Testimonials

Stevenage Helps

I can’t thank you enough for the help you have given me, you have made me feel so much better knowing I can support my family during this crisis.

I just wanted to say thank you so much, it’s been a very worrying time added by the fact me and my husband have both lost our jobs. It’s so nice to relieve some of the stress of rationing our money for bills/food etc., so thank you very much.

I am so grateful to receive this, it will make such a difference to us as a family, it will take pressure off and will definitely improve all our wellbeing as money can be such a worry. Thank you so much we are truly thankful.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody at Stevenage Community Trust. I have been struggling with, not only my mental health, but employment issues as well. Your kindness and generosity made me realise that there are others that care in our society. I wish there were more people like you in this world. I can’t thank you enough and will be forever grateful.

I wanted to write to say a big thank you for the gift card I received it really helped my daughters and me. It has been very difficult for us over previous months and this really has helped so thank you very much.

Community Grants

Thank you so much for our fantastic grant which has enabled the Ashtree Allstars Cheerleading Squad to purchase some fantastic gold performance pom-poms. The squad is so excited.

Quite simply, without the grant we would not have been able to continue the activity for this area.

Longmeadow have needed funding to develop our outside area for a number of years. With the money donated, we have been able to provide the children with a large digging area. This will promote a love of outdoor learning and a healthy life-style. The children were so excited to see the changes and are enjoying their new, exciting resource.

Thank you so much for the grant towards our playground project, we are hugely grateful for your support.

We really appreciate the grant to improve our fixed playground equipment. The children love it and use it all the time.

Thanks to the generosity of the Stevenage Community Trust, we have been able to provide community-based support in Stevenage for those facing a life limiting illness, improving physical wellbeing and reducing loneliness through our Compassionate Neighbours service.

Your funding has helped us to enhance the lives of our children and the wider learning community in Stevenage.

Without Stevenage Community Trust, local clubs and organisations that survive on a shoe string but give so much back into the local community would cease to exist. We at Codicote FC are so grateful to Caroline and the team for their work in supporting such a wide variety of organisations and the place would be a poorer place without them.

The pupils at Lonsdale School require lots of additional support on a daily basis and the last couple of years have embarked on the Duke of Edinburgh Award. In order to achieve this they need suitable camping equipment to meet their needs in order to help them achieve. If it wasn’t for the generous donation from Stevenage Community Trust we wouldn’t be able to support the pupils embarking on their gold award to fulfil their dreams. Thank you for your support.

Quite simply, without the timely and very generous support of Stevenage Community Trust, we may not have been able to form Stevenage Starlets FC at this time.

Thank you for enabling us to support and empower 28 young women in Stevenage to build their self-confidence, raise their self-esteem and create bright futures for themselves.

An enormous thank you for your kind donation towards our new outdoor classroom. This money has helped provide our small village school with a beautiful new, sheltered outside space which is being used for a wide range of purposes, educational, social and play!

We are very grateful to Stevenage Community Trust for recognising the value of counselling for young people. Many of the people we see feel isolated and distressed, often feeling they have nowhere else to turn. Young people repeatedly tell us, in different ways, that counselling has been a life-line for them.

Thank you so much to Caroline and the Stevenage Community Trust. The grant enabled us to provide some much needed food items to help some of our families at Christmas, which is a very difficult time of year for many.

Stevenage Striders want to thank Stevenage Community Trust for its generous gift to help make the inaugural Stevenage 10k a success. Funding has ensured we can put on a safe and enjoyable race for the community.

Thank you so much for the kind donation. It helped us provide Christmas cheer without depleting our funds. It was a real joy to use the donation to make our clients happy and get them to come together ahead of Christmas which can be a bit tough on some of them.

We cannot thank you enough for the extra support towards us hosting a Christmas party for some of the most vulnerable families in the town. This had a huge impact on the families as they had a chance to give their children a good time at Christmas in a safe environment. This also gave these families an opportunity to spend time with others in a similar situation to their own which is invaluable to some of our survivors.

We would like to thank Stevenage Community Trust for their very kind donation. This money has helped us run, and our community access, ‘Parenting Puzzle’ a nurturing programme which guides parents through the challenges of family life, emotional health and wellbeing. It has really helped some of our families realise that they are not alone in the challenges they face.

