Volunteer Blog

  “It’s been a brilliant experience! I am so pleased to have been involved. It’s been a real privilege.” So declared Ann Harrison at the Communities 1st annual general meeting in June 2025, in response to a tribute paid to her by Communities 1st chair, Jason John, who was thanking her for…

Colin has been a volunteer with Communities 1st for some two and a half years. Once a week he telephones Richard*, who is in his mid-seventies and lives alone. They chat for about an hour, as part of Communities 1st Telephone Befriending Programme. Colin explained to me that “At the start, I…

“I owe Communities 1st such a lot,” Gabriela explained to me over a delicious cup of coffee at the Communities Thirst coffee point in the St Albans Civic Centre where she gives her time as a volunteer. Gabiela continued, “Communities 1st has helped me learn English, taught me new skills, and given…

Brian Hudson’s Thursdays start when, at 9:30, he picks up a gentleman who lives is St Albans and gives him a lift to his mother who lives near the Galleria, in Hatfield. He then makes his way to the Communities 1st office, Ver House, in Park Street, probably arriving around 10:20. Brian spends his…

  "...I dread to think what state we’d be in if we didn’t have volunteers" “It would be devastating. It would impact on vulnerable people, their families, and the wider community. It doesn’t bear thinking about,” commented Patti when I asked her about the role of volunteers. And she should…

    To go back to the start Ann, in her sixties and living in Bishop’s Stortford, worked for many years in banking. After her son was born, and he is now grown up and left home, she transferred to work in the local branch of the bank in Bishops Stortford. “I loved being branch based,”…

Patricia’s Path to Positivity with Communities 1st Patricia*, originally from the north-east and now in her early seventies, has been using Communities 1st services for some nine years. I was looking forward to chatting with her and learning about her experience. I was richly rewarded. Patricia* is…

Strengthening communities through building connections  “What I like to do is make connections. I enjoy talking to people, thinking about connections, and then putting people in touch with each other,” Colin told me when I asked him about his experience of volunteering with Communities 1st.…

Communities 1st is a great antidote to the view that “there is no such thing as society”! “It’s fantastic what Communities 1st is doing,” Mike told me when I eventually tracked him down and he told me about his experience as a volunteer. “You provide a wide range of valuable services to support the…

Laughter is the Best Medicine  Liz has a great sense of humour! I’m often struck while talking to volunteers that they have a huge sense of fun; we laugh a lot! Liz is no exception. One of the reasons she volunteers is because she enjoys helping bring a smile to people’s faces. This isn’t to…

  My values are similar to those of Communities 1st - we believe in kindness." Carole became a volunteer with Communities 1st in 2020 at the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. She became a steward at the Vaccination Centres and used her sewing skills to make scrubs for health workers. Carole…

  Irina is a telephone befriender with Communities 1st. She was born in Romania and lived in a small village in the countryside. “Where I grew up, there was a strong sense of community,” she told me. “Everyone knew each other. People helped their neighbours and were very supportive.” Her…

  Imagine what it must be like to have lived in Lincoln for fifty-five years, where you raised your family of three sons, and then you faced the upheaval of moving to Borehamwood. You had worked for over fifty years in an important and technical job as a fitting engineer. You took early…

  Volunteering - an opportunity to use the skills learned from your work Picture Penny: she has just turned seventy. Before she retired, Penny worked as a nurse in the community and then in a hospice. She lives in Hatfield, where she was born, with her husband, whose hobbies include trains…

... It fits in with the rest of my life “I’m pleased to be able to give something back. When my mum and dad were alive, several people helped them and now it’s my time to help others. I know that just a small amount of support can keep older people going.” Andy, in his late fifties and living in…

“I was in a state of complete shock when I was diagnosed as having breast cancer. I just could not believe it. Cancer had never been on my radar. Young people of my age just don’t get cancer. This can’t be right.” Georgie was explaining to me her reaction to being diagnosed with cancer in May 2021…

Team Venn - a powerful partnership Helen and Mike Venn, who have been married for nearly 43 years, have lived in Croxley Green for almost forty years.  Mike is retired, having worked in telecommunications/IT, and Helen is a semi-retired primary school teacher. In their retirement they make a…

Linda* is a busy volunteer who has contributed to several areas of Communities 1st work. She is involved in shopping, has supported Afghan refugees, and been a telephone befriender. When I called, she was having work carried out on her home. The loud banging disturbed her dog, Spot, who retaliated…

Linda* is a busy volunteer who has contributed to several areas of Communities 1st work. She is involved in shopping, has supported Afghan refugees, and been a telephone befriender. When I called, she was having work carried out on her home. The loud banging disturbed her dog, Spot, who retaliated…

Robin Cattle, in his sixties and living in Welwyn Garden City, is a volunteer driver. For over thirty years, he sat behind a desk when he worked in banking. Now that he has retired, he has decided that he wants to do practical tasks. He told me that “in my early life, practical skills did not come…