Register

 


Communities 1st Conference for Charities, Groups and Volunteers 

The road ahead 2026 

Thursday, 9th July 2026 from 9.30am to 2pm

Verso, Vineyard Church -The Vineyard, Unit 7 Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Rd, St Albans AL1 5UG

Note: We also have 1-2-1 sessions throughout the day with flexibility to attend the workshops and leave for 1-2-1.

9.30am Registration, Refreshments, Networking, sessions and chance to attend marketplace

10am Welcome and Housekeeping

Jason John, Chair, Communities 1st

10.15am Facilitated discussion: Holding Communities Together in Unsettled Times

11am AGM

Jason John, Chair, Communities 1st

11.20am Refreshments, Networking and chance to attend marketplace

11.20am to 2pm (20 mins bookable sessions)

1:1 Funding Advice Surgery Sessions

(20 mins bookable sessions from 11.20am to 2pm)

  • Hertsmere Borough Council
  • Hertfordshire Community Foundation
  • The National Lottery
  • St Albans Lions Club
  • St Albans District Council
  • Children in Need
  • Wellfield Trust
  • The Giving Machine

1:1 Advice Surgeries:

  • Community Banking (Unity Trust Bank)
  • Top Tips for Bid writing
  • Successful Impact Reporting
  • Volunteer Recruitment and Management
  • Trustee Recruitment

11.40am Workshop 1

Please book one workshop from one of the two sessions below. Places are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Number 1 Workshop Sessions

Workshop 1 – Recommended Session for Charities & Groups

Workshop 1 – Recommended Session for Volunteers

Fraud, scams and financial risk: protecting your charity and beneficiaries
Alan Mordey
Herts Cyber Protect, Hertfordshire Police

Volunteering Safely in a More Complex World
Chris Cloke
Trustee Chair

Partnerships That Deliver, Not Just Exist
Aimee Venner
South West Herts Health and Care Partnership (NHS)

From Volunteer to Trustee, Ambassador or Campaigner
Jason John
Trustee Chair

Environmental Responsibility on a Small Budget
Michael Martin
Head of Net Zero, WENTA 

Telling Your Story: Why What You Do Matters

 

 

12.20pm – Break

12.30pm Workshop 2

Please book one workshop from each of the two sessions below. Places are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Workshop 2 -Recommended Session for Charities & Groups

Workshop 2 –Recommended Recommended Session for Volunteers

Building diverse income streams without losing your mission
Duncan Lewis, Emmaus St Albans

Using Digital Tools and AI as a Volunteer 

Capgemini (through Digital Unite)

 

Financial Oversight for Non- Finance Leads

Volunteering Across Difference

Preparing for Local Government Reform and System Change
 

Skills You Gain From Volunteering (and How to Use Them Elsewhere)
 

Intergenerational Workshop
Annie Stevenson, Age Friendly Ambassador

 

 

1.10pm Lunch, Networking and chance to attend marketplace

2pm End

Please book one workshop from each of the two sessions below.  Places on each workshop are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Please select one of the Workshop 1 options below.

Please select one of the Workshop 2 options below.