The Michael Roberts Charitable Trust (MRCT)

Who we are

MRCT is a Christian charity supporting people facing poverty, disability, and social exclusion.

Our registered purpose is:

“To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those who are socially excluded, and assisting them to integrate into society.”

For these purposes, social exclusion refers to being excluded from society, or parts of society, due to one or more of the following: unemployment; financial hardship; age; ill health (physical or mental); substance dependency; poor educational attainment; learning or physical disabilities; family breakdown; or poor housing conditions.

Our Goal

We aim to ensure that people in Harlow and the surrounding areas who are in crisis, overlooked, isolated, or living in long-term hardship gain increased confidence, resilience, and hope. Our support helps people maintain dignity and be valued as full members of the community.

Our Aims

1.       Support people in crisis to regain stability.

2.       Provide initiatives that help vulnerable people avoid future crises.

3.       Mitigate the impact of poverty on households in need.

4.       Offer friendship, purpose, and community to those who are socially isolated.

How We Achieve This

• Redistribution: Supplying food and children’s items from local businesses and residents to those in need.
• Community Spaces: Hosting drop-in centres for friendship, social support, and belonging.
• Partnerships: Working alongside local voluntary and statutory bodies to address poverty and isolation.
• Volunteer Mobilisation: Engaging people across Harlow in meaningful community service.
• Advocacy: Representing the voices of those affected by hardship and empowering them to advocate for themselves.

The Results of Our Work

1.       Immediate food support for anyone in need.

2.       Faster recovery from crises, leading to greater resilience.

3.       Stronger and more stable low-income households.

4.       More secure early years for children in families experiencing hardship.

5.       Greater belonging, confidence, and hope among vulnerable groups.

6.       Increased empathy and solidarity within the wider community.

7.       Public intolerance of crisis-inducing disadvantage.

8.       Inspiration for further community action and innovation.

Our culture and values

Our Approach

Although MRCT has grown significantly, we remain a locally rooted charity. We continue to focus on practical, grassroots solutions to local problems, delivered in partnership with the people we serve. This community-led approach ensures that our programmes remain relevant, adaptive, and impactful.

Our Motivation

Our work is rooted in Christian principles. We are committed to alleviating suffering and fostering community harmony, guided by the belief that no one is excluded, unwanted, or overlooked by God, whose love is revealed in the life of Jesus.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

1.   Statement of EDI Policy

a.      MRCT is committed to ensuring an inclusive environment in its voluntary and paid workforce, and in the delivery of all projects. This is intended to enable people to express themselves genuinely, safely and positively in harmony with our values.

Throughout its activities, MRCT will treat all people equally whether they are:

·        Seeking or using our services.

·        Applying for a job or already employed by us.

·        Trainee workers and students on work experience or placements.

b.      We are organisationally dedicated to taking proactive steps to advance a culture of non-discrimination and equity: addressing issues where discrimination still operates to the disadvantage of many in society.

c.      We believe that it is only through advancing equity and embracing diversity and inclusion that we can truly embody our founding principles, organisational values, and code of conduct.

d.      The objective of this policy is that no person should suffer or experience less favourable treatment than others; rather we recognise individual uniqueness and identity regardless of any protected characteristic, combination of protected characteristics, or any other characteristic(s), socio-economic or demographic factors and/or cultural traits that may expose them to unfair disadvantage.

e.      This policy is supported by an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) procedure which sets out how the policy is applied operationally.