Charity benefits from thousands raised by Watford mayor Dorothy Thornhill

The Mayor of Watford’s sponsored Christmas card has raised thousands for local homelessness charity New Hope.

This year’s festive card raised £3,850 and features a photo of people enjoying the outdoor ice rink. 

New Hope, an award winning charity, provides a holistic tailored service to those who are homeless in the Watford area.

Each night, 60 people are accommodated and over 600 individuals receive help each year. 

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: "When I saw the image I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for to celebrate the festive season and all the great things available to us in Watford.

"All the money raised will go to New Hope.

"I would like to thank all my sponsor companies for their generous support, which has helped raise this wonderful total."

The card was sponsored by Warner Bros, W H Humphreys & Son Limited, Sigma Pharmaceuticals plc, West Herts Golf Club, Watford Football Club, Intu Watford, and Camelot.

New Hope Fundraising and Communications Manager, Rebecca Palmer was grateful for the "generous support of so many individuals and organisations".

She said: "New Hope is unique in offering ‘wrap-around’ care every step of the way from sleeping rough to maintaining a tenancy.

"We provide beds and hot meals as well as offering quality mental health support and development opportunities to ensure that the cycle of homelessness is broken.

"We couldn’t do this without the generous support of so many individuals and organisations."

Written by Isaac Ouro