Making A Difference Volunteer Update

With the impending heatwave, we hope you are keeping safe and cool. Please keep an eye on any vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure everyone is safe during this amber hot weather alert.

You may have signed up for a particular role but we wanted to make you  aware that we have many other volunteering roles that you may not have considered, either volunteering for Communities 1st projects or for other organisations. You can visit the volunteering section on our website to find out more. We value your roles as volunteers and are pleased to be able to offer you free training sessions and webinars. Details of these can be found below and on our website.

Hertsmere Borough Council's programme to distribute free hot meals to people to help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis is still underway. We are still looking for volunteers to help us collect hot meals from a preparation kitchen in Watford and take them to distribution points. If you are interested in helping, please sign up on your dashboard. 

Our Computers and a Cuppa sessions are running in both Radlett and Borehamwood, and will be running in Bushey and Potters Bar from September onwards. If you think you could help as a dedicated digital champion for these sessions to help deliver tech assistance and answer people's questions, please call us on 01727 649900. 

Following the launch of our new website with improved dashboard we hope that if you had any issues these have now been resolved, if not please contact us.

Many thanks to all our volunteers who are persevering through the heat to help members of the community. 

Best wishes for the week ahead,

Stephen Craker

Chief Executive 
International NHS recruits day out at the Jazz Festival 

Recently we took a group of new NHS international arrivals on a day trip to the Big Jiveswing Festival in Watford. They all enjoyed a sunny day full of good food and fun music before being dropped back off at the hospital at the end of the day. The driver reported there was a lot of chat and laughter on the journey there and back. 

Watford General Hospital have recently joined this project and their nurses will need the support of our volunteers, so we are especially looking for volunteers from the Watford area. In addition to this, we are expanding this project, so volunteers from all over Hertfordshire are welcomed.

We are planning a full summer of days out, so there are plenty of opportunities to help us run these trips as a guide or mini bus driver. These trips take place all over Hertfordshire, so please don't be put off from enquiring if you do not live near the Lister, Princess Alexandria and Watford General Hospitals. We can always meet you at the trip location. Furthermore, non driving volunteers can also join the minibus for a lift to the trip location. Please email us or call 01727 649900 if these roles interest you. Any expenses incurred can be reimbursed. 
Volunteer as a Bus Buddy

 
Heatwave Safety

We have received some top tips for the current heatwave we would like to share with you from www.gov.uk

A key section to note on how to keep out the heat:

-Keep curtains on windows exposed to the sun closed while the temperature outside is higher than it is inside.

-Once the temperature outside has dropped lower than it is inside, open the windows – this may require late night visiting and such advice needs to be balanced by any possible security concerns.

-Water external and internal plants, and spray the ground outside windows with water (avoid creating slip hazards) to help cool the air (however, check local drought water restrictions before using hosepipe).

-Advise the person to stay out of the sun, especially between the hours of 11am and 3pm.

-Advise them to stay in the shade and to wear hats, sunscreen, thin scarves, and light clothing if going outside.

Click here to learn more.
Free Webinars
SAFE Security Advice for Everyone by CST
Free SAFE Webinars

SAFE: Security Advice for Everyone is running FREE webinars through July - October 2022, sharing security knowledge.

Each webinar will run for one hour. They are delivered by CST (Community Security Trust) which protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. Click here to visit their website.

CST suggest that their webinars will benefit anyone who supports people in their local community and wants to make their community as safe as possible.

SAFE Webinar Programme

• 7th September at 2pm, Basic security (An introduction to security for places of worship and faith communities). Register here.

• 14th September at 2pm, Conflict Management (Effective communication in high stress situations). Register here.

• 21st September at 7pm, Organising security (Security and risk management, and how to develop a security plan). Register here.

• 29th September at 7pm, Hate crime and your community (How to deal with racial and religious hatred – especially in the digital age). Register here.

• 20th October at 2pm, Online security (How to protect yourself and your community from online threats). Register here.

• 26th October at 2pm, Women’s safety (Simple tips to keep you safe during your busy daily life). Register here.
Volunteer / Training Opportunities

 

 

 

 

We have lots of training opportunities available for anyone who would like to expand their skill set or try something new! 

 

August

 

Mind in Mid Herts is offering Mental Health Peer Support Training throughout August

Wednesday 17th August, Thursday 18th August (2x full days 9.30am to 4.30pm)

If you would like to book on to a free course, click here.

