As one of the leading charities in the Bishop's Stortford area, St Elizabeth's Centre provides positive living and learning for people with epilepsy and other complex needs.
St Elizabeth's, your local charity
St Elizabeth's is one of only two national centres offering help to people with severe epilepsy, autism and other complex medical conditions. It is a charity providing vulnerable people, of all age groups and learning disabilities, with education, care and support and helping them to live life to the full.
Did you know this charity is based just down the road from Bishop's Stortford in Much Hadham? Founded in 1903 by a Catholic Order of Sisters the Centre includes a school for children 5-19, a College (with domiciliary care if required) for young people 18-25 and residential care for 105 adults in small group homes, including respite care. Referrals are accepted regardless of religious or cultural background.
There are also social enterprises in organic horticulture from seed sowing to egg production, creative workshops for arts, ceramics and making jewellery.The latest social enterprise project is to restore and conserve St Elizabeth's three-acre orchard.
St Elizabeth's provides a friendly, professional and secure community of people with complex conditions. Helping them live their lives to the full involves a comprehensive programme of social activities many of which are funded by donations.
This feature is too short to do justice to the range of services and facilities St Elizabeth's provide so …
Why are donations needed?
It currently costs around £19m a year to run the Centre and statutory funding only covers the basic costs of care and education for this community of children and adults with complex conditions. Those referred to St Elizabeth's Centre have increasingly complex needs for more specialist provision. Meeting those needs can include building new, or adapting existing facilities. This receives no statutory funding. To continue to do this and to provide some of the things that most of us take for granted, such as social activities and holidays, the Centre runs a fundraising programme.
Where donations are spent?
Every donation is very important and all the money received from the generous support of individuals, companies, trusts and all of St Elizabeth's fundraising initiatives is used directly to improve facilities and services for the children, young people and adults cared for at St Elizabeth's.
How you can help?
There are lots of ways that you can support St Elizabeth's, some of which are outlined on their website. St Elizabeth's will help and support you, or your company, in any fundraising initiatives you undertake - from raffles to a sponsored sky dive. You can join St Elizabeth's Lottery with its monthly prize draw or donate through Charity Choice. Or you could make a donation to St Elizabeth's charity shop at Thorley shopping Centre or visit The Cross Gallery shop in Bishop's Stortford and buy one of the quirky one-off pieces of jewellery.
You may have your own fundraising ideas too. If so please do give Marilyn Osborne a call if you'd like to get involved.
Volunteers
St Elizabeth's works with volunteers from around the world, usually via CSV, but volunteers from companies are welcome to spend a day or more doing voluntary work around the Centre. Similarly help in St Elizabeth's charity shops in Bishop's Stortford and Harlow or at fund raising activities, is more than welcome.
To offer any financial assistance, to volunteer your time or to find out more about the St Elizabeth Centre, please contact:
Marilyn Osborne.
St Elizabeth Centre
Tel: 01279 844427/ Mob: 07711656394
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