Future Focus

Welcome to November’s Future Focus newsletter which is packed full of employment and training news.

We have a packed schedule this month including our A New You course, a four-day training course to help improve your confidence and social skills.

Also new for Borehamwood is our introductory course Bookkeeping for Self-Employment which provides the basic fundamentals to get you started with bookkeeping.

Our very popular Air Fryer and Slow Cooker workshops are running and there are several dates and locations to choose from.

If you'd like to gain a better understanding of how to manage and deal with stress and anxiety, and find out what support is available, join the short online session about Mental Health Awareness.

Come and learn about effective ways to communicate with deaf people, as well as some basic sign language, at a Deaf Awareness online workshop. It's free to attend and you can register HERE.

We hope to see you at some of these sessions!

We'd love to hear from you so please send us your feedback.

Kind regards,

Juli Riley
Head of Engagement and Skills

The Communities Thirst coffee cart, at St Albans Civic Centre is an extension of Communities 1st's mission of offering volunteers the chance to learn, grow, and support their community. Whether you're a seasoned barista or looking to learn the art of creating the perfect cup of coffee, you can volunteer to help us run the coffee cart and make it a success. You'll have the opportunity to develop various skills and - if you're interested - mentor those who are also eager to learn but find it a bit harder than others. The coffee cart is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Interested in joining us? If you'd like to find out more about this opportunity, call us on 01727 649950 or email volunteer@communities1st.org.uk. We'd love to tell you more!

Employment support for every step of the way

Join us at our Leeming Road Hub for employment support services. We can help with:

• Creating online job-seeking profiles
• Writing CVs, personal statements, and cover letters
• Interview preparation techniques
• Communication tips

Appointments available every day

Contact: 01727 649960

training@communities1st.org.uk

Come along and learn the benefits of cooking with a slow cooker.

Watch a demonstration on cooking a favourite recipe in the slow cooker. These sessions will also cover how to shop on a budget and to make your money go further in the supermarket.

Courses are taking place at different locations on various dates througout the month.

Phone: 01727 649960

Email: training@communities1st.org.uk

Have an air fryer or considering buying one? Looking to cook more economically and healthier?

Come along to our three-hour cooking with an Air Fryer session. Learn to cook with one, add new recipes and learn about the cost savings. Cooking tips will be provided on this free course along with a chance to taste food cooked in the air fryer. 

Any Hertfordshire resident aged 19 and over is welcome to attend this course. Participants are eligible for the draw to win an air fryer if they have obtained a D grade or below in their Maths GCSE (or equivalent), or are in receipt of any benefits.

Phone: 01727 649960

Email: training@communities1st.org.uk

This is an introductory course and participants will learn about:

• Setting up a basic bookkeeping system
• Accurately keeping and recording financial transaction
• How to create essential financial reports
• Taxation and Compliance
• Reporting self employment and expenses for Universal Credit

26 November 2024, 10am - 3pm

Organ Hall, 37 Bairstow Close, Borehamwood, 

WD6 4TB

This is a four-day training course to help improve your confidence and social skills.

The course covers the following topics:

• Being assertive
• Team work
• Stress awareness
• Communication skills 

Dates - 18 and 19 November, and 2 and 3 December 2024

Time - 10am to 3pm

Venue  - Organ Hall Community Centre, 37 Bairstow Close, Borehamwood, WD6 4TB

Participants are required to attend all the sessions. Light lunch and refreshments will be provided. 

There is an increasing acknowledgement of the importance of the role of mental health in the wellbeing of individuals and the community as a whole. Being aware of your mental health can substantially reduce long term physical and mental health conditions and the stigma around it. 

The objectives of this online course are:

• To be able to recognise stress and anxiety and other mental health conditions
• To have a good understanding of what support is available to people with mental health conditions
• To be able to manage stress in day-to-day life.

13 November 2024, 10am - 11:30am

Come and learn about effective ways to communicate with deaf people, as well as some basic sign language, at this online deaf awareness 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 questions at the end of this session. 

27 November 2024, 10am - 12pm

ADD-vance provides a range of training courses and workshops for parent carers of neurodivergent children , including their popular six-week courses and a variety of more focused workshops on different topics for example, around EHCPs, skills building and understanding teens.

Oaklands College's part-time courses allow you to develop skills in an informal, friendly and fun environment. Aimed at adults and the wider community, their courses can help you to further your career, take up a new hobby or learn a new skill. The courses are suited to fit around your commitments, and include languages, writing, computing, art and design, personal development, cookery and more.