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Season's Greetings!  Wishing you a wonderful festive season and a bright, happy New Year! Whether you've gone on a day trip, attended a Creative Community Café or training session, made use of our shopping service, received employment…

  Rose, aged 15, is a great fan of Para Dance. She has been taking part in Para Dance, since COVID, for about five years. When I asked her why she likes it so much, after a moment’s thought, she smiled broadly and commented “I like it because I feel sense of freedom inside me. When I dance,…

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…

With less than a week until Christmas, we wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of our wonderful volunteers a fantastic festive season and a very happy new year.  Please take the time to check out our office opening hours, as well as important contact…

December brings time to reflect on our achievements and identify areas for improvement to act on in the coming year. It is also the time we take to evaluate the impact we have made on the communities we serve. This training newsletter, as always, highlights valuable…

Welcome to December's Volunteering Vision! As the year draws to a close, December brings a special spirit of generosity. It’s a time when communities unite, and the power of volunteering shines. In this edition of Volunteering Vision, we share the latest volunteering…

With the holidays just around the corner, we are making arrangements to offer friendly phone calls and safe doorstep visits to local community members who would welcome some connection. For many, this support is vital, and it’s a wonderful way to spread genuine festive…

Welcome to the latest edition of the Let’s Give newsletter! Today is International Volunteers Day—a time to celebrate the amazing individuals like you who give their time, energy, and heart to create positive change in their local communities. Your dedication makes the…

Making a Difference NewsletterThursday 4 December 2025 With the holidays just around the corner, we are contacting people in the local community to see whether they would like to receive a festive call or visit this year. …

As we wrap up the year, the last month brings learning opportunities to improve your health and wellbeing, and practical tips on being financially smart.   Dementia is currently the biggest killer in the UK. There is a lot of fear and stigma attached to a diagnosis, which…

Welcome back! The Christmas lights are shining brightly, which means the festive season is now in full swing! We hope you're soaking up all the sparkle and excitement this time of year brings. If you're looking for ways to get involved this season, we have some…

The Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) represents a pivotal moment for the VCFSE sector. Despite potential changes to geographical borders and commissioning arrangements, one thing must remain constant – groups and volunteers will need to continue providing vital services,…

“It worked! So much so, I now really don’t want to leave!” Nisha Parbhoo, a volunteer with Communities 1st was telling me about why she wanted to volunteer. “I stopped working to have time with my family and young children, so I hadn’t worked for quite a number of years. I thought volunteering…

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…

We are pleased to share with you our training programme for the upcoming year. As you will see, the programme will provide a diverse selection of training sessions. If there is any specific training you would like us to consider for our programme, please let us know.…

Welcome to the latest edition of our Policy Pulse Newsletter, your monthly update on key developments within our sector. In these changing times, and with the next UK budget around the corner, it is more important than ever that we collaborate and support one and other. At…

Now is the perfect time to look ahead with renewed focus on personal wellbeing and professional growth. This month’s Future Focus newsletter highlights key health topics that impact us or those that we care for. Stay informed and alert about scams. The Scam awareness session will…

Welcome to this week's newsletter! As we move toward the end of October, the air is getting crisp, and there's a definite shift in the weather. With the clocks going back this past weekend, we've officially entered the period of Daylight Saving Time ending, bringing us those…

  “I really feel thankful to have had the opportunity to take part in Para Dance,” Suzannah confided, “It is accessible, affordable, non-judgmental, and above all fun.” Para Dance UK is part of the Communities 1st family and I was keen to find out how it is helping people with disabilities.…

Making a Difference NewsletterThursday 23 October 2025 Thank you to everyone that was able to attend the Volunteer and Staff away day last week. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours, to have important conversations and hear…