Voluntary Sector Briefing

We're getting excited about our Annual Conference for the Voluntary Sector, which is taking place in St Albans on Thursday 20 July with a programme packed full of insightful and thought provoking speakers.  Full details coming to your inbox soon! 

As you read on, you will find we have made some changes to our newsletter, we hope you will enjoy this new look Voluntary Sector Briefing! We will continue to include useful information to support and guide your work, such as training and events and we have added a new section of ‘Voluntary Sector News’ to highlight issues of national importance. 

In order to showcase our fantastic members and so that you can get to know them better, we have moved the ‘Member Spotlight’ up to the top. 

This newsletter aims to support your staff, volunteers and service users so please do get in touch if there is information you would like to see covered, or if you want to publicise an event or activity. 

Stephen Craker

Chief Executive

Volunteers Week 1-7 June 2023

National Volunteers Week takes place from 1st - 7th June. This is an opportunity to celebrate your volunteers and their invaluable contribution to your work in the community.

This Volunteers Week, we are inviting our members to come and meet us at our volunteer hubs across Herts. We’d love to hear all about your engagement with volunteers, the impact they have made to your organisation over the past year, and how you plan to involve volunteers during the year ahead to help deliver your services going forwards.

We can also offer support around recruiting and retaining volunteers and demonstrate our new Let’s Give service which lets you choose volunteers based on their skills and experience.

So, why not drop in to see us during Volunteers Week at:

• Thursday 1st June, 9.30 – 11.30 
  
  Redbourn Village Hall
  
  63 High Street
  
  Redbourn, AL3 7LW

• Friday 2nd June, 10.00 – 14.00 
  
  Organ Hall
  
  37 Bairstow Close
  
  Borehamwood, WD6 4TB

• Monday 5th June, 10.30 – 12.30 
  
  The Radlett Centre
  
  Aldenham Avenue
  
  Radlett, WD7 8HL

• Tuesday 6th June, 10.00 - 16.00
  
  Wyllyotts Centre
  
  Wyllyots Close,
  
  Potters Bar, EN6 2HN 

• Wednesday 7th, 10.00 – 14.00
  
  St Albans Civic Centre
  
  St Peter’s Street
  
  St Albans, AL1 3JE

Learn, Share and Network Event

Come and join us at the Focolare Centre in Welwyn Garden City on Thursday, 22nd June, 2023, from 10 am to 2 pm, for a valuable opportunity to "Learn, Share and Network" with Community Help Hertfordshire. This interactive and engaging session is a must for anyone working with volunteers, as you will gain insight into the challenges faced by organisations concerning volunteering and learn practical ways to address them. You will also have the chance to meet other volunteer managers from around the county and exchange best practices.

Limited spots are available, so register now to secure your attendance. For more information, please get in touch with us at Volunteering@communities1st.org.uk

Martyn's Law

Martyn’s Law is pending UK-wide legislation that will place a requirement on those responsible for specific publicly accessible locations to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures.

It is expected that once in place, the new legislation will apply to anyone responsible for publicly accessible locations used for purposes such as entertainment and leisure, retail, food and drink, visitor attractions, museums and galleries, sports grounds, public areas at local and central government buildings, temporary events, places of worship, health, and education. To know more, please follow this link.

If you run a community space, you might be interested know that we will be discussing the implications of Martyn’s Law at our next Community Spaces Stronger Together Network in September.

Meet Youth Talk

Youth Talk provide free, confidential, one-to-one counselling to young people aged 13-25 who live, go to school/college or work in St Albans District. Our vision is that every young person can talk to someone who can help with whatever is worrying them. Our self-referral model and the fact that the service is cost-free to the young people makes us accessible to all.

Our mission is to provide the best possible mental health support to young people in the area but over the last few years all our lives have changed. Young people in particular have faced unprecedented disruptions and uncertainties and demand for our service has reached new heights. In response to this, last year we launched an ambitious 5-year strategy to grow the service so that we can continue to be there for those young people who need us now and in the future. As part of this we have recently moved into new, larger premises in London Road which is very exciting! We cannot, however achieve our ambition without the support of our local community. To find out more about your local charity or how you can get involved visit www.youthtalk.org.uk.

Cost of Living Support Information

The rising cost of living is affecting everyone. To date, a staggering 9 in 10 adults have reported an increase in their cost of living, with nearly a quarter finding it difficult to pay their usual household bills.

Voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations are also experiencing difficulties because of the rising prices, as well as concerns about the welfare of staff and volunteers and increased demand for their services. 

Please take time to explore the support resources on our website which provide details of organisations offering support, as well as grants to support individuals.

Herts with Ukraine Website

The Herts with Ukraine website is hosted by Community Help Herts, a partnership of voluntary sector organisations delivering projects to support the communities in Hertfordshire. This website provides information and resources to help you if you are sponsoring or supporting Ukrainian guests, or are considering doing so. It also provides a wealth of information and resources to support Ukrainian guests, such as local activities and information on where to go for advice on a range of topics. 