Thank you to Stevenage Community Trust for their kind donation towards our website project.

On behalf of everyone at Greenside School I should like to express my thanks and appreciation to Stevenage Community Trust for your generous pledge of £2,000 towards our new specialist play facilities for children aged 7 to 14 years who have autism in addition to a severe or profound learning difficulty. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Special thanks to Stevenage Community Trust who granted us £1,500. Music therapy can help with pain relief, breathing issues, increase motivation, reduce feelings of loneliness or distress and is a great way to connect to others. Thank you so much for your kind support, it will help to make massive difference in the local community.

I had the pleasure of the young lady at the keyboard playing the harp and singing to me whilst I have been in the hospice. It was so relaxing and for a while I could shut my eyes and pretend that I didn't have cancer. It was so soothing I can't explain what it meant to me. I am so pleased there will be more music sessions thanks to this donation.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the students at Lonsdale School for your most generous donation of £4,000 towards the purchase of six sports wheelchairs and a five week course in wheelchair dance. The students had the most fantastic time in their dance lessons and loved performing to fellow students and families at our celebration afternoon. It was a real confidence boost to all those who took part. Students are now able to participate in a greater number of accessible sports to the best of their abilities – no extra bits on wheelchairs getting in the way! Your generosity has already had a big impact on our students and this will only increase as time goes on. Many thanks again.

I wish to thank you for the wonderful service you have provided for my wife. It has made a great difference to her, much better than her struggling to read newspapers with a magnifying glass and light. It gives her a greater insight into what’s happening around and in Stevenage. I must say it gives her an interest in life. I am grateful to you all and once again say thank you very much.

The grant from Stevenage Community Trust has enabled the Children’s Centre to set up a series of sessions for expectant mums to meet each other, reducing isolation and increasing confidence. The sessions provide the opportunity for access to information about centre services during the pregnancy when mum-to-be may be more receptive to information which should increase participation in other courses and sessions.

Quite simply, without the timely and very generous support of Stevenage Community Trust, we may not have been able to form Stevenage Starlets FC at this time and to equip the girls properly ahead of their first competitive season.

Thank you so very much for awarding us this grant.  We would really struggle without such awards to keep the community centre running and a great resource would be lost for our local community.

The funding has enabled Headway Hertfordshire to set up a new group locally and help new clients with an acquired brain injury. Without this community action we could not have reached out and helped those in need of our specialist support and education.

Children have been able to choose a sport that they are interested in and engage in that sport to improve health and confidence. It has been wonderful to be able to offer that additional yet necessary experience at a time when educational budgets are so stretched.

The Stevenage Community Trust is generous beyond belief. The whole team is supportive and encouraging and I can't sing their praises high enough. 

Stevenage Community Trust is one of the nicest and supportive groups we work with across the UK.

I wanted to write personally to say a huge thank you for your kind donation. It means so much to us to have support from the Trust and I can’t believe how quickly you have acted. Stevenage people are so supported because of organisations like yours. Thanks for being one of those kind humans who takes action to help others.

Thank you seems a rather inadequate word for the difference you have made to my life.

I would like to add my appreciation to Caroline. It has been so lovely to have been able to help facilitate the distribution of all the generous donations. We do see first-hand often such sad stories and this has been a really powerful reminder of all the good things that can happen also, so thank you so much. It has made a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Stevenage Community Trust makes it possible for small groups to provide an enhanced experience to so many communities. The Trust provides opportunities for small groups to do big things.

I am writing to thank you for the generous donation which was used to take all the women and children from refuge to Whipsnade Zoo. These families have faced difficulties and the children have seen and heard things that they should never have to, as well as having to leave behind everything they know.  It is so important that we are able to organise outings for the children to create new happy memories. Stevenage Community Trust has been a huge support over the years and without your continued support and interest in our work, we would not be able to provide these opportunities to our families. Thank you to all those individuals and companies that donate to Stevenage Community Trust.  Without this many wonderful services and events would go without.

The grant has allowed us to bring our community together, it has been great to see elderly members of the community and the younger generation attending our activities together and getting on.

