, and to raise awareness of the importance of pubic access defibrillators and critical bleed kits. They provide free online training and are looking to install more public defibrillators. Less than 10% of people survive a cardiac arrest outside hospital! CPR and the use of a defibrillator can save lives, yet recent research by the British Heart Foundation showed that less than 50% of the public know how to perform CPR. Justin started the charity after attending a 999 call for a cardiac arrest and despite there being a defibrillator on site and people with the person, no one was trained in CPR and they did not have the confident to use the defibrillator. Unfortunately, the person died. Had just one person either tried CPR or used the defibrillator the outcome would likely have been different. The defibrillators require no training and actually talk you through the process telling you exactly what to do. In addition, the emergency services will talk you through it on the phone.
Hitchin Property Trust are looking to fund additional defibrillators and critical bleed kits in Hitchin that will be 24 hour access and registered with the emergency services. We will also provide training for the businesses near to them.
Unfortunately, a large number of defibrillators are not registered meaning the ambulance services are not aware of their existence and cannot direct you to them. If you see a defibrillator it is worth taking a photo of it and seeing if it is registered : https://www.defibfinder.uk/
