Training Track Newsletter - October 2026

Welcome to the latest Training Track newsletter. Explore upcoming webinars, including Meet the Funder with BBC Children in Need, discover training courses and find information about funding to support your training needs. 

Looking ahead to early next year, we’re excited to bring you new courses delivered by the Royal Literary Fund, including Tell your Impact Story and Case Study Writing. All free of charge.

Read on to find your next opportunity to learn, build your skills and tell your organisation’s story with confidence.

Best wishes,

Kelly Wright
Voluntary Sector and Community Partnerships Manager

If you're a new or aspiring trustee, this one hour Teams course will equip you with essential knowledge about trusteeship. It covers the fundamental aspects of the role within a charity, highlighting the motivations and rewards that come with being a trustee. You'll learn why trusteeship is crucial to the charity sector and gain a realistic understanding of what serving on a board entails. This includes an overview of the responsibilities and challenges, plus the significant impact you can have as a trustee.

Where: Online
When: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Time: 10am - 11am

This session is free to attend.

Join us for a virtual Meet the Funder session with BBC Children in Need to explore their current funding programmes. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. 

When: Thursday, 19 November 2026
Time: 11am - 12pm
Where: Online

This is a free, member only event. Please contact the team if you'd like more details.

Communities 1st are here to help you build on your volunteer engagement, retention, and recruitment. Starting with our free to members one-hour Introduction to Recruiting and Engaging Volunteers webinar. 

This webinar will cover: understanding volunteer motivations, engaging volunteers, and offer tips on recruitment. It will also explain Let's Give and show you how to use the platform as a member of Communities 1st.

When: Thursday, 21 January 2027
Time: 10.30am - 11.30am
Where: Online

This session is free to attend.

If you wish to take your first steps towards volunteering, this one-hour session will aim to answer the how, where, when, why, and what of volunteering. The session will cover an understanding of volunteering and its roles, volunteering with benefits, researching volunteering roles and identifying skills. This online session is for anybody looking to embark on their volunteering journey.

Where: Online
When: Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Time: 10.30am - 11.30am

This session is free to attend.

This practical, hands-on workshop, led by a professional writer from the Royal Literary Fund, will guide you through how to write successful fundraising bids, helping you understand what funders want, clarify your objectives and outcomes, and develop a structured approach to planning, writing and editing a funding application.

Where: Online
When: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Time: 10am - 12pm 

Free with a place holding deposit of £20

In this training, you will learn important strategies to achieve financial sustainability for your organisation. The session will cover effective tools and methods to improve your fundraising efforts. You will find out how to identify potential funders who share your mission and explore different ways to diversify your income sources. This approach will give you the knowledge needed to ensure your organisation’s financial stability.

Upcoming dates:

Where: Online
When: Wednesday, 18 November 2026
Time: 10am - 1pm

Where: Online
When: Wednesday, 5 May 2027
Time: 10am - 1pm

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

This workshop gives your report writing a boost and refresh, with a secret, simple structural tool you’ll be delighted to discover.

Through writing exercises and discussion, you will discover how to organise information and approach the different stages of producing a report from initial ideas to final draft.

Where: Online
When: Thursday, 3 December 2026
Time: 5pm - 7pm

Free with a place holding deposit of £20

Even small groups need to ensure a board of trustees is in place. Come to this online session to find out about trusteeship, as well as how to ensure your group complies with obligations such as policy formulation, safeguarding, and accountability correctly.

Where: Online
When: Tuesday, 8 December 2026
Time: 10am - 2pm

Where: Online
When: Wednesday, 16 June 2027
Time: 10am - 2pm

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

By the end of this session, learners will have an improved understanding of the fundamentals of fundraising and be able to identify and apply various fundraising techniques effectively. We will cover essential legal and ethical considerations and focus on building strong donor relationships. Additionally, participants will develop a tailored fundraising strategy and engage in practical activities to enhance their confidence and skills in fundraising.

Upcoming dates:

Where: Online
When: Tuesday, 20 January 2027
Time: 10am - 1pm

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

This one-day course will explore the challenges of recruiting, retaining and managing volunteers. It is ideal for staff who have this responsibility as part of their role. If you have not already achieved the 6 Point Promise accreditation, this is a perfect opportunity to get started!

Where: Ver House, Park Industrial Estate, Frogmore, AL2 2DR
When: Tuesday, 16 February 2027
Time: 10am - 1pm: Recruiting & Retaining Volunteers 2pm - 4pm: Volunteer Management

Herts voluntary organisations: £70
Statutory and non-Herts organisations: £400

This in-person course will cover everything you need to know about bookkeeping for your small organisation. The modules will provide an introduction to bookkeeping, guidance on setting up your bookkeeping system, templates for financial records, and more.

Where: 1st Floor, Ver House, Park Industrial Estate, Frogmore, AL2 2DR
When: Wednesday, 3 March 2027
Time: 10am - 2pm 

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

This online Professional Boundaries training session will help you to understand how to develop and maintain professional relationships that adhere to appropriate boundaries.

Upcoming dates:

Where: Online
When: Thursday, 11 March 2027
Time: 10am - 12.30pm

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

This course will highlight the advantages of a strong marketing strategy for your organisation, covering various marketing methods from traditional to digital. Participants will learn how to manage social media effectively and evaluate their marketing success to ensure ongoing improvement as their organisation grows.

Upcoming dates:

Where: Online
When: Wednesday, 14 April 2027
Time: 10am - 1pm

Member fee £25
Non-member fee £40

By the end of this session, learners will have an understanding of the fundamentals of fundraising and be able to identify and effectively apply various fundraising techniques. 

Upcoming dates:

Where: Online
When: Thursday, 24 June 2027
Time: 10am - 11am

This session is free to attend

Join us to for a presentation by Dementia Friends Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society to learn more about dementia and the ways we can all help to improve the quality of life for those living with it. Please note this is a general information session and not a medical presentation and will last about 45 minutes. 

Where:  Online
When: Wednesday, 25 November 2026
Time: 12pm - 1pm

This session is free to attend

In this awareness session, within the Hospice Care week and provided by Rennie Grove Peace, you will be provided with information to help you feel more confident when supporting people with a life limiting illness or those who have been bereaved. 

Where:  Online
When: Monday, 7 December 2026
Time: 10am - 12pm

This session is free to attend

Come and learn about effective ways to communicate with deaf people, as well as some basic sign language, at this deaf awareness online workshop. Participants coming to this session will gain the confidence and basic skills to communicate with those who are living with deafness and hearing loss. It will enable them to understand deafness, signs that someone can’t hear you, body positions and communicating.

There will be time for a Q and A at the end of this session. 

Where:  Online
When: Thursday, 16 December 2026
Time: 10am - 12pm

This session is free to attend

Training & Development Grants of up to £1,500 are available for voluntary and community organisations that provide adult social care in Hertfordshire. From safeguarding and first aid to social media, food safety and GDPR, the grants can support a broad range of learning and development opportunities for staff, trustees and volunteers - building the skills and confidence of your team.