10 Nov 2026
Harpenden Child Contact Centre (HCCC) is mourning the death of its founder, Loretta Ramswell, who died in early October, in the month the charity marks 20 years since its launch.
Loretta was 64 and had recently retired from the library of the London School of Economics when, in 2005, she heard a radio report about child contact centres. These give children of separated families a safe place to spend time with a parent they do not live with. Having lost touch with members of her own family, she knew how painful separation could be, and there was no such service in Harpenden.
She asked the Rev Elizabeth Inall, then vicar of All Saints, for help. When Elizabeth appealed to the congregation, 22 volunteers came forward. Loretta was clear from the outset that the centre should be independent and open to everyone, regardless of faith or background, and it has remained so. The centre was officially launched on October 20 2006 and held its first session on November 11. For the first four sessions, a single little girl was the only child to attend. Loretta served as coordinator and, in the early days, was at every session. Under her leadership the centre won a Vision for Action community award in February 2007 and, in 2008, gained accreditation from the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC), which it has held ever since. Loretta stood down from the committee in 2018 but stayed in close touch with volunteers.
Twenty years on, the centre has helped hundreds of children keep in touch with a parent. Run entirely by volunteers, it opens on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at All Saints’ Church Hall, Station Road. The service is free to families, and anyone can make a referral, including parents themselves.
Jay Sharma, HCCC chair of trustees said: “Loretta saw a need in our community and simply got on with meeting it. Thanks to her compassion and determination, hundreds of children have been able to keep a relationship with a parent that might otherwise have been lost. Every Saturday session is part of her legacy, and we will carry it on.”
Reflecting on the centre’s history, Loretta herself said: “To everyone who travelled the journey of HCCC together with me – from the first to the last – my deepest heartfelt thanks.”
Loretta asked that donations in her memory be made to Harpenden Child Contact Centre. Donations can be made at justgiving.com/charity/Harpenden-CCC.
