Community Support 2023
Our communities are at the heart of what we do... and we are committed to helping support local events, clubs, initiatives and causes as much as we can. Here we explore the recent contributions and support we have provided within our local communities and branch locations.
Harpenden Branch
Harpenden branch 2023 was a busy year for our Harpenden branch and our local support. From a sports club perspective, we sponsored Harpenden Town FC. Keep a look out for our pitch-side board in attendance at their newly renovated Rothamsted Park ground! We also sponsored a hole at the Thrales End golf day and provided sponsorship to Redbourn Cricket Club for the 22/23 season.
Furthermore, we provided sponsorship for local events including the action-packed Harpenden Lions Highland Gathering, the Harpenden Academy Easter Egg Hunt and the Harpenden Music Makers Choir concert in July.
Our Harpenden branch also attended the popular Harpenden Summer Carnival in June. On a sweltering day, our team were able to take in all the fun and atmosphere at our own dedicated stand. There was a raffle on offer with some great prizes to help raise money for the Society’s 2023 Charity of The Year Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care (RGPHC).
RGPHC are a charity that provide free, specialist care and support for adults and children with life-limiting illness in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. They support and empower people fromdiagnoses to live the best quality of life possible. Their range of services include wellbeing therapies, emotional and practical support and palliative care. Our raffle managed to raise a brilliant £270!
In late November, we attended the Harpenden Christmas carnival and lights switch on. Our team braved the elements and treated passers-by to mince pies and chocolates. During this time, we also sold raffle tickets to help raise money for RGPHC, with the prize on offer being a luxurious Christmas hamper.
Leighton Buzzard Branch
Throughout the month of March our Leighton Buzzard team took on the challenge of walking 100km for Sands. Sands work to support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. They carry out vital work to improve the maternity safety through targeted research, campaigning for change, working with government and reducing inequalities in healthcare to save babies’ lives. Our team reached their 100km target and raised £330 for the charity. A great achievement!
We also helped support the Leighton Linslade Carnival which took place in July. Carnival day included a live entertainment arena, stalls, funfair rides, food, as well as a carnival float procession. This is an event that continues to give local residents a fun day out and an opportunity to participate in an event that nurtures community involvement. Moreover, we supported the Leighton Buzzard May Day Fayre which has traditionally been the largest single day event of its kind in Bedfordshire.
Additionally, we also contributed towards the Leighton Picnic in the Park event. This event, which has been running since the mid-1970s, is a day of fun and activities for 0-5 year olds to enjoy. However, due to very bad weather conditions this event was cancelled. We will look to support this event in 2024, where hopefully the weather will be better.
Tring branch
Over in Tring, our support for local events was incredibly active. During the Summer, we sponsored a variety of events including the Tring Together golf day, Tring midsummer fun run and the Aldbury Fair which took place on the early Bank Holiday in May. This was a Fair filled with community, spirit, spring festivities, local crafts, street food and live music.
In March, we welcomed two groups of children from Goldfield School as part of their project ‘My Money Month’. The children took part in some role play, depositing and withdrawing money and we briefly explained the process to them. The children also brought a list of prepared questions to ask and wrote down the answers to take back with them.
We explained in simple terms, what a Building Society is, why people save, how savings grow with interest and how our Society began. We did some money counting exercises with coins and piggy banks. Imitation bank notes were used to give the children a concept of what £1,000 looks like in the different denomination of notes. The children were happy to go back to school with a Harpenden Building Society gym bag and piggy bank each!
In the winter, we sponsored the annual Tring Christmas Festival. This was a fabulous and vibrant event with something for all generations to enjoy. Stalls, funfairs and a stage with performances created a hive of festive activity for the approximate10,000 people in attendance. Furthermore, the annual RGPHC Santa float took place in December, bringing festive cheer to Tring and the surrounding villages. Our team were in attendance for the route, helping shake buckets to collect donations for a fantastic cause.
Additionally, we donated to Hector’s House for their Big Christmas Give Challenge. This challenge allows supporters the opportunity to double their donations with match funding provided by the charity’s pledgers and the Big Give’s champions. Hector’s House is a suicide prevention and mental health awareness charity. Their mission is to stop suicide by ensuring everyone has access to mental health services, and to encourage people to talk openly about how they feel through education, awareness and support.
Radlett Branch
Finally in Radlett, we helped support local clubs such as the Radlett Bowls Club and Radlett Music Club. Our support also extended throughout the year to the Radlett Horticultural Society, Radlett Choir, and Newberries Primary School summer fair.
During Easter, our Radlett and Tring branches held a ‘Guess how many eggs are in the jar’ competition, whereas our Harpenden and Leighton Buzzard branches held a ‘Guess the bunny’s name’ raffle prize draw. Participants of the raffle were able to pick a name from a list to decide what the bunny was called. All proceeds from these competitions went to RGPHC, with winners receiving prizes such as a luxury Easter themed hamper.
We are extremely proud to be helping so many amazing community clubs, charities, festivals and events. We look forward to continuing our support in 2024.
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