Latest News

Written by one of our volunteers: Despite us all having unique stories to tell about our pandemic experience, we can all empathise with the feeling of being isolated and alone. We are only beginning to discover the true impact lockdown restrictions have on mental health, and the depth of loneliness…

Para Dance UK is happy to announce our new Head Adjudicator as Martin Bird. Martin who is a Fellow of the UKA and a British Dance Council Chairman of Adjudicators will be taking over the reins from our previous Head Adjudicator Louise Sampson who has supported  Para Dance UK since 2012…

At the end of last year, the government published their proposal for transforming public procurement, which is now out for consultation. The government’s procurement green paper is one of the biggest opportunities to influence the way in which government buys over £290bn in goods, works…

Written by one of our volunteers: Up and down the country people continue to take an ‘all hands to the pump’ approach to caring for vulnerable individuals in their communities. Volunteer organisations like Communities 1st, together with a wide range of local volunteer…

We are thrilled to be launching Fit For The Floor to our Para Dance Sport athletes and instructors on Friday 19th February. We’ve worked in collaboration with disabled and non-disabled practitioners in the fitness, wellbeing and Dance Sport industries to give athletes a unique programme for…

It continues to be a difficult period for Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations. Traditional fundraising activities remain impossible and the sector must look to new and innovative ways to replace these.  If your organisation would like support with financial…

Written by one of our volunteers: What makes people volunteer? Volunteers might say they want to connect to the community, feel involved and make a difference. During the pandemic, these people really have been making a huge difference in our communities, beavering away silently and regularly for…

Sport Birmingham, Tackling Inequalities Funding provides inclusive dance opportunities for over 300 disabled children & adults in Birmingham.   Over 300 disabled children and adults in Birmingham were able to reap the amazing benefits of inclusive dance between …

Written by one of our volunteers: The COVID-19 outbreak has caused undeniable sadness and hardship for many, but amidst the pain you may have heard tales of kindness and selflessness that have lifted your spirits. The Compassionate Community Connector programme (run by Communities 1st)  relies…

Firstly, I’d like to wish you all a very happy new year. Last year was difficult for all of us. We faced challenges that most of us had never imagined. 2021 will continue to ask a lot of us, but the beginning of the vaccination rollout means we can start to hope for the return of some normality.…

Happy holidays and warm wishes from the whole team at Communities 1st!  Thank you to all our incredible volunteers, who have given so much of their time this year to help us get through this crisis. Amazingly, local people continue to rally together, allowing us to deepen and extend that…

Hertfordshire to Move into Tier 2 The government have announced that Hertfordshire will move into Tier 2: High Alert, in the Government's new system of Covid-19 Alert Levels. Communities 1st, in conjunction with Communities Help Hertfordshire partners, will continue to provide essential services to…

As we’re approaching December and more talk about potential vaccines against Covid-19 it’s natural that we all start to think of this period as one of a new chapter. More than ever, with the backdrop of Covid, there’s a real air of ‘next phase’ in our tentative steps forward the festive holidays.…

Having now completed the second week of lockdown 2.0, and as we approach the Winter months, it's more important than ever to look after yourselves, and your staff and volunteers. If there’s anything we can do to support your organisation, please let us know and we will do our best to help! Over…

Voluntary and community groups in St Albans District are encouraged to apply to a grants fund aimed at helping the most vulnerable people. St Albans City and District Council is distributing up to £18,700 in this year’s second round of awards from its Community Grants Fund. One priority is to fund…

We know you are probably fed-up of the phrase ‘Hope this email finds you well.’ Expressing exactly what we mean and our feeling at the minute is hard, as coronavirus continues to affect our lives, our loved ones, and our livelihoods. Online spaces can be deeply impersonal space and emails doubly so…

The second round of Community Grants Fund 2020-21 will open next week on Tuesday 10th November and will close on Monday 11th January 2021.   We understand that due to changes to government guidance regarding Covid-19 and the lockdown starting on Thursday 4th November, there may be an impact on…

Footballer Marcus Rashford speaks for many when he says: “I have no interest in party politics. Letting millions of children in the UK go hungry at night is only an issue of humanity. We need to do better.” One of the main lessons from the pandemic is the importance of planning for…

Last month, the report, Levelling Up Our Communities: Proposals for a New Social Covenant, was published by Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP and former “civil society tsar”.  The report was commissioned in June by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with the aim of examining how the country could…

Covid-19 has caused pain and loss for all of us directly and indirectly. The response in communities is the adrenaline which kicks in and strengthens our ability to cope. We may not look back fondly on 2020 but there is a lot we can learn from it. Over the last few months, our voluntary, community…