The Herts with Ukraine website aims to be a community resource. If your organisation would like to post something on the Herts with Ukraine website, please email Gary Franklin at Communities 1st

Gary.Franklin@communities1st.org.uk

Please click here to visit the Herts with Ukraine website

Dementia Community Services Survey

Hertfordshire County Council is conducting a survey to evaluate the community support provided to individuals living with dementia and their carers. They have developed two online surveys, one for people with dementia or memory concerns and one for caregivers. The deadline for completing the survey is on Monday, June 5th.

It is vital that the feedback of various individuals in Hertfordshire, including those with mild cognitive impairment, young onset dementia (under 65 years), those worried about their memory but not yet diagnosed, and their caregivers are included in shaping the new services.

Digital Training Offer for Communities 1st Members

We are offering Communities 1st members access to an extensive programme of e-training. Training is available from the following categories:

• Digital Skills 
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity 
• Essential Skills 
• Food and Hygiene
• Health & Safety 
• Leadership & Management 
• Mental Health & Wellbeing 
• Personal Development 
• Policy & Legislation 

All training is available now. 

£125 gives access to 25 people per organisation to any of the courses. 

£200 gives access to any of the courses to 50 people per organisation. 

If you would like to take up this excellent offer but are not currently a member of Communities 1st, please contact memberservices@communities1st.org.uk

Please email Juli Riley, Head of Engagement and Skills, Communities 1st for further information Juli.Riley@communities1st.org.uk. 

Learning Together Programme from the National Academy for Social Prescribing

The Learning Together Programme offers development opportunities and support for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups and organisations who are providing for communities needs by delivering socially prescribed activities.

Click here to register.

New Leaf College

New Leaf College offers hope for the future despite life's challenges, offering opportunities, learning from other student's experiences and equipping students with skills to make changes to support their wellbeing. 

The college offers sessions in Stevenage, Watford, Ware and Hemel Hempstead as well as continuing to provide sessions online. 

They would like to work with partners who may be able to offer access for residents to join their online sessions from a local venue. If you can provide a venue, please call 01442864966 or contact louisa.whorrod@nhs.net. 

Please visit the New Leaf College here.

Cleaner/Caretaker

Hours: 7.5 hours

Salary: £10.80 / hour 

Full Details: You can view the full details of this role here. 

How to Apply: 

You can send your application for this role via email to us@communities1st.org.uk or you can call us on 01727 649900.

About The Role: 

The Cleaner / Caretaker role is to provide a comprehensive cleaning service at the Phillimore Community Centre managed by Communities 1st and to provide occasional holiday cover for office cleaning at Ver House.

The successful applicant will be required to open and close the community centre for occasional hirers as required both during the week and at weekends. Regular hirers of the centres have their own keys and do not need this service.

Project Coordinator – Training & Development 

Hours: 21 hours per week

Salary: c.£26,000 pa (FTE) based on experience + benefits

Full Details: You can view the full details of this role here. 

How to Apply: 

See www.hertscf.org.uk/vacancies for full job description and application information

About The Role:

The Project Coordinator will work with the Project Manager to plan, deliver and monitor the Workforce Development projects within our training programme.  The role will be fully supported during the initial period, with more self-responsibility over time.  HCF Training & Development are a small, collaborative team who work closely with the other HCF departments in a friendly and supportive office.  We are continually developing our training offer to best serve the needs of our users, so this is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in the future of HCF Training & Development.  The role is in central Hertfordshire, flexible and hybrid working available.

SEND Development Manager

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £43,516 to £48,587pa

Full Details: You can view the full details of this role here. 

How to Apply: 

As part of the application, you will be required to upload your most recent CV ensuring gaps in employment have been addressed and asked to answer the 3 key questions which are located at the end of the advert and a template can be found in the 'Available Documents'. 

1.What is your experience of whole family support and working with children and young people with SEND needs

2.What is your experience of leading change and service improvement processes?

3.What are some of the key features of successful partnership working and how have you used these skills to achieve successful outcomes?

If you do not provide answers to the questions and upload to your application, your application will be rejected. Apply here.

For an informal discussion and more information please contact karen.dorney@hertfordshire.gov.uk

About The Role:

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Supporting Families service and drive our vision to improve early help support for children and young people with SEND and their families. If you have a passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and families and have an excellent track record in service transformation this is an exciting time to join the service and stamp your mark on our approach to early help.

Hertfordshire County Council have secured funding through the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Supporting Families Programme to pilot an innovative SEND programme. This role will be responsible for developing a SEND early help whole family response and driving forward culture change to improve outcomes for the families of children and young people with SEND at risk of exclusion or reduced timetables, the pilot will focus on St Albans and Dacorum Districts.

Cleaner / Home Helper

Hours: Flexible part-time hours. Work is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm.

Location: Work locally across Hertfordshire.

Salary: £11.10 per hour PLUS paid holiday pay.

How to Apply: To apply please send an email to recruitsouth@ageukherts.org.uk or call 01923 627 055

About the role:

The work involves cleaning, shopping and other domestic duties such as changing bedlinen and helping with the laundry. You always see the same regular clients, allowing you to become that vital contact that keeps them independent and living in their own home.

For full details of the role please go to Age UK Hertfordshire | Become a Home Helper. No application deadline