Future Focus

Welcome to the July edition of Future Focus where you will find exciting opportunities for training and guidance for employment support.

It’s World Youth Skills day on 15 July. The day highlights the importance of equipping young people with essential skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. The world around us is constantly changing and it is vital to empower ourselves with relevant skills that enable growth and sustainability. Our Employment Support Team can guide you every step of the way if you are wanting to secure your dream role. Start your journey by signing up to one of our sessions. Contact details HERE.

This week is also Create Week celebrating the life changing powers of creative arts and crafts. Our Creative Cafes gives you the opportunity to celebrate creativity in all its forms. This week we are focusing on sewing, mending, and embracing sustainability. If you are around the area, drop in to the session along with a garment that needs some mending. No prior skills needed.

As always, we look forward to hearing your views on our training; send us an email!

Enjoy the sunshine and stay hydrated!

Kind regards,

Juli Riley
Head of Wellbeing, Employment and Skills

If you are finding your journey towards employment challenging, our employment support team can help ensure you're ready to secure your next role. 

We can help with:

• Creating online job-seeking profiles
• Writing CVs, personal statements, and cover letters
• Interview preparation techniques
• Communication tips and more!

• Ver House and London Colney appointments available
• Leeming Road Hub in Borehamwood every Friday, 9.30am to 3.45pm - Drop-in available or make an appointment

• Canada Life (cafe) in Potters Bar every Wednesday, 9.30am to 12.00pm - By appointment only

• Appointments are available at other venues upon request

The Communities Thirst coffee cart at St Albans Civic Centre is an extension of Communities 1st's mission to offer volunteers the chance to learn, grow, and support their community. Whether you're a seasoned barista or looking to learn the art of creating the perfect cup of coffee, you can volunteer to help us run the coffee cart and make it a success. You'll have the opportunity to develop various skills and - if you're interested - mentor those who are also eager to learn but find it a bit harder than others. The coffee cart is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Interested in joining us? If you'd like to find out more about this opportunity, call us on 01727 649950 or email volunteer@communities1st.org.uk.

We'd love to tell you more!

The Scam Awareness session aims to help you identify and avoid the numerous scamming schemes that one may encounter.

Open to all ages, this online scam awareness session will teach you to recognise and report scams. You will also learn what to do if you fall victim to a scam.

Please note this session is online.

Garment repair can sometimes by inconvenient and expensive. We have so many clothes in our cupboards that occupy space and are loved that we don’t have the heart to throw away. Mending your clothes and upcycling them not only helps save money but also helps reduce long term impacts on the environment. Come along to our Creative Cafe sessions with a garment needing mending to learn simple hand sewing techniques such as button sewing, hemming, and altering at the waist etc. We will have a hands-on person to guide you through the mending process. Wouldn’t it be great to go home with a mended garment or with some simple hand sewing skills? 

We will have some basic sewing supplies, but you are welcome to bring your own. 

Have an air fryer or considering buying one? Looking to cook more economically and healthier?

Come along to our three-hour cooking with an Air Fryer session. Learn to cook with one, add new recipes and learn about the cost savings. Cooking tips will be provided on this free course along with a chance to taste food cooked in the air fryer. 

If you wish to take your first steps towards volunteering, this one hour Teams session will aim to answer the how, where, when, why and what of volunteering. The session will cover an understanding of volunteering and its roles, volunteering with benefits, researching volunteering roles and identifying skills. This online session is for anybody who is looking to embark on their volunteering journey.

Come along and learn the benefits of cooking with a slow cooker.

Watch a demonstration on cooking a recipe and get tips on cooking with a slow cooker.

This session will also cover aspects on shopping on a budget and energy consumptions.

The session will take place in the first two hours of the Creative Community Cafe.

Learn about how abusers use technology to perpetrate abuse and the risks to victims.

Professionals working with victims would benefit from this online training showing where support is available.

Please note this session is online. 

An online information training session that talks about sexual health and the issues around it. The session includes:

• Statistics on STIs
• Why understanding is important?
• STIs and their symptoms
• Testing and treatment
• Barrier methods and where to go for support with sexual health. 

This session is for those who work with people living with sexual health issues, service users within Hertfordshire, community and voluntary groups, corporate businesses, educational organisations, housing providers, local authorities, NHS trusts, youth services, and members of the public. 

Please note this session is online. 

This online practical guidance session is for anyone that is caring for or supporting someone living with dementia.

During this session, our expert training team will support you to understand dementia better, offering you small and easy steps that can make a big difference.

The 2-hour sessions are informal, and a great opportunity to meet and learn from other people in similar situations to you.

3 July 2025, 10.30am - 12.30pm

This webinar takes a look at the origins and experience of depression. It looks at tools and techniques to help you understand your own feelings and make positive changes.

Key topics covered:

• Explanations for the experience of depression: there are multiple causes
• Ways to understand depression: how therapists view depression
• Behavioural tools: small things anyone can do which will lift mood
• Cognitive tools: mental exercises to explore and challenge negative and unhelpful thinking

17 July 2025, 1pm - 2pm

This webinar is an introduction to what it means to live with a long-term physical health condition and the ways in which it may take a toll on mental health.

Key topics covered: 

• The link between physical and mental health: An overview of the relationship between our physical and mental health and how they can influence each other.
• Stress, low mood and anxiety and the impact on long-term conditions: An overview of direct and indirect impact of mental health on long-term health conditions.
• Stress management techniques and mindfulness taster: An overview of different relaxation techniques to manage stress.
• Energy Management including spoon theory: Tips to manage time/energy better using scheduling and ways to understand our energy levels better.
• Self-compassion: The importance of self-compassion in managing, adjusting and understanding how you are impacted by by your long-term health condition
• How to access further support: Further information on how to access immediate support during a crisis and how to self-refer to Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Talking Therapies.

23 July 2025, 10am - 11am

Fully funded training is offered on Recognising and Reducing Fire Risks in the home of someone receiving care and support.

This course will talk about :

• Home fire safety and how to gain an understanding about what services Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service can offer
• How to spot the risks and where to go for support with any elements of fire safety within the home.
• Fraud awareness and reducing the risk of scams.

There are two online sessions available at the dates below. Each session runs 9.30am-12.30pm

• 11 September
• 2 December

Shorter ‘lunch and learn’ briefings will also take place between 12.30pm-1.30pm on:

• 10 July
• 10 November

To request a place on this training please email acslearninganddevelopment@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Research plays a crucial role in improving health and social care services, and you can be a part of it.

Ways you can get involved:

• Take part in research - join studies that interest you and help improve healthcare services
• Share your experience - give feedback on research priorities and help shape future studies
• Become a Community Research Champion - work with us to make research accessible and meaningful to your community
• Spread the word - encourage friends, family, and community groups to learn more about research and how they can get involved.

If you are interested in becoming a Community Research Champion or want to know more, scan the QR code above.

Email: communityresearch@communities1st.org.uk

Tel: 01727649900