Celebrating 25 years of changing lives

HITS team in Hemel Hempstead

This year, Herts Interpreting and Translation Service (HITS) is celebrating an incredible milestone: 25 years of breaking down language barriers and supporting the Dacorum community. What started as a small local project back in 2001 has grown into a national leader, recently surpassing one million professional bookings.

HITS is managed by local charity Community Action Dacorum, and for a quarter of a century, the service has helped people across the region connect, understand, and access vital services. Today, HITS supports over 330 languages and dialects – including British Sign Language (BSL) – making sure everyone can get the help they need, no matter what language they speak.

But the real story behind this silver anniversary is about people helping people. HITS is a social enterprise, which means every penny of profit is reinvested into Community Action Dacorum to fund projects that make a real difference in local lives. When organisations use HITS, they are not just getting expert interpretation – they are also helping to fund things like:

  • Community Transport: keeping vulnerable residents active and connected
  • ShopMobility: supporting independence for people with limited mobility
  • The Repair Shed: giving people new skills and reducing loneliness
  • Radio Dacorum: providing a platform for local voices

‘We’re so proud to have reached 25 years,’ said a spokesperson for HITS. ‘Our achievements belong to the whole community. Every partnership with us helps keep minibuses running, supports IT for community groups, and funds social clubs that make Dacorum a better, kinder place to live.’

To celebrate this milestone, HITS is a proud sponsor of the Ossett Brewery ‘Silver King’ cask at the upcoming Hemel Old Town Beer Festival. This sponsorship is a fitting tribute to the organisation’s deep local roots, as the festival takes place on the Old High Street – the very same street where the HITS head office has been located for its entire 25-year history.

HITS also helps local people build brighter futures. As a registered training and exam center for the Chartered Institute of Linguists, HITS has trained over 2,700 people since 2001 – opening doors to new careers for bilingual residents in Dacorum.

And while HITS continues to grow – recently winning a new three-year contract in Southend-on-Sea – its heart will always be in Hemel Hempstead, turning language services into gold for worthy causes.