The Welwyn Hatfield Times' Supported Charities & Events
The Willow Foundation
IN 1999, with the help of the Welwyn Hatfield Times, a charity was launched to provide special days out for 16 to 40 year olds suffering with life-threatening illnesses.
It was set up by former Arsenal goalkeeper and television presenter Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, in memory of their daughter Anna, who had died the previous year from cancer, aged 31.
They called it the Willow Foundation, after the nickname they had given to Anna when she was a girl.
In its first year, 17 special days out were provided. This year, the Old Hatfield-based charity has provided almost 1,500.
Now a national charity, the Welwyn Hatfield Times and its editor are still very much involved in its activities.
Read more about our involvement here »
Visit the Willow Foundation Website »
Isabel Hospice
The Welwyn Hatfield Times supports the Isabel Hospice, which is based in WGC and has a catchment area spreading across east Hertfordshire.
Editor Terry Mitchinson is a patron for the charity, founded in 1982, and has helped raise thousands of pounds over the years. Other members of staff have also done their bit to raise cash.
Regular articles appear in the Welwyn Hatfield Times about the hospice, which needs more than £2m of donations each and every year to continue its work.
Fundraising events which feature in the paper include the annual sponsored swim, Chain Walk, Sunset & Stars Walk and the Jingle Bells and Bows fun run.
In September 2009, Isabel Hospice was given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its volunteer work in the community. It was presented by Countess Verulam, the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, pictured centre.
Visit the Isabel Hospice Website »
Hertfordshire Breast Unit Appeal
The Vicki Adkins Breast Unit, based at the QE2 Hospital in WGC, is one of the most well-equipped facilities in the country for diagnosing the disease.
It is named after the Cuffley woman who, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, vowed to fund a facility that would give patients the privacy they needed.
Her campaign, the Hertfordshire Breast Unit Appeal - of which the Welwyn Hatfield Times is a long-time supporter - brought in more than £1m in donations.
Vicki has since been made an MBE as recognition for her tireless work.
The unit welcomed its first patients in September 2006, and was officially opened by former pop star and campaign supporter Kim Wilde the following January.
Visit the Herts Breast Unit Appeal Website »
Herts Air Ambulance
There's a very important reason to remember the 5th of November 2008, for that is the date the county's air ambulance service was launched.
It followed 18 months of hard work by a team of fundraisers and volunteers, and the generosity of the people of Hertfordshire, to raise £250,000 needed to get the service up-and-running.
But that was only the beginning.
It costs around £120,000 each and every month to operate the helicopter five days a week.
The Welwyn Hatfield Times is proud to support and highlight the ongoing efforts to raise the money needed to keep this vital emergency service in the skies.
Visit the Herts Air Ambulance website »
Welwyn Hatfield Rotary Walk
We help to support and organise the Welwyn Hatfield Rotary Walk, which has been an annual feature since 1999.
Each May, hundreds of people take part in the sponsored walk, which offers two routes of different distances, one around five miles, the other 11 miles.
Both start at the Campus West car park in WGC and head out towards the Lee Valley and Ayot St Lawrence.
Thousands of pounds are raised every year, with 75 per cent of entrants' sponsorship going to their chosen charity and the other quarter to Rotary club causes.
The 2010 walk will take place on Sunday, May 9.
Visit the Welwyn Hatfield Rotary Walk Website »
Hatfield House Firework Display
November 5, 2009 saw an organised public firework display in Welwyn Hatfield for the first time in more than a decade.
As media sponsor, the Welwyn Hatfield Times backed the event, which was the brainchild of borough mayor Kim Langley.
And the night certainly went with a bang.
Nearly 15,000 people crammed into the grounds of Hatfield House to watch the spectacular display.
As part of proceedings, we also helped to organise a photography competition for readers to submit their snaps of the fireworks. As part of their prize, these appeared in print in our Times Magazine supplement.
The Herts County Show
The Welwyn Hatfield Times and its sister publications have been actively involved in the Herts County Show for many years.
This year's event, the 123rd, attracted more than 38,000 people through the gates at the County Showground in Redbourn over two days of the Whitsun bank holiday weekend.
The show features a wide variety of entertainment and attractions, ranging from sheep shearing and livestock displays to showjumping and competitions for primary school children.
And the Welwyn Hatfield Times' promotional staff are also in attendance, hosting their own marquee.
In 2010, the show will take place on May 29 and 30.
*****
The Welwyn Hatfield Times' staff take part in a wide range of events in the community. These include fundraising ventures like sponsored runs and cycle rides, to 
giving talks to schools and other groups about life on the paper.
The newspaper is also in a number of groups within the borough, including the Chamber of Commerce, town centre forums, and the University of Hertfordshire's humanities faculty advisory body.
And we've spearheaded numerous campaigns over the years, most recently being active parts of the Hospital SOS Taskforce, set up to save major services being axed from the QE2 Hospital in WGC, and the No Way to 10k campaign, which aimed to save our precious Green Belt from being concreted over with thousands of homes.
