Written by one of our volunteers:

After trying out a wide range of volunteering roles, Rod was encouraged and uplifted by the many acts of kindness he encountered with people in the Hertfordshire community, who give up their time for the less fortunate. A resident of Welwyn Garden City, Rod first became involved as a volunteer within the Welwyn & Hatfield Community & Voluntary Service, after previously working as a trustee for a Mental Health Charity. From here, other roles steadily evolved.

With Kind July well underway we continue to reflect on the incredible impact that simple acts of kindness can have. We'd like to encourage anyone that can to “do something kind” every day during July, and hopefully continue this trend in their everyday lives. After all, kindness isn’t only for July! 

Para Dance UK the NGB for Para Dance Sport and Inclusive Dance and LimbPower the National Disability Sports Organisation for amputees and individuals with limb impairments have come together with Youth Sport Trust to enable more of our community to dance, using the knowledge of both organisations we have developed materials for children, young people and the wider community that may not or cannot get out into the community, but still want to keep active.

Written by one of our volunteers:

Phil reckons he retired too early. Whilst it did give him more time to enjoy his golf, he found that he missed the contact he'd had with so many people during his career as a Post Office Manager.

Instead of simply settling into his early retirement, Phil decided to start getting up early to do volunteering stints at Vaccination Centres. While he was living in Hitchin, Phil had tried part-time work in security at Luton Airport, but that was before Covid 19.

Volunteering is good for us! It can provide fantastic opportunities to improve both our mental and physical health. We've heard first-hand from many of you that giving your time during this difficult period had a positive effect on your mental health. When you give your time meaningfully you can counteract stress, anger, and anxiety. 

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.