Hereford Times gives more than £4,000 to local charities

They are Herefordshire Vennture, a Christian good cause dedicated to helping individuals, families and young people help themselves, and Marches Family Network, which provides short breaks for children and young people with disabilities and their families across Herefordshire and surrounding areas.

The awards are part of our Readers Choice scheme, in which we asked Hereford Times readers last year for their votes about which good causes we should support.

The money has been provided by the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of our publisher’s parent company.

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What the money will be spent on

Vennture will receive £2,348. It will be spent on two properties it has bought in Hereford – 26 Vicarage Road and the Merton Hotel – which will be developed into the charity’s first 15 Fresh Start Homes for vulnerable families seeking to get back on their feet or preventing them going into crisis.

Robert Thomas, chief executive of Vennture, which also runs the city’s Street Pastors service, said: “Coming alongside people in life’s most difficult circumstances is challenging. One of the great encouragements for our team recently has been the warm and kind support of Hereford Times readers.

“We appreciate the many gifts that have come from readers, who in difficult times have been so generous. Equally, our teams have lost count of the people coming and expressing their interest on the streets each week. Thank you to everyone for their support.”

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Marches Family Network will use its £1,694 award for its Young Explorer Day trips.

It believes children and young people with disabilities have a right to the same opportunities in life as their non-disabled peers and strives to provide these opportunities through short breaks and through working with people and providers in local communities.

Youngsters enjoy a day out courtesy of the Marches Family Network (Image: Marches Family Network)

Rae Chambers, Marches Family Network manager, said: “We are extremely grateful to everyone who voted for us during the Readers Choice nomination period.

“The funding will enable us to continue running our Young Explorers sessions, giving our young people the opportunity to leave the county and explore many places new to them.”

How we've helped in the past

These latest two donations continue a long tradition of charity giving by the Hereford Times in which we have, over the years, given thousands of pounds to good causes in Herefordshire.

We are also grateful to our incredibly generous readers, who support our annual appeals to help people struggling at Christmas time and to those who contributed £80,000 to our hugely successful campaign to help victims of 2020 flooding in Herefordshire.