Making A Difference Volunteer Update

The Autumn booster programme is be being rolled out in September with boosters due to be given to the over 50’s and most vulnerable members of the community.  Manor View Practice will be re-starting vaccinations in 3 locations including Bushey, Watford, Borehamwood, and Allum Hall will also be running clinics, these shifts are now available to book on your dashboard.  

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.

Watford Town Hall and the old Argos in Letchworth delivered their last vaccinations on Wednesday 31st August and are now permanently closed. 

Vaccination popups continue to need volunteers throughout the County to assist with the autumn booster programme. You will see this as ‘Vaccination Popup’s Various’ on your dashboard as they cover such a wide area with dates and locations listed. 

Coming up on Sunday 25 September, Communities 1st will be attending the St Albans Food and Drink Festival and hosting a community safe zone outside the Alban Arena.

This tent will be a safe space for people who need to step away from the crowds and will allow people a quiet place to relax and find some respite from the noise and activities, and will offer a calm space in which people can sit down, chat to staff members, and receive signposting to the many forms of support we offer as a charity, as well as other organisation's support.

We are looking for some volunteers to support us on the day. The role will include signposting people to accessible seating around the stages, as well as entering the crowds and directing people and handing out maps. The day will be split in to two shifts. The first will run from 12pm to 3pm, with the second running from 3pm to 6pm, giving you plenty of time before or after your shift to enjoy the festivities yourself.

If you would like to help us with this, please sign up for a shift on the volunteer dashboard.

SAFE Webinar Programme

• 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.

We have lots of varied volunteering roles available on our website. Whether you are just getting started, or want to try a new role, there any many opportunities on offer.

Day ops facilitators and volunteers

Our Day Opportunities programmes allow people in the community to get out and do various activities including:
-Litter Picking
-Bowls and Croquet
-Computers and a Cuppa
-Garden Club

Follow this link to find out more and sign up.

Peer to Peer group Facilitator

This role would see you helping to run a peer to peer group that allows individuals with long term illnesses to gather and share their feelings. We will also be running Ukrainian support meetings, so we will also need volunteers to help facilitate these.

If you would like to help with this, you can find out more information here. If you would like to sign up, please follow this link.

Refugee activities volunteers

We run day trips and event for refugees as part of our project to support these new arrivals, and we are looking for volunteers to help us with this.

-If you could help us as an activity promoter, please sign up here.
 

-If you would like to attend activities as a chaperone, please sign up here.

Warmer Places, Spaces and Hubs

Coming up soon, we will be launching our Warm Hubs project. We will need volunteers to help run these sessions, and these shifts will be bookable on the dashboard soon.

With the current Cost-Of-Living crisis, it is our hope that these hubs will become a place of respite for those struggling financially this Autumn and Winter. At these sessions, participants will have the chance to socialise, get stuck in to crafts and activities. In addition to this, they can receive guidance, information and signposting to helpful resources by our knowledgeable volunteers who will act as 'energy agents'.

Please keep an eye on our newsletters and the website for more information about this volunteering opportunity. As always, we will equip you with all the training you'll need to fulfil this role. 

This week we took some of the nurses we support at the Lister Hospital to the Natural History Museum in Tring. They had a few hours to explore the exhibits and relax in the café, before returning to Stevenage again. The driver relayed to us that the participants appreciated the outing, and had lots to chat about on the drive there and back again. We are now moving on to Autumn, and will be planning lots more trips similar to this, so please don't hesitate to contact us if this is something you would like to be involved in.

Watford General Hospital have recently joined our international NHS recruits project, which sees us run day trips for new NHS arrivals using our minibuses and the help of volunteer guides, as a well as offering a one to one volunteer buddy to help the recruits settle in and feel supported. Watford's 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 itinerary 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 around Hertfordshire, so please don't be put off from enquiring if you do not live near the Lister 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.

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 you can work flexibly, however you will be required to fulfil 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.

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

September & October

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.

HIV Awareness and Support

Date: Wednesday 28 September 

Time: 14:00 - 16:00

Register here.

Chronic Fatigue Illnesses Awareness

Date: Tuesday 4 October

Time: 11:00 - 12:00

Register here.

Mental Health First Aid- An Introduction

Date: Thursday 6 October 

Time: 11:00 - 13:00 

Register here.

Know Your Energy

Date: Wednesday 12 October

Time: 11:00 - 12:00

Register here.

Vision Loss Awareness Training

Date: Thursday 13 October

Time: 11:00 - 12:00 

Register here.

Gambling and Related Harms

Date: Tuesday 18 October 

Time: 14:00 - 15:30

Register here.

Dementia Friends Information Session 

Date: Wednesday 19 October

Time: 11:00 - 12:00

Register here.

You can see and book into all our future training sessions through our online events calendar.

We are 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 assist on our shopper bus and day trips.

We run weekly shopping trips and day trips, and could really use the help of some driving volunteers to accommodate these trips. Additionally, we also run multiple day trips a week for our international NHS arrivals project, which sees us put on free day trips for newly arrived NHS recruits. 

We would also like to expand our community cars scheme, in which volunteers use their own vehicles to drive people to their medical appointments. 

If you think you could help us in any of the travel volunteer roles mentioned above, please email us or telephone on 01727 649970.

Shopping delivery and prescription collection

• 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.