June has been and continues to be, a busy month.

Pride Month is celebrated every June as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots. It’s the perfect time to think about and discuss issues related to equality, diversity, and inclusion within the VCFSE sector and consider how we might make changes to make our own organisations more inclusive of all LGBTQ+ communities. 

National Volunteers’ Week may be over for another year but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop being grateful for the dedication and kindness of our volunteers. It was incredible to get the chance to meet some of you in person last week. We will be organising more opportunities to connect with you face to face during 'Kind July', to celebrate the month of kindness.    

Written by one of our volunteers:

That's the view of Lesley Landes who has lost well over 10lbs in weight since becoming a volunteer and, more incredibly, is now no longer suffering from diabetes. As far as Lesley is concerned, she is in absolutely no doubt that all the activity, as well as being on her feet with the volunteering work (not to mention being away from the house and the temptations of eating...) has led to a notable improvement in her health and mental well-being.

Isobel Hatfield (Partnerships and Development Coordinator at Communities 1st) was joined by Peggy Sharp (Community Engagement, Equality and Grants Officer at SADC) and Alison Glennie (Community Engagament Project Officer at SADC) to hold an information event on the St Albans City and District Council's Community Project Fund. Below you can find a link to a video of the presentation. The fund opens on Monday 17th May 2021, and closes Sunday 11th July 2021.

Today is the last day of Volunteers' Week, a time when volunteers are celebrated for their efforts and achievements, and a chance for us to say thank you to our own dedicated team of volunteers. 

Next week is National Volunteers’ Week, a time when volunteer contributions to society are recognised and celebrated. With the amazing feats, you have helped us achieve over the past year, including over 100,000 hours supporting vaccination centres and countless more helping the community response effort, it has never been more important to celebrate the true value of what volunteers give to our community.

This July our annual conference is taking place, a time when we reflect on the challenges of the last year, and examine what we would like to do differently in the future. We want to explore how the past year has impacted the VCFSE sector, and how we might use our collective experience to help build a strong, sustainable future for community and voluntary organisations.

This year's theme is 'Safety, Strength and Kindness Through the Pandemic and Beyond'. Three two hour sessions will be spread across the conference, from Tuesday 6th July - Thursday 8th July. 

With the Paralympic Games only a few months away, a new digital, illustrated jigsaw has been released in celebration of the sports and organisations who promote the heritage of disability sport.

The ‘Animal Para Games’ is a beautifully illustrated artwork created by Jessica Hartshorn, transformed into a digital jigsaw. The image shows a range of animals taking part in Para sports for families to enjoy with an adjustable difficulty setting ranging the number of pieces from 20 to 300, and nine yellow trophies to spot within the design.

This week is Mental Health Awareness week. For many, the gradual easing of lockdown will bring opportunities to reconnect with family and friends, do things we enjoy like playing sports, and return to work that we value. For others, the prospect of a lockdown ending will bring difficult emotions and anxiety. It could take some time to navigate our way back to 'normal.

This week is mental health awareness week, so remember to do something good for your mind. Whether it’s talking to a friend, going for a walk or just taking a few deep breaths, a few small actions can make a big difference. If you think someone you know might be struggling with their mental health, send them a message to check in.

This week we’ve welcomed some new Kickstart employees into our team. The government’s Kickstart scheme aims to help young people at risk of long term unemployment to find work. Earlier this year Communities 1st became a Kickstart gateway.