Let's Give Newsletter 18 May 2026

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 2 June. If you’re considering taking your first step into volunteering, this session is a great place to start, read on to find out more. In this edition, you’ll find updates on upcoming events, a range of volunteering opportunities, and details of available training. We’re also excited to highlight some new Trustee roles, alongside a variety of volunteer opportunities from both Communities 1st and our community partners.

Best wishes,

Kelly Wright
Voluntary Sector and Partnerships Manager

We are excited to announce that we are busy planning our annual conference for volunteers and local charities which will take place on Thursday 9 July at Verso Vineyard Church in St Albans.

We look forward to welcoming volunteers and local voluntary and community groups for a day of informative talks, insightful workshops, and of course, plenty of networking opportunities. Please save the date in your diaries and share it with your fellow volunteers.

Watch out for further information in the coming months!

Would you like to help, support and teach at Barracuda disability swimming club, one hour per week on Sundays between 11:30am-12:30pm? They have a wide variety of swimmers of all ages and abilities, from young children to older adults. So, if you like swimming and want to make a difference in the community, apply below.

A vital vacancy for the position of Secretary within the St Albans and District Neighbourhood Watch Association committee has opened up. This is a key officer role and essential to the smooth running and governance of the Association.

Let volunteering opportunities find you by creating your own personal profile on Communities 1st’s Let’s Give website!

If you’re interested in volunteering, you can showcase your skills, experience, relevant qualifications, interests, and availability, and we’ll do the rest, matching you with organisations looking for volunteers.

You won’t need to share any personal contact information, as we handle all the brokerage and put you directly in touch with organisations interested in your support.

Join Let’s Give and start making an impact today!

Help Bring Junior Parkrun to Borehamwood!

Junior Park run is looking for a core team of enthusiastic volunteers to launch a free, weekly 2km event for children aged 4–14. Whether you want to walk, cheer, or help behind the scenes, your support will make a big difference. Interested in being involved? They'd love to hear from you!

Sustainable St Albans is looking for volunteers to help organise community events as part of their Sustfest team.

Sustainable St Albans is a charity working to fight the causes and impact of climate change and increase sustainability in the way we live and the systems we exist within.

They are looking for people with an interest in events planning to support their SustFest team and to support events across the year run by Sustainable St Albans. This role is primarily in St Albans and the surrounding villages e.g. Redbourn.

Broxbourne Big Local is a grassroots charity with big ambitions. As part of their commitment to modernising and sustaining Wormley Community Centre, they are dedicated to ensuring it remains a vital resource for local small businesses, charities, and organisations that empower the community. They are looking for Community Centre Facilities Support Volunteers to help with setting up tables and chairs, securing the community centre and making sure the community centre is up to standard.

H'arts in Mind is an inclusive mental health Arts Charity run by people with lived experience. They support people with mental or physical health challenges who have an interest in art. As a trustee with legal experience, you will play a key role in the strategic decision-making of the organisation, ensuring it operates within the law and adheres to best practice in governance. Your legal expertise will be invaluable in providing insight on legal matters, risk management, and compliance to help steer the charity towards continued success and positive impact.

Are you looking for a trusteeship where your input can make a real difference to a small charity completely reliant on volunteers to deliver its service? Trustees are very hands on in the day to day running of the charity. This role requires attendance at quarterly committee meetings and being available and amenable to discuss issues when they arise outside of these meetings.

Communities 1st has been invited to support a large-scale emergency services training exercise on 25 June. The exercise will help police, fire, ambulance and partner organisations practice responding to a major incident involving a large number of people. The event will take place at the Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford. Volunteers are invited to participate by acting as members of the public involved in the simulated incident. Your participation helps emergency services test evacuation procedures, communication, coordination and the management of people during a major event.

This is a training exercise only and no real emergency will take place.

We are looking for keen gardeners to volunteer and support local residents with their gardening. If you are passionate about gardening and looking for more ways to spend time in the fresh air, why not sign up as a volunteer gardener?

Every week, we receive enquiries from people in your local community who need help with the maintenance of their garden. If you would like to help people and give them the chance to spend time in, and enjoy their gardens again, please get in touch.

Join us to for a presentation by Jan Payne (a 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. This is a general information session and not a medical presentation and will last about 45 minutes. At the end there will be an opportunity to join over 3 million people in the UK, and become a Dementia Friend.

There will be time for questions and answers at the end of this session.

Where:  Online
When: 20 May 2026
Time: 12pm - 1pm

This session is free to attend