Trinity Community Project, a St Albans based charity offering day services and opportunities to people experiencing mental health issues, or living with a learning disability, has received a grant from Harpenden Building Society to help fund its ongoing community work.
The charity encourages its members to participate in a range of social activities run from its day centre, or out in the community. The sessions offer choice and promote people skills, independence and self-confidence, whilst maintaining dignity and safety. Activities include peer support groups; drama workshops; arts and crafts; cookery; chair yoga and relaxation sessions.
During the pandemic, the project has adapted its services and their delivery to meet the latest government guidelines often needing extra staff to meet these requirements. When Covid-19 restrictions have postponed normal day centre activities, Trinity staff and volunteers have provided socially distanced ‘door step chats’ and telephone contact to ensure the group’s members remain connected.
Harpenden Building Society is providing funds to help run these, and wider adapted services, ensuring the new requirements related to social distancing and new operational standards are met. In addition to helping with increased staffing costs, Harpenden will also fund the purchasing of tablets to allow volunteers to teach Project members basic computer skills and introduce them to online resources such as activity packs which can be accessed from home. The donation will also fund a future collaboration between the Project and Trestle Arts providing drama workshops which will help attendees to explore, understand and support the mental health impact that lockdown may have had on them.
Sheila Knopp, spokesperson for Trinity Community Project commented: “We rely heavily on grants from corporate donors like Harpenden Building Society to help fund our existing, expanded and future work – we are incredibly grateful to them. Making sure the activity costs are kept as low as possible for those attending is key to keeping them involved, subsidies from grants help enormously.”
Sarah Howe, Harpenden Building Society’s CEO added: “We are delighted to support the excellent work of this local day centre initiative. We have a long standing relationship with Trinity Community Project and applaud all they are doing to support their members in St Albans and surrounding areas, particularly in these pandemic times when it’s increasingly possible to feel isolated.”
For more information visit the Trinity Community Project website
If you represent a charitable trust, company or are an individual who would like to make a donation to Trinity Community Project please get in touch by emailing: trinitydaycentre@gmail.com
Photo credit: A volunteer assists a Trinity Community Project member in a house plant activity