Making A Difference Volunteer Update

The festive holidays are right around the corner, and Communities 1st recently participated in the annual Christmas Cracker event held in St Albans. We want to say a huge thank you to all of the volunteers that dedicated their time to supporting Communities 1st at the event. We were pleased to see that the quiet tent was well utilised by those attending throughout the day and it was also a great opportunity to invite people over to our information stall to have a chat.

Please don't forget to register for a Christmas Event near you, hosted by Communities 1st. You can find the location of the event as well as the date and where to register below, we hope to see you there!

We are looking forward to sharing new projects and volunteering opportunities with you coming up in the new year. In February 2024, we will be taking part in 'Feeling Good Week' and the theme this year is 'Regrown'. The project focuses on improving mental health and emotional wellbeing through activities to encourage people to spend time outdoors. Communities 1st aim to deliver hands-on and interactive workshops to bring the fun outside into the fresh air. It will also be a great opportunity to educate members of the community on creative ways to restore biodiversity and improve their local environment. If you think you would like to get involved with this project, you can get in touch by emailing us at volunteering@communities1st.org.uk or calling 01727649980.

As always, we want to say thank you to all of our volunteers, for your continued help and support. Your hard work and participation in our different projects is greatly appreciated - Thank you!

 

Stephen Craker

Chief Executive
Meet Stephen Craker
Festive Celebrations December 2023

Don't forget to register for a festive event nearby.

With the Holidays fast approaching, we wanted to share the dates of our upcoming Christmas events for December 2023. 

Volunteers, clients and members of staff are all welcome to come and we hope to see you there to share a hot chocolate and a chat. It is a small gesture to say thank you for all your help and support this year and we hope you can make it! 

If you are interested in coming along, please feel free to put the following dates in your calendar and keep an eye out for the locations and more details in our upcoming newsletters and on our website.

Tuesday, 5th December 2023 - Hertsmere, location Organ Hall Community Centre, 27 Bairstow Close, Borehamwood, WD6 4TB. To register, please click here.

Wednesday, 6th December 2023 - Broxbourne, location to be confirmed. To register, please click here.

Thursday, 7th December 2023 - St Albans, location to be confirmed. To register, please click here. 
Volunteer at our Creative Cafes/Warm Spaces! 
   Help deliver energy advice in your local community.

With the months getting colder, why not come along to support the members of your local community at our creative café warm spaces. Apart from welcoming visitors and helping with activities this year we also want volunteers to be able to become Energy Agents. In this role you will be able to help people make informed decisions about their energy usage, conserving energy and safety.

If you would enjoy delivering this helpful advice to people in your community who need it, then please get in touch with a member of the team or sign up on your dashboard. You will be given full training and resources to help you in this role. 

Our creative café and warm spaces are available across Hertfordshire and every week from Monday to Friday in Hertsmere. Find out which one is closest to you below:

Mondays - Windsor Hall Community Centre, Borehamwood from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
Tuesdays - Phillimore Community Centre, Radlett from 12pm to 4pm.
Wednesdays - Aberford Community Centre, Borehamwood from 1pm to 4pm.
Thursdays - Farriers Way Community Centre, Borehamwood from 10am to 2pm.
Fridays -Organ Hall Community Centre, Borehamwood from 10am to 12pm

If you feel that this is the volunteering opportunity for you, please contact us by emailing us at welcome@communities1st.org.uk or call us on 01727649970 or 01727649980.

Christmas 2023 Friendly Calls and Visits  

Christmas is a special time of year where we spend time with family and friends. For some people in the community, this is harder to do.

This Christmas, Communities 1st are organising friendly phone calls and door step visits to those in the community who may be isolated or find it harder to get out of the house. We hope to offer this option to members of the community throughout the festive period and we would like to give our volunteers the opportunity to spread some Christmas joy!

If you have some spare time and want to reduce others feeling of social isolation all while spreading some Christmas Joy by taking part in Christmas visits or perhaps making some friendly telephone calls to those in your community this Christmas, then please do get in touch by emailing us at community.help@communities1st.org.uk or call us on 01727649980.
Become a Digital Champion Today!
 
 

Using technology for a lot of us is a part of our every day lives and is something that we don't even really think about. For others, using technology can be really difficult and even intimidating at times! If you feel that you know your way around technology enough to help someone in your local community feel more confident when they use it, why not become a Digital Champion? 

The Digital inclusion project works hard to provide members of the community with confidence when using technology and give them access to the resources that technology and the internet has to offer. Any donations of technology that you no longer want or use such as mobile phones, laptops and computers are very much appreciated for these projects. If you would like to make a donation please contact us by emailing volunteering@communities1st.org.uk or call us on 01727649970.
New Ways November 2023

You can download the Action for Happiness New Ways November Calendar from here.
Volunteer as a Driver  
Whether it be your own vehicle, or one of our minibuses...
Do you have a few hours to spare?
 

We are currently looking for volunteers that could spare a few hours now and again to support our Community Car clients in Hertsmere. You can use your own car to take clients to medical or social appointments and we will reimburse you for mileage. This volunteering role is rewarding and flexible, but if you are not sure or have a few questions please give us a call and we are happy to tell you more about this opportunity. If you think this role is right for you, please give us a call on 01727 649980 or email volunteering@communities1st.org.uk
             Let Volunteering Roles Come to You!

Communities 1st is launching Let’s Give, a new service for volunteers. You will be able to create your own space on our website, so that organisations can find out more about you and reach out regarding their volunteering roles.

You won’t need to display any personal contact information as we will do all the brokerage, so we will put you in touch with the given organisation.

It’s a great way to showcase your skills and experience to local community groups and can help match you with a role where you can make a real difference.

You can do this by logging into your dashboard and editing your Volunteer Centre profile – scroll down to the section on External Volunteer Opportunities.
GET IN TOUCH
                       How to Claim Expenses  

New Volunteer Expenses Claim Form

We have a new volunteer expense request form. If you don't have it, please email us and we will send it to you.

For Shopping Delivery and Prescription Collection Expenses

  • To claim expenses, please sign up to our dashboard and upload your expenses there. Click here to create a login using the same email address that you originally signed up with. You will then see a list of your completed and pending activities.
  • Please submit expense claims the same week that you carried out your shop, and if appropriate, provide a photo of your receipt. If an expense is not claimed in a timely manner it can lead to a client going into arrears, which can cause them stress and confusion. We appreciate your help with this.
  • If this is your first shop, you will first need to email us your bank details  so you can be reimbursed.

For Drivers, Litter Pickers and Other Roles' Expenses

  • You will have been sent an expense claim form when you confirmed your job. To claim your expenses, please complete this and return it to the sender.