At Greenside we have many children whose medical and emotional needs means that they are unable to go to the theatre. The Stevenage Community Trust funded a touring pantomime to bring the festive fun to the heart of our special school. We are very grateful for their generous support. Thank you for making this possible.

The grant enabled 17 Stevenage children with separated parents to enjoy a Christmas party with their non-resident parent in a friendly, supported environment. This was the one chance that the children would have to enjoy a Christmas event with their separated parent. It is hoped that the party would enable the parent and child to build and maintain their relationship to the benefit of the child’s development.

Our organisation has been able to support vulnerable consumers with their bills, reviewing and monitoring their usage and empowering them to reduce their fuel bills. Client feedback has been positive, by providing the tools to make small changes within their household mean they are able to manage their fuel and energy efficiency more effectively.

Through Stevenage Community Trust we were able to secure funding that has allowed us to purchase a table tennis table for use as a table cricket pitch. Table top cricket is played by people with physical disabilities and is a strategic game that, come competition time, becomes really exciting to be a part of. In order to further enhance the ambitions, Stevenage Community Trust has also granted funds to run a cricket activators course for five of the support staff who work with the service users on a daily basis.

Hertfordshire Disabled Cricket Association

Without this grant I can truly say we would not be able to carry on with the hard work with the children in Stevenage playing rugby. We cannot thank you enough.

With the help of the grant from Stevenage Community Trust, TRACKS autism can now provide a safe environment for all the children who attend the centre.

TRACKS Autism

Without the support of the Stevenage Community Trust we wouldn't be able to run the trips we arranged last year. The Trust is a real asset to Stevenage.  

Stevenage Community Trust has been a fantastic support to Stevenage Sporting Futures Team. With the support of the Trust we have been able to intervene at an early age, to support children in understanding food groups and the ones which are most beneficial. We have purchased arts and crafts materials for our Go Live holiday camps, fruit and vegetables, smoothie makers and hosted a fantastic Go Live party as well. The funding has helped introduce 200 children to our Go Live camp, with more planned for future school holidays. With this funding support, we are able to keep children active in Stevenage and develop a generation who is inspired by fitness and health. Thank you from all of the team.

The initiative has been responsible for 2,049 breakfasts and 3,747 pieces of fruit being consumed by children at the play sites in Stevenage this summer. 378 children have had a better start to the day than they would have if the initiative was not in place because the play centres would not have been able to offer free breakfasts to all children if they hadn’t gained external funding from the Trust to do so. This initiative has made a positive impact to the play centres and the children who attend and all who have benefitted from the scheme have been thankful for it being in place.

A mum was in hospital for a lifesaving operation and could not see her children for several weeks, including a baby born just a few weeks previously, prematurely. She said the loaned iPad, funded by the Trust, has been a life saver and was so grateful that she could stay in touch with her children every day. I have only positive things to say about SCT, the organisation is invaluable to us and I am so grateful that they could support us in our application.

Stevenage Community Trust enables Barclay Kart Team to flourish and continue to be the largest of its kind in the south of England. Our experiences with the trust have been excellent - long may you continue.

Hardship Grants

Thank you so much for helping my vulnerable client. The service you provide really helps to set people up with the essentials to start living in their own accommodation. It is great to know Stevenage Community Trust is there to help.

Thank you so very much for what you are doing for people who, for this or that reason, are unable to meet some of the needs of their families.

Mr B is really grateful for the goods you have purchased for him. He has never had so much support and is quite overwhelmed by the generosity.

I am absolutely over the moon for what you have done for me, I am so grateful. I suffer from depression and have been struggling to cope financially. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done.

I am completely overwhelmed and very grateful. You have made a scary move so warm and comfortable. All I want now is a cup of tea in my new home. Thank you for the chance to start a new life.

Just like to thank The Stevenage Community Trust for the support they have given me to help me be able to get some footwear at a time that I need so desperately right now as I’m going through some hardship struggles at this time in my life.

Following your recent donation, I would like to pass on thanks from the family. I have been working with this mother for several months now trying to address several concerns and difficulties including housing, finances and parent mental health. The grant you provided enabled the mother to buy school uniform items and shoes for both children. The 3 year old was able to start the new term in full uniform like the other children, supporting his ability to settle in and feel included. Since the donation from Stevenage Community Trust, the children have settled back into school and mum has secured a new job providing her with a regular income again. Your donation helped her through a difficult time, and she stated to me that it had helped to restore her trust in people, as ‘there are nice people out there’.

