Open Hands Trust

Who we are

Open Hands Trust supports people in need in Leicester with emergency practical help, skills training, and mentoring. We love to go the extra mile, showing love to people through everything we do. We offer care, dignity and hope for the future to everyone we meet. 

The Trust was established in 2006 to support individuals and families in need in Leicester. The charity makes a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of those it serves and aims to support people on a journey of responsibility towards independence and employment.  To achieve their vision, the charity provides emergency practical support including provision of food, clothing, and furniture to referred individuals. They then empower people to move forward in their lives through offering English classes, skills courses, employability workshops and mentoring. Amongst the charity’s clients are some of the most vulnerable groups in Leicester. This includes the homeless, ex-offenders, those experiencing substance addiction, victims of (and those fleeing) domestic violence, asylum seekers and refugees, the long term unemployed and families on low-income.

The charity is managed by a small staff team (4.5 FTE) and committed board of Trustees and is supported by an amazing team of over 80 volunteers. In 2016, the charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its valued work. Open Hands is trusted by over 300 agencies around Leicester and the surrounding area who refer people in need to the charity’s services.