Dacorum Community Trust

Dacorum Community Trust, an independent charity established in 1976, serves as a vital backstop for residents of the Dacorum Borough in Hertfordshire facing acute financial hardship and crises such as illness, unemployment, debt, domestic violence, or homelessness. Rooted in grassroots compassion, local engagement, and a commitment to dignity and discretion, it provides rapid, practical one-off support—essentials like household goods, supermarket/energy vouchers, bedding, children's equipment, and seasonal aid—while referring complex cases to specialists. Its ethos emphasizes alleviating urgent deprivation where other help falls short, adapting to challenges like the cost-of-living crisis, mental health issues, and family instability through agile, community-embedded responses and partnerships with groups like Hertfordshire Welcomes Refugees, Headway Hertfordshire, and Citizens Advice.

The Trust prioritizes relieving poverty, promoting wellbeing, and meeting basic material, emotional, and social needs of vulnerable individuals and families, including children, elderly, refugees, and asylum seekers. It funds immediate crisis relief projects by small local voluntary organizations, charities, and community groups delivering specialist interventions for practical outcomes like familial stability and referral support.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or Dacorum-based community groups, with a preference for small to medium-sized, grassroots entities embedded in the local area; activities must directly benefit Dacorum residents only. Typical grants range from £100 to £1,000 (most £200–£500), awarded on a rolling basis via downloadable form or phone application, with the Grants Committee meeting every two months for decisions within eight weeks—urgent cases handled discretionarily.

Exclusions include advocacy, capital projects, research, repeated grants, or non-Dacorum activities; it stands out for its hyper-local focus, swift responsiveness, personal approach, and sustainability via reserves and partnerships like Dacorum Borough Council and National Lottery, ensuring transformative impact as a last-resort crisis intervener.