Receiving this grant could not have come at a better time. I left my husband after 34 years of abuse, which was extremely difficult and emotional. I had no money to live on, taking anti-depressants and constantly crying feeling stress and anxiety. The £150 will pay off my arrears and pay back people who have lent me money. I am truly grateful, thank you.

The grant was such a surprise I burst into tears. Life is such a struggle so it was a big, and I mean big, help.

I’d like to say a really big thank you for your incredibly generous gift. I’m still in a little bit of shock to be honest and it’s not properly sunk in. After a very difficult year last year I’ve been on a slow but steady road back up. The laminate flooring has added to that journey and has improved my quality of life in more ways than one. In practical terms, the hard floor means I can very easily use my wheelchair to move around. It’s like a dream in comparison to the incredibly thick carpet I had before. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I won’t forget your kindness.

I am so grateful to you all.  Once again a demonstration of how effective and efficient our local Community Trust is in supporting local residents.

To update you on the family that you gave a grant to for carpet; the little girl who was immobile and showed no desire to move started crawling within days of the carpet being laid! Thank you again for your kind support.

Chauncy Charity Fund

We really appreciate the contribution, without it, some of our Stevenage client’s would not have been able to attend.  Transport is often a barrier to older people accessing groups, this contribution allowed them to join in with the festivities and enabled them to connect with others

It is not always easy to raise funds to cover everything. Grants like yours make a lot of difference to groups like ours and we are eternally grateful.

The very generous grant enabled the Good Companions Club to offer an interesting day out to our members, irrespective of their age and disabilities, who thoroughly enjoyed something different from their own four walls at home.

Without this grant we would not have been able to provide as many meals for the over 60’s as we did.

I’d like to say a personal ‘Thank You’ to Caroline Haskins for going out of her way to help the Stevenage & North Herts Talking News. We are a fledgling unit of volunteers who provide local news and magazines to the visually impaired. Without this kind donation, we would simply not be able to operate.

I would like to offer profound thanks for the £250 grant to pay for our Christmas party. It means so much to our members, mostly in their 80’s and 90’s who really anticipate this event every year. To have the expense of it taken care of is a great relief and with your generous grant we’ll make it a party they’ll always remember.

Stevenage Community Trust continues its invaluable support to the community with ease of information and access.

Shaftesbury Court really appreciates the grants that Stevenage Community Trust allocated to us, to provide our elderly tenants with entertainment and enjoy getting out of their homes, meeting up with old friends, making new friends, to keep them motivated and supported at the same time.

Some of our elderly tenants have no family and spend Christmas on their own; this year they were able to celebrate it with the other tenants thanks to Stevenage Community Trust. The tenants are very grateful for the funding and cannot thank you enough.

It is only with the generous support of organisations like Stevenage Community Trust that we are able to concentrate on what we are good at; designing and making things for the elderly and disabled.

On behalf of all of the members, I'm sending you heartfelt thanks for the very generous grant.

Heating Grants

A HUGE THANK YOU to the charity who so kindly gave me funds to cover my heating in my home. This is life changing for me and it was a boost I really needed at a time I was feeling so, so low. Financially I have been struggling since my husband passed. Your kindness and support is amazing at a time when I truly needed it.

Thank you and your generous donors from the bottom of my heart for this generous contribution. My husband has been unwell for the past three years and, as I work and he was initially misdiagnosed, we have been living solely on my part time earnings, which has been a huge struggle.

Thank you for helping me to keep warm. I can now heat my home for myself and my child.  Thank you very much, I do appreciate

I was so grateful to have received a heating grant from the Stevenage Community Trust. I was forced to take time out of my doctoral degree due to ill health and as a result lost my bursary and therefore found myself in financial dire straits. I have a teenage son and am now heavily pregnant. The money given by your kind donors will help heat our home for the whole winter where I would probably have tried to go without as much as possible in order to prioritise food bills.  Thank you Stevenage Community Trust and your supporters.

