Herts Young Homeless (HYH) will be hosting a Gin and Jazz Evening featuring live jazz from the award-winning amateur Hertfordshire Big Band.
Set in the gardens and function suite of The View in Welwyn Garden City, the event will take place on Thursday, July 7 from 6pm to 10pm.
All the money raised from the evening will go directly to HYH, and the event will be enjoyed by colleagues, friends and family who will be able to get together on a summery night, all while sipping on a delicious gin and tonic.
The Hertfordshire Big Band has been established for almost 20 years and is now recognised as a successful community band based in WGC, made up of musicians across Hertfordshire from all walks of life and professions.
The 17-piece band kindly offered to support the charity with their varied contemporary jazz repertoire.
The events officer of the charity, Rebecca Pauling, said: “It is so great to have the support of The Hertfordshire Big Band, they are very talented and having a big band at our evening will create such a fantastic atmosphere.
"Tom Harker, the musical director, has been really supportive and it is so nice to have a local band supporting a local charity. We wanted to create a really fun and relaxed evening. It’s going to be a fantastic event.”
The charity supports more than 2,000 young people in the local community every year and in the last 12 months they offered education to 8,337 young people.
It aims on preventing homelessness, from education in schools and family mediation through to supporting 16 to 24-year-olds in their first homes or caring for adults of all ages who have mental health issues and housing needs.
The services provided will empower young people to be able to deal with the difficult situations in their lives, giving them the ability and confidence to 'do it themselves' and ultimately find stability.
HYH were proud to launch their latest service, ‘Future Roots’, at the beginning of the year.
The charity has rented a six-bedroom house from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, which will help transition 18 to 24-year-olds from homelessness to independent living in a time span of approximately 18 months.
They will also have a live-in support worker to help with personal and social advice and guidance with the aim for every young person to be employed by the time they leave the house.
“With the aftermath of COVID, the cost-of-living crisis and the increased mental health needs of young people and their families, HYH’s services have never been more in need,” explained Jonny Whitehead, chief executive of Herts Young Homeless.
"Indeed, last year we unfortunately needed to close the waiting list for mediation services for under 16s due to the sheer volume of demand.
“Events such as our Gin and Jazz Evening are a great opportunity for local businesses and the community to come together in a fun way to support HYH so that we can help more young people in Hertfordshire who do not have a stable place to live."
Tickets cost £29.50 and include two drinks, canapes, garden games and a chance to win gin-spired prizes from the raffle.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting: www.hyh.org.uk/gin-and-jazz
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