Harpenden Helping Hand
Following a 40 year career which spanned teaching in the public sector, working in private sector industry and the non-for profit sector, Chris turned his attention to more local matters in 2011. He was invited to chair the Harpenden Society, the Town's civic society campaigning for improvements in all aspects of our community. In 2017 The Town Council awarded Chris a certificate of merit for services to the community and he thought he had finally retired. But then in 2022, quite out of the blue, he was asked to chair Harpenden Helping Hand and couldn't think of a convincing reason for saying 'no'.
Since becoming chair, Chris has focussed his efforts on improving the charity's communications and long term volunteer recruitment strategy.
Chris married Sybil in 1970. They have two sons, both educated at Roundwood school. Now with four grandchildren and having lived in Harpenden since 1977, Chris spends what free time he has swimming, playing golf, indoor bowls and various activities with the U3A as well as making regular trips to their much loved family holiday cottage in the Yorkshire Dales.
Helen has lived in Harpenden since 1974. She joined Harpenden Helping Hand (HHH) ten years later. In those days HHH was a larger organization aimed at helping anyone in Harpenden who needed assistance. As far as possible every significant road had a designated Local Helping Hand and roads were grouped together under District Helping Hands, who served on the General Committee. Helen was initially assigned to Piggottshill Lane and later became District Helping Hand for the surrounding roads. Most of her work was befriending and helping with shopping. In 1990 she was persuaded to become Vice-Chair of HHH and became Chair in 1992.
Helen stood down as chair in 1996 and became less involved in HHH as she was teaching full-time. When she returned to part-time work in 2003, she volunteered as a driver, as by then there was a greater need for drivers. She joined the committee again, as vice-chair and then secretary. She was chair from 2014 until 2021: the last three years of that time she acted as secretary when the previous secretary left.
Apart from helping clients with lifts, shopping and befriending, some of which she does with the Harpenden Trust, Helen does the secretarial and membership paperwork, including DBS checks, and is part of the transport organising team. She also enjoys opportunities to network with related charities.