We have really struggled as my partner is self-employed and has been signed off work awaiting an operation. This has resulted in us having to apply for Universal Credit which is a 5 week wait for the first payment which has caused us much stress with paying our rent, council tax and bills. Your grant has taken so much pressure off us knowing that we will have gas and electricity for the children is massively one less worry at this difficult time. We really do appreciate it.

I would like to thank you so much for my heating grant. I am 93 and live on my own. I suffer from pain and feel the cold so much. I live on my pension and have to be so careful. Thanks again I do appreciate it. 

Thank you for my heating grant. I am an 86 year old widow who lives alone. I have mobility issues and various health conditions including Polymyalgia which affects my immune system and is exacerbated by the cold weather which means my heating costs are higher. Thanks to your grant I can continue to stay warm this winter. 

Thank you so much for the grant I received.  It is very much appreciated. It will help me enormously with the winter bills to keep warm and ease my arthritic pains and aches which can be very painful at times.  Thank you again. 

Thank you most sincerely for the recent grant, it was most appreciated and will relieve the worry of how to keep warm this winter.

Christmas Gift Cards

A massive thank you to Stevenage Community Trust for the very kind voucher. This will mean so much to me and my boys as I can now go and buy some lovely Christmas food and some Christmas outfits for the boys.

I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of my children and myself for giving us the e-gift card to shop for Christmas food. This has made us glad, knowing that we will have a great dinner during the holidays, it has had a positive impact on us, especially my children. We are very grateful, thanks and God bless you all that made this possible.

Speaking to this client brought me very close to tears and it really hit how our work makes a difference to many.

I just wanted to thank you for the £100 voucher that I have received. It means me and my two boys can enjoy a Christmas together. It’s taken so much pressure off of me and I can’t thank you enough for that feeling. Knowing my boys can open a gift and I can get their favourite snacks over Christmas has filled me with so much gratitude and relief. Thank you so much! I’m now looking forward to Christmas.

I have received a little Christmas miracle from you and just wanted to say a huge thank you.

I just wanted to thank the amazing people that have done this for me and my girls. Just before this awful pandemic hit, I was a very successful consultant and was managing to bring up my amazing girls all by myself (no help from their father). We were a good little girls team always doing things together whether that was budgeting or cooking. When the pandemic hit we stayed positive as we always do. We have been through some really tough, stressful times but we did it together. But I lost my job because of lockdown. I had to be strong but I really didn't know for the first time how I would do Christmas for my girls. They are truly amazing girls they constantly shock me with their kind giving hearts doing so much for others. Then a Christmas angel sent me an email telling me you and your lovely team wanted to help me and my girls. I was overwhelmed and struggled to hold back the tears. Complete strangers wanted to help me and my girls. Emotional wasn't the word. I told my girls and they too said how amazing it was that you had done this for us. We just wanted to let you know just how wonderful you are and how the hard work you do affects people like us.

WOW just WOW. You have given stability in a time of uncertainty. I cannot thankyou enough for this extra help. Christmas was already a struggle especially with losing my job due to health. The stress about paying for Christmas is so heavy and this has eased it by so much. THANKYOU.

Oh My Goodness.. I literally cannot thank you enough for doing this for us, I'm over the moon. This will make a huge difference for us. I have been feeling incredibly guilty and worried that this Christmas was going to be very different but this will make a whole world of difference.

A huge thank you to you from me and my family. Thanks to your charity I will be able to get my daughter the toys she has asked Santa for and also get us a lovely Christmas dinner too. I'm very grateful and now I can look forward to a less stressful Christmas. You've made this family very happy!

Thank you very much for forwarding us the gift card. This year has definitely been our most financially difficult to date. To add to our struggles my partner was made redundant due to the current pandemic. Luckily, he managed to find another job, but it has meant him taking a significant pay cut. So with the purse strings tighter than ever, and the current pandemic keeping us from seeing our families, we were beginning to wonder what Christmas would be like this year. Receiving this gift card has eased some of those worries. It is a huge weight off of our shoulders to know that we can at least make a lovely Christmas dinner for our boys, with all the trimmings, desserts and treats, without having to worry about counting the pennies.

What an amazing thing to do. Thank you so ever much for making our Christmas better.

