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Let's Give NewsletterWednesday 22 July Thank you to all the volunteers who joined us at our annual conference on 9 July. It was great to see so many of you and we hope that you were able to take something away from it. We’re…

This week, around 160 people came together at our Communities 1st conference in St Albans. The room included charities, faith leaders, volunteers, public services, community groups and local organisations. One of the main discussions explored what holds communities together in unsettled times. It…

Let's Give Newsletter Friday 26 June Welcome to the latest edition of the Let's Give newsletter! Volunteering is a rewarding way to support your community while also benefiting your own wellbeing. It can have a positive…

Policy Pulse Newsletter June As June welcomes Small Charity Week, we are excited to share a toolkit designed to empower our members to fully engage in the celebrations. We have also included the latest guidance from the…

Let's Give Newsletter Friday 12 June Welcome to the latest edition of the Let's Give newsletter! As we step into the summer months, there's many different volunteering roles available in your local communities. In this…

I have spent most of my working life moving between the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector, and the thing that has stayed with me is the distance between how policy describes people's lives and how those lives are actually lived. Nowhere is that gap clearer at the moment than in the way…

Volunteering Vision Newsletter9 June 2026 Welcome to the latest edition of Volunteering Vision. Last week was Volunteers’ Week, a chance to shine a spotlight on the amazing work of volunteers and we’d like to start this…

Let's Give Newsletter Friday 29 May Welcome to the latest edition of the Let's Give newsletter! As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week next week, there’s no better time to recognise the incredible difference volunteers make every…

I have spent most of my working life around health and social care, volunteering, local government and the slow business of getting different parts of a place to pull together. After enough years of that, you notice a pattern in how we talk about what comes next. We are very good at describing what…

Volunteering Vision Newsletter21 May 2026 Welcome to the latest edition of Volunteering Vision. As we move further into spring, May is a perfect time to celebrate volunteering across our communities. With Volunteers’ Week 2026…

Let's Give Newsletter Monday 18 May Welcome to the latest edition of the Let's Give newsletter! Our next Introduction to Volunteering session is just around the corner and will be taking place during Volunteer’s Week on…

Policy Pulse Newsletter April Welcome to the May issue of Policy Pulse, packed with important information and news from the central government and the Charity Commission. This month, we are pleased to showcase the work of St…

With another sunny week ahead, we hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather spring has to offer. Check out our upcoming events section below, where you can find out where Communities 1st will be over the next few months, and how you can take part! We are…

Welcome to the April edition of the Training Track newsletter, your gateway to exceptional training opportunities. We’re excited to spotlight some upcoming courses led by our talented colleagues from the Royal Literary Fund. Join Heidi Williamson as she shares her…

ke  Let's Give NewsletterFriday 17 April Welcome to the latest edition of the Let's Give newsletter! Spring is in full swing and, with warmer days on the way, several of our member organisations are now recruiting…

Before I ran a charity, I spent years working alongside patients trying to find their way through the health system. What stayed with me was how often the person in front of me had more to offer than the system was set up to notice. They had knowledge about their own lives, ideas about what would…

Love of ice cream! Interest in history! Respect for the voluntary sector, particularly Communities 1st, and a passion for coffee, of course, which was really why we were meeting. Just some of things, I took away from my meeting with Stella, which I felt we had in common. I found Stella to be a warm…

April is a natural time to reset and refocus. The clocks have moved forward and Easter arrives early this year so it is a good opportunity to think about what is next, and start taking practical steps towards the right job for you. This month, we are focusing on employability as a journey. It…

 Making a Difference 2 April 2026  With the clocks now having moved forward and the evenings staying lighter for longer, it really feels like spring has arrived. This time of year often brings a renewed sense of…

    After more years of service than she cares to remember to Communities 1st and its predecessor, Community Action Hertsmere, Sue Pearlman stood down as a trustee last year.  Over the years, within the voluntary sector, she has been a volunteer, a paid member of staff, a chief…