Making A Difference Volunteer Briefing

Making a Difference Newsletter

Thank you to everyone that participated in our very first Virtual Coffee Morning last Friday. It was a great opportunity to catch up with our helpful volunteers and take on board your feedback and ideas. During last weeks meeting, we had a productive conversation about the importance of communication. To follow up from this, we have included some updated information, sharing contact details that we think can be useful for all volunteers below in the newsletter.

If you were not able to join us, don't worry as we plan to hold our virtual coffee mornings on a fortnightly basis. If you would like to come along to the next one, please let us know by registering below. We look forward to seeing you there!

In other news, we are excited to introduce a new volunteering opportunity to you - Community Help Hertfordshire's Social Supermarket. If you are passionate about helping others and looking to try something new, continue reading to find out what you can expect from the Social Supermarket volunteering opportunity.

All the best,

Stephen Craker
Chief Executive

Volunteer at Community Help Hertfordshire's Social Supermarket!

Join us in making a difference

Are you passionate about helping others and having a positive impact in your community? The Hertfordshire Social Supermarket, delivered by Community Help Hertfordshire (CHH), is a project that requires the support from dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who are looking to give back to the community.

What is the Social Supermarket?

Social Supermarkets support local communities by providing a range of food and essential goods at a lower cost than a traditional supermarket. With the support of Hertfordshire County Council, CHH will be hosting pop-ups across Hertfordshire for residents experiencing financial hardship.

What will you be doing?

Some of the duties for the Social Supermarket will include:

Greeting and assisting customers, including vulnerable individuals
Helping to stock and organise products
Assisting with check out and handling transactions
Ensuring good hygiene standards are kept
Engaging with the community and raising awareness

What are the time commitments?

Shifts will last for four hours at at locations in Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, North Herts, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.

How can I get started?

If you are interested in learning more or becoming a volunteer, please email us here or give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you and getting you started on this exciting new opportunity!

Join us at our next virtual coffee morning

Don't forget to register to let us know you are coming.

Following the success of last week's first Virtual Coffee Morning, we would like to extend an invitation to you to attend the next one on 28 February on Zoom. Click here or below to register.

Last week, we covered the subject of good communication and how important that is when volunteering and supporting vulnerable people in the community.

We took on board your ideas and feedback and have put together some contact information below which we would like to encourage you to use to get in touch with the appropriate teams.

Don't forget, if you ever want to raise an urgent concern about an individual you support, please use your volunteer dashboard. It is a fast and effective way of having your concerns seen by a member of the Communities 1st team who can follow this up accordingly. You can find out more about your volunteer dashboard below.

Register Here

Contact information

Transport volunteering - You can reach the travel team by calling 01727649980 or by emailing travel@communities1st.org.uk

Handyperson and Gardening volunteering - You can reach the handyperson team by calling 01727649980 or by emailing handy@communities1st.org.uk

Shopping support volunteering - You can reach the shopping support team by calling 01727649980 or by emailing community.help@communities1st.org.uk

For queries relating to your expenses, volunteer dashboard or urgent concerns - You can reach us by calling 01727649980 or by emailing community.help@communities1st.org.uk

On call management - If you take part in volunteering opportunities outside of office hours and you have an emergency, you can contact the on call management team on 01727649985.

Discover Community Learning

Informative and bite-sized sessions!

It's not too late to take part in one of our upcoming training sessions.

Communities 1st offers free taster sessions, perfect for anyone looking to learn something new, whether for personal growth or to enhance workplace skills. These sessions can also offer a great opportunity for you to develop new skills that you can take into your volunteering roles and activities.

Delivered by experts, charities and our skilled team, these sessions fit easily into your day and offer practical, impactful knowledge on a range of topics.

Here are some of the upcoming sessions on offer. To find out more about each course and to register, visit the training page on our website here.

A New You
24 & 25 February and 3 & 4 March 2025 (all sessions need to be attended)
rrom 10am to 4pm

Carbon Monoxide Introductory Workshop
Monday 3 March 2025
from 11am to 12pm

Sexual Health Awareness
Wednesday 12 March 2025
from 11am to 1pm

Sight Loss Awareness Training
Monday 24 February 2025
from 1:30pm to 3pm

Insight into Gambling Harms
Tuesday 25 February 2025
from 2pm to 3pm

Deaf Awareness and Basic BSL
Wednesday 26 February 2025
from 10am to 12pm

Understanding Anxiety
Thursday 6 March 2025
from 12:30pm to 1:30pm

If you have any questions, give us a call or send an email.

See all training courses

Save the date! Annual conference and AGM

Communities 1st Annual Conference for the VCFSE sector

We are excited to announce that we have begun planning our annual conference for the VCFSE sector which will take place on Thursday 26 June at Verso Vineyard Church in St Albans. We are developing a programme of informative talks, insightful workshops, and as usual, plenty of opportunities to network. Please save the date in your diaries and watch out for further information in the coming months.