Making A Difference Volunteer Update

Happy New Year! We hope that you all had a wonderful Holiday season and a Happy New Year!

With the New Year upon us, we continue to have many volunteering opportunities available for you to try. Whether you'd like to get back in to something you already have experience with, or would like to try out a role, we can help you find the best opportunity for you. You can explore the volunteering tab on our website to learn more, or email us to speak with a staff member about any activities that interest you.

We want to say a big thank you to all of you that assisted with the Christmas calls and visits in the past few weeks. With your help, we called or visited approximately 100 beneficiaries over the holidays, helping them to celebrate a very special time of the year.

Communities 1st wishes for you all the best for 2024, and hope we can continue to work together to deliver important services to the community

All the best,  

 

Stephen Craker

Chief Executive
Meet Stephen Craker
2023 Review
Our Achievements in 2023
Our Achievements in 2023
 

We've loved looking back at all the fantastic things we were lucky to be part of in 2023. Thank you to our volunteers, trustees, clients, staff, members, and everyone who helped us achieve so much!

Did you volunteer over the winter holidays?

More than 50 of you volunteered to help us:

  • Contact 200 beneficiaries during our initial Christmas activities call around.
  • Carry out 100 Christmas calls and visits.

Everyone at Communities 1st would like to thank you so much for all the time you have collectively given this Christmas time to ensure as many people in the community have a merry and bright winter.

 

We hope you're as excited as us about what's to come in 2024!
 
Watch the Video on YouTube
Annual Client Survey 2024

With another year passed, it is time for our annual survey for clients. This survey allows us to check in with our clients, as well as monitor feedback which we can then use to inform and improve our services. 

In order to complete this survey, we need some help calling everyone. If you have some spare time, and would be happy to call some clients and conduct a short survey with them, please give us a call on 01727 649900 or email us. 

We will give you all the training you need for this role. This activity would need to be completed in our main office (1st Floor, Ver House, Park Estate, Frogmore, St. Albans, AL2 2WH), and we will have a full desk set up and landline for you to use.

You will be surrounded by friendly staff members who will be more than happy to support you or answer any questions you have. Just drop us a call now if you would like to know more!
Happier January 2024

You can download the Happier January 2024 Calendar here.
Is Volunteering One of Your New Year's Resolutions?
   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 cafés/community 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 / Community 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 - 2.30pm.
  • Tuesdays: Phillimore Community Centre, Radlett from 12pm - 4pm.
  • Wednesdays: Aberford Community Centre, Borehamwood from 1pm - 4pm.
  • Thursdays: Farriers Way Community Centre, Borehamwood from 10am - 2pm.
  • Fridays: Organ Hall Community Centre, Borehamwood from 10am - 2pm.

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.

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
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.
Anyone Can Volunteer!
 
 

From driving and gardening to friendly phone calls and neighbourly walks, Communities 1st has lots of different volunteering opportunities to offer and we welcome anyone that is willing to give volunteering a go. 

If you would like to try something new this year, or if you know someone who would like to get involved in some volunteering but doesn't know where to start you can contact us on 01727649900. 
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.