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September is packed with very so many meaningful awareness campaigns! It is going to be a very busy month! This coming week brings campaigns that aim to raise awareness on issues that, unfortunately, affect the lives of many in our communities.   National Pension…

Tomorrow is the start of Self Care September.  We are aware of how much you give to the community and next month is a time for you to reflect on how to look after yourself.  The Action for Happiness have produced a calendar with a simple idea for every day to help you reflect…

A Critical Look at the NHS Volunteer Responders Scheme and its Impact on Local Charities   The recent NHS Volunteer Responders (VR) social care seminar has left many of us questioning the efficacy and ethics of this top-down programme. It is certainly a subject that ignites passionate debate…

We are heading rapidly towards the end of August and in a sense, summer itself will soon be over. Whether or not you follow the academic year, the end of “the holidays” is usually accompanied by a feeling of back to "normality". But we’re not going to say goodbye to the summer just yet…

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter. Volunteers are the backbone of our community, providing essential support to organisations and community groups in our local areas. People and organisations in our community still need your help and we continue to be busy responding to their…

Our free Creative Fun with Numbers offer fun, creative and engaging activities for families during the summer holidays. The previous sessions have been a huge success, so we are pleased to announce more dates for your diary. We’re so pleased to offer these…

Although many people are away on their summer holidays we at Communities 1st, with your help, are continuing to support many individuals.  Whether it is making regular phone calls to help individuals feel less isolated, driving our minibuses to take less mobile people shopping…

The Domino Effect of the Cost of Living Crisis: A Spotlight on Charities and Vulnerable Communities   In an era where "cost of living" has skyrocketed, its far-reaching implications for the most vulnerable among us and the organisations designed to help them cannot be overstated. This crisis…

This week's newsletter is packed with ideas on new events for kids and help and support for families.        In 2 weeks' time Communities 1st will be hosting a stand at the Fun in The Park events (12pm - 3pm). On Monday 21st August we will be in…

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter. We are grateful for the ongoing support of volunteers, constituting the backbone of our communities. Volunteering for all the fantastic organisations and community groups in the local areas. This week, we held a pop-up Volunteer…

view in your browser   On 20 July Communities 1st held our Annual Voluntary Sector Conference at Oaklands College. It was a fantastic day, we were delighted to welcome around 100 colleagues from over 50 voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations. We enjoyed a…

View in your browser   August has arrived and with it we hope that some warmer and sunnier spells will soon offer some relief from the recent rainy days.  "National Allotments Week" marks its 21st birthday this year! The campaign runs from 7th-13th August and the theme this…

View in your browser Are you thinking about volunteering this summer? Why not take inspiration from our Volunteer Blogs? Our recent blogs include Georgie's experiences as a Community Connector of raising health awareness, and Team Venn's experiences driving, mentoring and supporting…

If you are looking for fun, creative and engaging activities during these summer holidays, why not spend half a day with your children on our free Creative Fun with Numbers?   Come along to our cooking session with an Air Fryer session. Learn to cook with one, add new…

“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…

With August just around the corner, let’s hope we’ll be able to enjoy a few more warm and sunny days before the summer is out.  Following the death of Princess Diana on 31st August 1997, August was designated as National Road Victim Month, it also commemorates the first life…

Last week we held our Voluntary Sector Conference and AGM. It was lovely to meet you all and we hope you all had a good time and enjoyed the workshops and/or the 1:1 sessions you attended. We are attending a large number of summer events in the next few weeks and we are…

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter. We are grateful for the ongoing support of volunteers, constituting the backbone of our communities. Volunteering for all the fantastic organisations and community groups in the local areas.   Last week we held our annual AGM and conference. It was…

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter. We are grateful for the ongoing support of volunteers, constituting the backbone of our communities. Volunteering for all the fantastic organisations and community groups in the local areas.   Last week we held our annual AGM and…