I can’t believe it, I’m so happy I have been worrying today about Christmas, etc. You have made me smile and I am very grateful.

I am hugely grateful, due to the difficult year and current circumstances.

This is to express my profound appreciation once more for the Christmas gift voucher. You made it possible for me and my family to have an awesome ceremonial meal during the festive occasion and this happened because of your kindness and thoughtfulness. May you continue to be a great source of blessing to the needy. May the Lord richly bless you and your organisation.

This made a massive difference to our Christmas. I have always worked but unfortunately last year in March I lost my job due to the coronavirus. The last nine months have been difficult as I am the sole provider for my daughter. It is so stressful when you suddenly have no income and wonder how you will afford Christmas. My daughter worried when I lost my job. Christmas is all about children and I wanted her to have a nice Christmas after the awful year we had.

I want to say thank you so much for the gift card. It was a very hard time as my partner lost his job because of Covid. I was so stressed as I worried about how I would afford Christmas presents & food for my family. When I was given the card I cried because it was such a relief that I would be able to not only afford all of our Christmas food shop but also some presents for my children. It made such a difference & eased a big chunk of our stress.

My 12 year old son and I suffered a huge loss last term as my partner, my son’s dad, passed away. This was a traumatic death and left us in an emotional and financial mess. Additionally my sister got diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and so the gift card helped buy a few Christmas presents and bought my son and I Christmas dinner.  I work part-time and so every penny matters. It also restored my faith that there is a lot of support in the community and this has enabled me to have the strength to return to work, which as a single parent felt very scary at first. 

Just needed to drop you a line to say a big thank you from the parents at Roebuck Academy that the Community Trust has helped this Christmas with their gift cards.  Handing over the gift cards I had two mums in tears as they were so grateful and overwhelmed the difference it was going to make to Christmas for their families.” Roebuck Academy

I would just like to say a massive thank you for your kind gift of an Asda voucher. As you may be aware I have taken on care of two children, this voucher means that I can get the children much needed coats and clothes in the sales, as well as extra food for the freezer. Once again a massive thank you, you have made such a difference to mine and the children's lives.

It was an absolute delight and surprise to receive the very generous £100 Asda gift card. We have had a challenging year with three deaths of close relatives, a diagnosis of ADHD for my daughter and ongoing issues with my autistic son. To receive this makes me feel there is someone who actually cares. The money will be spent on fresh food as both children have severe multiple allergies. May I take this opportunity to thank Stevenage Community Trust for your very kind gift.

I am very grateful upon receiving my voucher of £100. I was very shocked and emotional. I cannot say thank you enough. This is a huge help for me and my children.

Thank you for choosing us to be a recipient for a gift card. I have three children ranging in age from 3 months to 8 years old. The eldest has been diagnosed with ASD and has suspected PDA. She suffers with anxiety and stress especially when she is in congested and noisy areas. The gift card means I can do one shop instead of having to make multiple smaller trips to the shops over the busy Christmas period which could trigger her anxiety. The gift card will also enable me to save money and with the savings provide activities manageable for all the family. Thank you again.

Thank you for our Christmas gift card, it is greatly appreciated and it enables us to give our 9 year old daughter Christmas. This last year has been difficult. We had all of our possessions destroyed, lost our business and our home but as a family we have got through it and we are slowly rebuilding our lives. We are overwhelmed with your kindness and generosity.

On behalf of my client I would like to thank you for the Christmas voucher. She was overwhelmed when I gave it to her and said the money will make an enormous difference to her four young children. My client has some difficulties with literacy so has asked if I can convey her gratitude to you. She intends to cook a Christmas dinner for the first time and will also buy gifts for the children, which will include some items of clothing. We also discussed the possibility of her saving with the Credit Union and I am pleased to say she is keen to do this. Thank you once again, it was wonderful to make such a positive change to this family.
Health Visitor

Thank you for the £100 Asda voucher. This was a lovely gesture and most helpful during an emotional time for my son and I.  It made a difference to time spent at home over the holidays and has inspired me to keep my Credit Union savings account open for any future emergencies. Money matters in times of hardship and sadness and it has given us hope for the future. We are now beginning to make new plans and starting a new chapter in our family and I would like to thank you again for your support, which gave us something positive to focus on.