 

September & October

 

Anybody Can Volunteer training session

Date: Thursday 22 September

Time: 11:00-12:00

Register here.

 

A New You training course including sessions on Team Work, Being Assertive, Stress Awareness and Communication/Life Skills

Dates: Wednesday 28 September - Thursday 6 October

Times: 09:30-14:30
Register here.

 

You can see and book into all our future training sessions through our online events calendar.
Are you feeling the affects
of the cost-of-living crisis?

Our Meet and Eat classes are back as we're all feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. Meet and Eat classes are a chance to learn new skill; you will learn to cook a tasty, healthy meal on a budget.

We will hold an introductory class on the 18th of August, followed by a whole week of sessions from the 22nd of August.

You are most welcome to attend, though please do register your interest as we have just 10 spaces available at each session. To register, call 01727 649900 or email us.

If you are already an excellent cook and have skills and time to share, please get in contact also. Hopefully, this crisis won't last continue for too long, but while it's here we'd like to help anyone struggling.
Can you speak Urdu?

We are looking for someone who can speak Urdu to act as a befriending volunteer for an individual. This would be a weekly commitment of one phone call, lasting around an hour. 

If you think you could help us with this, please contact us on 01727 649900 and speak with a member of staff who can pass you to the befriending team. 
NHS Healthcare Reservist

The NHS Reservist programme is a great opportunity to start your working career if you have been volunteering, unemployed, or have busy lives that you need to juggle. If you want additional training and to broaden your skills the reservist programme is a great way to do this.

A reservist is someone who is passionate about patient care, working with diverse teams and can help the NHS during peak times. You may be a former healthcare professional, working in health care outside of the NHS or you may be considering a career change and interested in a NHS career. Becoming a reservist is a great way to experience the range of NHS career opportunities that suits your lifestyle and circumstances. As an NHS reservist, you’ll be part of a paid, flexible yet reliable workforce. You will be given thorough training and a comprehensive induction.

The roles will differ and depend on the help needed and roles available. Those currently working as an Reservist have been supporting COVID-19 vaccinations, helping to run hospital wards, providing administrative support to wards, or supporting with basic patient feeding/hydration. The NHS will provide you with relevant training modules for these roles and you will be supported by permanent clinical and non-clinical staff.

As a Reservist is that you can work flexibly, however you will be required to fulfill a specific number of days per year for training and working as a reservist.

Other benefits include paid for training undertaken and an Annual Leave entitlement.

If you are interested please get in touch with podadmin@communities1st.org.uk and we will pass your details on.
DIY volunteers needed!

 
Volunteer Drivers Needed

We are looking for volunteer drivers using their own car helping to transporthot meals from Watford to Bushey, Potters Bar and Borehamwood from end of July to help residents who are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.  

 

We are also seeking assistance with our minibus services.  Volunteers are needed to drive our minibus for either day tips or for our shopper service.  To co-inside with this, we are also looking to recruit bus buddies to also assist on our shopper and day trips.

 

Anyone interested in any of the travel volunteer roles please email us or telephone on 01727 649980.
Volunteer Drivers Needed poster

 
Vaccination Centre Volunteers

Vaccination pop-up centres are on the rise again, with children now being vaccinated and adults returning for boosters.

We would also like to make you aware that LFT test kits are no longer available to staff and volunteers at the vaccination centres and should be ordered free of charge on the government website. When ordering please state that you work at a vaccination centre, and they will be posted to your home address.

We now have opportunities at Potters Bar, Bishops Stortford, and in the St Albans area, shifts for which are available to book via your dashboard.
Testimony from a Hospital Volunteer

 
Expenses

Shopping delivery, prescription collection, and pulse oximetry volunteers 

  • To claim expenses please sign up to our dashboard and upload your expenses here, in order to speed up this process. Click here and 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 these expense claims within 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 in this matter.
  • If this is your first shop you will first need to send in your bank details to accounts@communities1st.org.uk, so you can be reimbursed.

Vaccination centre volunteers

  • If you haven't already uploaded your bank details, please do so through your online dashboard. 
  • If you are experiencing financial hardship because of your volunteering expenses, please email podadmin@communities1st.org.uk and we will reimburse you as soon as possible.

Drivers, litter pickers and other roles

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