Latest News

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Sign up to our online Talk Cancer Workshop, that will help arm you with the tools needed to raise cancer awareness in your community. The session will help you encourage people to make healthy changes, access local services and visit their GP…

We continue to provide lots of training opportunities to our volunteers, to help you challenge yourself and further develop your skill set.  Volunteers are still required to help staff at Herts and Essex Community Hospital in Bishop Stortford. The shifts here have resumed and the…

As Para Dance UK continues to grow and evolve, CEO Patrick McGeough has made the difficult decision to step down from his position. Emma Millward, Head of Dance and Lin McGeough, Operations Manager have also decided to step down. Over the last 12 years, Patrick, Emma, and Lin have transformed Para…

This week is Random Acts of Kindness Week, a movement that aim to 'make kindness the norm!' The RAK Foundation website is full of ideas for kind acts you could do at home. Today they suggest reaching out to someone who brings joy and happiness into your life. Next Thursday,…

Coral, a volunteer with Communities 1st, found that chatting about cake helped her to engage with Nigerian nurses working at the Lister Hospital! The nurses found cake both a source of comfort and entertainment! What is it about the English and their cake? Coral is supporting the International…

The Help in a Hospital projects are now all up and running, with shifts available to book on your dashboard in the community activities section. Early feedback from the volunteers and the hospitals has been extremely positive; the project is making a real difference. Volunteers are still very…

Shopping delivery, prescription collection, and pulse oximetry volunteers  To claim expenses please sign up to our dashboard and upload your expenses here, in order to speed up this process. Click here and create a login using the same email address that you originally signed…

Despite vaccination centres going through a quiet spell, there are still plenty of volunteering opportunities you can get involved in with us!  We are now welcoming international nurses to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. We are looking for friendly volunteers around Harlow who would…

It's still not too late to make some new year's resolutions, including starting a new hobby that gets you moving, or going 'dry' for the rest of January!   This week's Fantastic Friday newsletter includes all sorts of information and resources, from services to help you get your…

Para Dance UK are proud to be partnering with This Girl Can and will be launching our #ThisGirlCanDance sessions starting week commencing 17th of January 2022. This Girl Can was originally launched in 2015 and was aimed at encouraging more women to take part in physical activity. The campaign…

  During 2021     2021 has been a challenging year for many people, but we are very proud of how our volunteers and staff have continued to provide much needed support to communities through difficult times. Across Hertsmere, St Albans, Broxbourne & East Herts…

SEND Schools shine bright in a virtual celebration as the winners of Para Dance UK’s Youth Games Dance Competition are announced. Excitement was in the air on Thursday 16th December 2021 as over 100 children from SEND schools came together virtually for the very first time, eagerly awaiting to hear…

SEND Schools shine bright in a virtual celebration as the winners of Para Dance UK’s Youth Games Dance Competition are announced. Excitement was in the air on Thursday 16th December 2021 as over 100 children from SEND schools came together virtually for the very first time, eagerly awaiting to hear…

Sue Horne could almost be regarded as a professional volunteer - except that she never submits an invoice! For over 35 years Sue has been devoting her time to a wide variety of volunteering roles. These have included supporting witnesses attending St. Albans Crown Court, lending support to the '…

We are almost halfway through our virtual Christmas countdown and we are delighted with the lovely videos we have received so far! Click here to see all the videos in our countdown so far!  If you would like to get involved, just take a video of you or your friends…

Polly has lived in Borehamwood for some 33 years. She loves her small home, which has a cottage like feel, and when she moved there she was "a bit of a DIY fanatic', decorating and even tackling “the electrics.”  Now in her mid-70s and with a poorly back, sadly…

Welcome to our second November newsletter! Thank you to all members who attended our AGM and Conference on 17 and 18 November. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from an exciting and diverse range of speakers, including the Right Honourable Lord David Blunkett. It was also a great chance…

We are pleased to announce that Hertsmere's Healthy Hubs have made new services available for the public, including the collection of lateral flow testing kits and sexual health testing kits. A Healthy Hub is a one-stop-shop providing information, advice, and support to improve the…

We are now approaching the beginning of the Festive Period, an exciting time for many of us. However, we should remember that many people struggle with loneliness and isolation at this time of year.   We are continuing to support those who are isolated and vulnerable through our shopping…

Welcome to our first November newsletter! Now that the clocks have moved back and the evenings are darker, we are looking forward to two annual winter events; Firstly, our annual Conference and AGM takes place over two days via Zoom this week, with a stellar line up of speakers, including The…