Thank you very much for the gift card, this will help so much to help provide a better Christmas for my children.

Thank you very much for the gift card it will help me so much with buying my children presents and making a lovely Christmas for them.

Thank you so much for your gift; it really is a blessing especially at this time of year.

Thank you so much for my voucher. My four daughters and I have suffered hardship this year and this sort of gift has helped us in a huge way and we won’t go hungry for a while. Thank you again.

Thank you for the voucher for Asda. Now because of this I will be able to give my kids an amazing Christmas dinner. Also means it frees up more money to do things and spend time out with my children over the Christmas period.

Thank you. This means my children get to enjoy a wonder Christmas dinner. I didn’t know how I was going to afford it otherwise.

This is going to make such a difference to our Christmas. It will mean we can buy a turkey and have a lovely Christmas dinner. I have really struggled with finances this year and really didn’t know how I was going to manage, I’m so grateful.

Thank you for lighting up our Christmas. It certainly has been a challenging year for us which started with the hospitalisation of one of our daughters and having to battle with their allergies on a daily basis. The voucher came as a very nice surprise as we have been struggling financially living on one wage. Thanks to your donation we have been able to buy lots of ‘free from’ food and make milk provisions, providing for our daughters’ diet is very expensive, that is why on behalf of our little family I would like to pass on our best wishes and thank you again.

I cannot express in words how grateful my daughters and I are for your kind donation. As a single mum and full time student, Christmas can be a difficult time financially. The gift card will mean we can afford to buy extras that we would not have been able to without this donation. Once again thank you very much.

The part you play in making a difference to families in Stevenage doesn’t get recognised enough and I would like you to know that your gift has made a massive difference to my family. 

The gift card will enable us to use money we had set aside for Christmas food to put in our gas meter so we can keep the house warmer during the cold months. We can’t thank you enough; it has truly lifted my spirits.

My granddaughters have been through a really tough time and this will help to put a big smile on their faces on Christmas day.

My family and I were very grateful recipients to receive help with a short term financial crisis. Thank you so much for making this available to us; it meant a great deal to us at a very difficult time. Being able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables to supplement the dried and tinned foods from the food bank make a great deal of difference to the quality and variety of meals I could prepare. The trust exhibited in me to use the voucher sensibly was also very welcome in a situation where I suddenly found myself with no financial control over my circumstances. My situation is now beginning to improve, but I hope you can continue to secure funding in the future with which to support those in very serious need where short term help can make all the difference. 

Thank you so much for this £100 voucher, it has helped me and my 3 children so much with food and having hot meals for the last couple of days and the next week. I can’t thank you enough for this, without it I don’t know what we would have done. After everything I’ve been worrying about it was nice to go out and get some food for us all, it took a lot off my mind and I thank you for that. Thank you once again.

On behalf of Thriving Families, please extend our thanks to your generous contributors. These vouchers have had a huge impact on our families and have enabled them and their children to enjoy their Christmas. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to deliver these wonderful gifts to our families in recognition of the work they are doing to turn their lives around, and are very grateful that Stevenage Community Trust awards us this opportunity.

I would like to say a huge thank you for all your support and help. Things have been very difficult for me and the boys recently and with your help and support we are managing to get through it. We are now looking forward to Christmas and can’t thank you enough. 

Thank you for the generous gift voucher, this made the difference to my family as it meant we could celebrate Christmas. I did not know before I received the voucher how I was going to provide a Christmas for my two boys. I have never cooked Christmas dinner before and because of the generosity of Stevenage Community Trust my children got the Christmas to remember and I got to do it. Thank you.

It will help to get some well needed books for the children and things that cannot be afforded, it will help us enormously. Many thanks from all of us. 

We will now be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner that we didn’t think we could have as well as presents for the children.

This is to confirm that I have received two Christmas vouchers for two families that I have been working with. £100 is a lot of money, but it will enable the families to have a joyful Christmas with their children. It is lovely to see the overwhelming reactions from the families that receive your help. I know that the Trust works very hard to be able to help the local community and I would like to personally thank all of you for your hard work in fundraising and the support you give. So a big thank you to you all.