Latest News

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…

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…

The end of July is approaching, but we still have some great events coming up before the month is out. Beginning with something for nature enthusiasts, from Saturday 22nd July until the 6th of August, the spotlight is on "National Marine Fortnight". This year the focus is on…

Summer has truly arrived, and the school term is coming to an end. If you are looking for fun, creative and engaging activities in the summer holidays, why not spend half a day with your children on our free Creative Fun with Numbers.   Come along to our cooking with an…

Summer has truly arrived, and the school term is coming to an end. If you are looking for fun, creative and engaging activities in the summer holidays, why not spend half a day with your children on our free Creative Fun with Numbers.   Come along to our cooking with an…

The nice weather ahead offers the perfect conditions for attending events and being active whilst  supporting local causes that matter to you. The whole month of July is dedicated to major campaigns, like Good Care Month.  July is also Disability Pride Month. This has…

This week Communities 1st has taken its first steps on the journey of becoming a Net Zero organisation. The whole organisation, trustees and volunteers were invited to our first training session this week. We were encouraged to think about the risks and impact of Climate Change as well…

Welcome to another week of training information. This week we are focussing on helping parents or carers support children in being confident with numbers. Summer is upon us and children will be breaking from school soon. If you are looking for a fun, creative and engaging day during the…

July is around the corner, it is shocking how fast the time flies! July is a month packed with more meaningful awareness events to get involved in.  "Thank you Day" is back for its third year on Sunday 2nd of July. It was created by organisations looking for a way to say a huge ‘…