2024 : A Year of Achievements, Community, and Growth for Hertfordshire
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on what has been an incredibly busy and rewarding year for Hertfordshire. From award recognitions to thriving Community Hubs, Meals on Wheels Week celebrations, and active fundraising, we’ve achieved so much together. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve been up to!
Award winning efforts
This year, HILS was honoured to be nominated for awards at two amazing events.
At the Hertfordshire Care Providers Awards, we were proud finalists in the Contribution to Care category. Out of over 100 nominees, reaching the final four is a testament to the dedication of our team.
Even more excitingly, at the biz4Biz Awards, we were finalists in four categories, including Best Social Value, which we were thrilled to win! This recognition reflects the hard work we put into making a meaningful difference in our community.
Thriving Community Hubs
Our community hubs continue to provide safe, welcoming spaces for older and disabled people across Hertfordshire, fostering friendship, activity, and joy.
MacFadyen Webb House, Letchworth: The Friday pop-up hub has continued to thrive, offering an exciting timetable of events and activities.
Cuffley Day Centre: This year was packed with highlights, including visits from the mayor, local school children, entertainers, and a vibrant Open Day in June.
Friendship House, Hatfield: From weekly activities to adventurous fundraisers, this hub has had a standout year. Some clients and staff even soared to new heights—literally—with a fundraising abseil above Tottenham Hotspur’s football ground!
Kingfisher Club, St Albans: Tailored for clients living with dementia, the Kingfisher Club offers a nurturing environment filled with arts, crafts, quizzes, and guest speakers who bring joy and engagement to our members.
Our hubs are at the heart of what we do, and we couldn’t be prouder of the hardworking teams that make them flourish.
Meals on Wheels Week
This year’s Meals on Wheels Week, organised by the NACC, was a whirlwind of activity and success.
Highlights included:
Local councillors and police officers joining our Community Team Members on deliveries, offering a first-hand glimpse into the impact of our services.
Interviews with Greatest Hits Radio, including a feature with our CEO, Sarah Wren.
Special thank-you gifts for our meals team, including plenty of chocolate treats!
It was a jam-packed week (pun intended!), and we loved every moment of it.
Gifting moments of joy
We love showing our appreciation to our clients, and this year was no exception:
A delicious free cream tea, courtesy of BidFood, was gifted to our Meals on Wheels clients to celebrate Afternoon Tea Week.
Local schoolchildren created beautiful handmade Christmas cards, which were distributed to clients in December.
Photographer Lucy Barrett donated stunning images for our annual client calendar—check out her work on her website!
Encouraging Active Ageing
Our Active Ageing team has expanded, allowing us to support more people than ever with free services that improve strength, confidence, and independence.
Webinars and Community Outreach
We continued to raise awareness about our services:
- Quarterly webinars reached over 100 referrers, NHS staff, and local charities, highlighting our role in preventing hospital admissions due to frailty and malnutrition.
- We attended over 120 events, tastings, and information sessions, connecting with 2,937 individuals across Hertfordshire.
Fundraising has been a major focus in 2024:
Our team engaged with local companies for corporate sponsorships and donations.
Community fundraising efforts, including events led by our Communications & Marketing outreach workers, have set the stage for even more in 2025.
As well as efforts led by HILS team members, we were lucky enough for the next of kin of one of our clients to dare to take on an Ultra Challenge, donating all sponsorship funds to HILS—a truly inspiring gesture!
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue building on this year’s accomplishments. Thank you to everyone who has supported us—clients, staff, volunteers, and partners. Together, we’re making a difference every day.
Stay tuned for more updates and achievements in the New Year!
