Communities 1st CEO Blog

I have spent most of my working life moving between the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector, and the thing that has stayed with me is the distance between how policy describes people's lives and how those lives are actually lived. Nowhere is that gap clearer at the moment than in the way…

I have spent most of my working life around health and social care, volunteering, local government and the slow business of getting different parts of a place to pull together. After enough years of that, you notice a pattern in how we talk about what comes next. We are very good at describing what…

Before I ran a charity, I spent years working alongside patients trying to find their way through the health system. What stayed with me was how often the person in front of me had more to offer than the system was set up to notice. They had knowledge about their own lives, ideas about what would…

Civil society is currently spoken about in expansive terms. Trusted. Rooted. Innovative. Capable of reaching people the formal system cannot. It is positioned as central to prevention, to integration, to strengthening neighbourhoods and bringing lived experience into decision-making. National…

February is often the month when leadership feels most exposed. By now, organisations like Communities 1st are expected to be operating as though the year ahead is settled. Budgets should be agreed. Plans signed off. Staff reassured. Services confirmed. And yet, across Hertfordshire and beyond,…

I’ve become increasingly cautious about simple explanations for complex problems. We are living through a period shaped not by a single crisis, but by the interaction of many: sustained economic pressure, demographic change, rapid technological acceleration and, in parts of the world, open conflict…

This has been a year of both clarity and contradiction. Across the voluntary sector, especially among small and medium-sized charities, a shared truth has surfaced: the work has never been more needed, more complex or more undervalued. Rising need, shrinking resources and deepening societal divides…

Leadership today feels different. Not simply harder, but heavier. The pace of change is accelerating, expectations are high, and the time available to think well is shrinking.  Adaptation has always been part of leadership - many of us accept it as a natural rhythm of the work. What has…

Across the country, a quiet shift is happening. You can feel it in conversations with residents, partners, volunteers and staff. People are asking bigger questions - not just about the cost of living, the pressure on public services, or the uncertainty coming with the next budget, but about…

Across the world, we are living through unsettled times. Wars, political divisions, economic pressures, and misinformation all create uncertainty. These global tensions don’t just play out on the news - they filter down into our communities. You can hear it in everyday conversations: worries about…

Moving Beyond Promises For more than two decades, we’ve heard promises to tackle poverty, improve health, build stronger communities, and create fairer opportunities. Yet, despite all the strategies and speeches, too many people are still struggling. Millions of children grow up in poverty. Food…

A Familiar Vision, a Critical Moment Every few years, the NHS invites us to imagine a new future for health and care. The latest NHS 10-Year Plan promises nothing less than a reimagining of the system - a bold transformation designed to shift resources into communities, focus on prevention, and…

 A Crossroads for Charities and Communities The Charity Commission’s 2025 research highlights a stark truth: more people than ever before rely on charities for essentials like food, financial aid, and medical support. The figures are sobering - 9% of people received essential support in the…

It’s Not Just About Services: What We’ve Learned and What’s NextBy Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st As CEO of Communities 1st, I come to this work from a background in health and social care, having worked across the statutory and voluntary sectors. That experience continues…

From health to wealth – why the next chapter of Get Britain Working must be written locally By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st   Work is more than wages; it is connection, confidence and community.  When ill‑health or disadvantage locks people out of good…

Beyond Boundaries: Reinventing Community Resilience By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st   Right now, our communities stand at a unique crossroads. The landscape around us is shifting significantly - local government is reorganising, the NHS is embracing neighbourhood-based…

CEO Blog: Reflection, Resilience, and Action in 2025 By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st   As we enter 2025, I find myself reflecting on the immense challenges and opportunities facing the local VCFSE sector, Communities 1st, and the public sector as a whole. This is likely…

CEO Blog - Trustees: Guiding the Future, Building a Better Today By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st   As we approach Trustees' Week, it's a time to celebrate those unsung heroes who work behind the scenes, making a difference to countless communities and lives across the UK…

What the Darzi Report Means for Our Communities By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st   The Lord Darzi Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England offers a vital snapshot of the current state of healthcare. It reveals significant pressures on the NHS,…

The Role of Community Organisations in Tackling Inequalities    In our communities today, inequalities manifest in various forms, impacting health, opportunity, and wellbeing across different demographics. The NHS Long Term Plan and the pervasive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have…