Latest News

The end of July is approaching alongside interesting events. "International Self-Care Day" is a worldwide event observed on the 24 July each year, promoting the need to practise self-care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This day marks the final day of the international self-care…

We would like to start by saying Thank You to everyone that was able to attend our Annual Conference for the VCSFE sector on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoyed attending the different workshops and engaged in helpful and important conversations. We hope to see you all again next year…

July is dedicated to major campaigns and it shines a spotlight on Sarcoma, through the Sarcoma awareness month. Its campaign "Raising Awareness to Create Survivors" is designed to raise awareness. The Samaritans campaign "Talk To Us" is an annual Awareness event aimed at…

We are looking forward to our Annual Conference for local charities and community groups which will take place from 9.30am to 2pm at St Peter’s Church, St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3HG. It promises to be an inspiring day, with opportunities to network with colleagues,…

There is a great deal of misunderstanding, myth, and stigma around dementia. Dementia can strike anyone! Our Dementia Friends session is suitable for anyone who would like to improve their knowledge and understanding of dementia and dispel some of the myths surrounding it. This…

Hopefully, the nice weather ahead of us will decide to linger a little bit longer thus offering the perfect background for going outside, enjoying the nice weather, keeping healthy and ready to start dancing again.  In this newsletter there are some updates about our classes…

This week we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to Samita, our new Transport Facilitator. Samita has joined the Inclusive Service's team and will be a first point of contact for any volunteer drivers taking part in our community car scheme or projects delivered through…

Welcome to Volunteering Vision, our new Volunteer Centre newsletter.   If you have some extra spare time this summer, please let us know and we’ll find meaningful ways for you to spend it. Our team are here to help you offer your skills to positively contribute to our…

Ahead of the general election on Thursday, I am pleased to share with you a collection of policy statements developed in partnership with our local charity partners. These statements, covering eight important areas, reflect the real experiences and expertise of those working within our…

Communities 1st Annual Conference and AGM Sector Supporting an Inclusive and Sustainable Future I am delighted to invite you to attend Communities 1st‘s annual conference for the local Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector,…

With the Communities 1st Annual Conference for the VCSFE sector just around the corner, we wanted to remind you that there is still time to register and come along.  The conference is taking place on Tuesday 16 July and we would love to see you there! The event promises to be a…

At Communities 1st, we are always seeking to improve the way that we communicate with you and ensure that you receive news from us that is interesting and relevant to you. Therefore, we will be making some changes to the newsletters we create for member organisations. Very soon,…

Strengthening communities through building connections  “What I like to do is make connections. I enjoy talking to people, thinking about connections, and then putting people in touch with each other,” Colin told me when I asked him about his experience of volunteering with Communities 1st.…

Unfortunately, the weather in June is throwing a bit of a tantrum but we are still hopeful that sun and warmer temperatures will be with us soon. In the meantime, be reassured that there are plenty of events raising community awareness to attend, filled with fun and information.…

Communities 1st is a great antidote to the view that “there is no such thing as society”! “It’s fantastic what Communities 1st is doing,” Mike told me when I eventually tracked him down and he told me about his experience as a volunteer. “You provide a wide range of valuable services to support the…

At Communities 1st, we are always seeking to improve the way that we communicate with you and ensure that you receive news from us that is interesting and relevant to you. Therefore, we will be making some changes to the newsletters we create for member organisations. Very soon,…

June is here and hopefully it will bring us sun and warmer temperatures and with it come new events to attend and awareness campaigns to celebrate.     National Carers Week will start on Monday (10 -16 June) and within its celebration on Thursday, 13  June…

Happy Volunteers Week! Thanks to you, our committed volunteers, Communities 1st is able to deliver services across the local community, bringing people together and making a positive impact on their health and well being.  It was great to see some of you at our afternoon tea…

The Role of Community Organisations in Tackling Inequalities    In our communities today, inequalities manifest in various forms, impacting health, opportunity, and wellbeing across different demographics. The NHS Long Term Plan and the pervasive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have…

Laughter is the Best Medicine  Liz has a great sense of humour! I’m often struck while talking to volunteers that they have a huge sense of fun; we laugh a lot! Liz is no exception. One of the reasons she volunteers is because she enjoys helping bring a smile to people’s faces. This isn’t to…