Making a Difference Volunteer Update

At Communities 1st, we can see how much of an impact our wonderful volunteers have on the local community. With your help, we are able to support hundreds of local people with different projects and activities that help to better their health and wellbeing. 

To celebrate Volunteers Week, which will run from the 3rd June - 9th June,  Communities 1st are hosting events, as well as an online get-together that we would like to invite all of our very helpful volunteers along to. 

Check out which event is near you below and feel free to follow the links to your preferred location to register and let us know you are coming. 

We hope to see you there! 

Afternoon Catch Up for Volunteers - Tuesday 3rd June, 2024.
Starbucks Coffee Shop, Unit 1 Brookfield Centre, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross. EN8 0PZ from 5pm to 6pm. If you would like to come along, please register here. 

Afternoon Tea in Broxbourne - Tuesday 4th June, 2024.
Starbucks Coffee Shop, Unit 1 Brookfield Centre, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross. EN8 0PZ from 5pm to 6pm. If you would like to come along, please register here. 

Afternoon Tea in Hertsmere - Wednesday 5th June, 2024.
Aberford Community Centre, Aberford Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1PL from 4pm to 5pm. If you would like to come along, please register here.

Afternoon Tea in St Albans - Thursday 6th June, 2024.  
Highfield Park Pavilion, St Albans, AL4 0RE from 5pm to 6pm. If you would like to come along, please register here. 

If you have any questions or you need any support to register, please contact us on 01727649980.

We can't wait to see you there! 

Communities 1st will be hosting our next AGM meeting on the 16th July 2024 and we would like to extend an invitation to you!

By attending our AGM you will have the opportunity to speak with Communities 1st staff and other local organisations about projects and upcoming news. There is also the opportunity to listen in on some interesting conversations and presentations. 

If you would like to come along, you can register here.

If you need any support with your registration and if you have any questions at all, please give us a call on 01727649900. 

We hope to see your there! 

Lots of people across the local community contact Communities 1st on a weekly basis looking for help and support with DIY projects and garden maintenance. If you have knowledge and experience or even a passion or interest and would like to use it to help others, why not become a volunteer Handyperson? 

You can find out more about the opportunity and the kind of support we do offer by calling us on 01727649980. You can also send us an email.

Communities 1st also offers a gardening service to people in the community who are not able to get outside to complete these activities on their own. If you enjoy gardening and want to try a new volunteering opportunity, why not become a volunteer gardener?

If you would like to volunteer whilst also getting to spend more time outside in the fresh air, then then Handyperson and Gardening volunteer opportunity may be for you!

If you would like to take part, please get in touch by sending us an email.

You can also call us on 01727649980.

With the help of our committed volunteers, Communities 1st are able to deliver services and support to lots of people within our local community every week! 

We think that it is important for us to share some of the amazing successful support cases with you, to see how much your volunteering helps to support people in your local community who need it most! 

Reconnecting Brenda - Case Study

Brenda originally came to Communities 1st as she needed some support in getting her shopping every week. The door to door shopper bus service meant that Brenda was able to get too and from the shops without having to worry about waiting for public transport and carrying heavy bags. Brenda continued to use the shopper bus on a weekly basis, and became a regular and friendly face on the bus that our volunteer drivers looked forward to meeting with each week.

Brenda had to make the decision to stop using the shopper bus for personal health reasons and the fact that she was no longer able to come along on the regular outings was not an essay decision to make for her.

To ensure that Brenda could continue to see the friends she had made on the shopper bus trips and ensure that she did not become socially isolated, Communities 1st invited her along to her local Creative Community Café. It was here that Brenda was able to socialise with friends. Volunteers and Communities 1st members of staff, all whilst ensuring that she was putting her health first.

Thanks to our committed and generous volunteers, we were also able to ensure that we could assist Brenda with her shopping on a weekly basis. This meant that Brenda was still able to keep in touch with he regular friendly volunteer drivers that she had gotten to know so well over the years of using the service.

Communities 1st continue to keep in touch with Brenda through telephone calls and through her friends who continue to use the shopper bus and keep in touch.

Thanks to the continued help and support from our volunteers, Communities 1st are proud to deliver help to lots of people like Brenda through the use of our different services. We are also grateful that our services allow us to connect with people in the community like Brenda and help to promote positive wellbeing and independence. 

(No real names are used in this case study to protect the privacy of those involved.) 

You can download the Meaningful May 2024 Calendar here.

The Communities 1st Community Car Scheme aims to support people that struggle to use public transport and who would otherwise stay at home, get around. 

From doctors and hospital appointments to family and social visits, the Community Car scheme supports those in the community who would otherwise struggle to complete these journeys. 

Using your own car, you could take part in the Community Car scheme and help someone in your local area get to where they need to go! If you enjoy driving want to spend more time out and about, why not consider becoming a Community Car Driver? 

We receive lots of transport requests every week and so we can help as many people as possible, we would like to invite you to consider joining our team of volunteer Community Car drivers. 

If you would like to find out how you can get started, you can email us here. You can also call us on 01727649980.

Why not come along to support the members of your local community at our Energy Advice Cafe's. 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 Energy Advice Cafes are available across Hertfordshire and every week from Monday to Friday in Hertsmere. Find out which is closest to you below: 

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

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.

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.