Volunteer Centre Newsletter

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter.

We are grateful for the ongoing support of volunteers, constituting the backbone of our communities. Volunteering for all the fantastic organisations and community groups in the local areas.

We aim to support all volunteers in their activities. If you are looking for new volunteering opportunities, please look for new opportunities on our website here or get in touch by emailing volunteer@communities1st.org.uk.

We have split volunteering roles into the following sections: 

Spotlight
Short Term Roles and Micro Volunteering
Longer Term Volunteering Roles 
Trustee Roles 
Driving Roles

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

Robert Varney

Assistant Manager – Volunteer Centre & Enterprise Development

Communities 1st 

COME AND SEE US!

SPOTLIGHT

St Albans Half Marathon Volunteers with Youth Talk.

Are you interested in having fun, meeting new people and supporting your local community? If the answer to this is yes and you have a couple of hours to spare on Sunday 11th June then Youth Talk are looking for volunteers to help at St Albans Half Marathon and family runs. This is a fantastic event and there’s always a great atmosphere. Help is needed between 8 am and 1 pm. Activities may include helping set up, direct runners, giving out race-packs/numbers/t-shirts and/or giving out medals and refreshments at the end. By volunteering for us you will in turn be helping provide much needed free 1:1 counselling sessions for our local young people.

Training Assistants with Communities 1st

We are looking for Volunteer Training Assistants who would be interested in helping to deliver our Training courses Hertfordshire. This role would involve you welcoming guests, helping with setting up, enrolment administration, helping with handouts during the course and overall, just assisting the lead trainer to make sure the course is run smoothly.

Social Support group Volunteers with MIND in Mid Herts

Mind in Mid Herts is looking for enthusiastic, friendly and reliable volunteers to support groups in St Albans. These groups provide opportunities for people experiencing mental health difficulties to meet and share experiences in a safe space. They are looking for volunteers to help on Mondays (Wellbeing group) and Thursdays (Art group). This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and give back to the local community.

THE BIG HELP OUT VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

The Big Help Out Volunteers with St Albans Shopmobility

Shopmobility is looking for volunteers to help on the Bank Holiday Monday of the Coronation Weekend - "The Big Sort Out". They are looking for people to help them clean, garden and help to have a big sort out of their storage area. They intend to clear out their storage area, deep clean their mobility scooters and wheelchairs, replace, and tidy their small garden area. They would like volunteers who can clean, garden and don't mind physically helping them for a couple of hours on the bank holiday Monday of the Coronation Weekend.

Big Help out volunteer with St Albans Cathedral

As part of The Big Help Out initiative, St Albans Cathedral invite the local community to come and volunteer for a litter-pick, polishing and cleaning in the Cathedral. All materials will be provided, just bring yourself! Feel free to bring a packed lunch to round off our morning’s work.

Big Help Out Volunteer for Peace Cottage

Peace Cottage would like to offer a volunteering opportunity on the afternoon of May 8th beginning at 2.00 pm at Peace Cottage Garden (Hoddesdon Quaker Meeting House) at the bottom of Lord Street. They are looking for volunteers to help with digging, weeding and shed painting. Volunteers are advised to wear clothes suitable for handy work.

LET VOLUNTEERING ROLES COME TO YOU!

Communities 1st is launching Let’s Give, a new service for volunteers. You will be able to create your own space on our website, so that organisations can find out about you and reach out about their volunteering roles.

You won’t need to display any personal contact information as we will do all the brokerage, so we will put you in touch with the organisations that have reached out for you.

It’s a great way to showcase your skills and experience to local community groups, and can help match you with a role where you can make a real difference.

For more information contact us by email here or call 01727 649953.

LONGER TERM VOLUNTEERING ROLES

Activities Volunteer with Hertsmere Mencap

Hertsmere Mencap is a small charity supporting adults and children with a learning disability. They run a daily activities programme, a weekly evening social club, a youth club (evenings) and a children’s holiday playscheme. They are looking for volunteers to help the Activity Leader with the smooth running of their evening clubs: Tuesday & Thursday nights from 7pm to 9pm in Borehamwood.

Education Volunteers with Bushey Museum

Bushey Museum are looking for Education Volunteers to support their Education Officer. They offer various educational experiences, both at the Museum and at Reverley Lodge in Bushey Heath, for local primary schools. This is an ad hoc role, helping to supervise the children and sometimes doing a bit of role playing. Volunteers need to like working with children and be DBS checked.

Living Well Activities Co- Ordinator's with Rennie Grove.

Rennie Grove are looking for Living Well Co- Ordinator's to support this activities. Thier Living Well service provides a positive, active space for practical care and social support for patients coping with life-limiting illnesses. This role involves researching, planning and booking a varied range of interesting activities for our Living Well patients. This may include choirs, speakers and other local activity groups. These activities enhance the experience of their patients and contribute to their overall wellbeing. services.

Volunteer Mentors with Home-Start

Do you have experience of parenting, or caring for children? Do you have 2-3 hours a week to spare? If so, you would be the person they are looking for! They offer a free training course to provide you with all the skills and information you will need. Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. They are looking for Volunteer Mentors to support families in their homes. They offer a free training course to provide you with all the skills and information you will need.

COMMUNITIES 1ST VOLUNTEERING ROLES

Busy Bee Gardening Volunteer

We say Hello to Spring by launching our Busy Bee Communities 1st Garden Development Project. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in gardening to help with two of our projects. The first one is to provide a gardening service to our clients who are no longer able to maintain their own gardens as part of our Handyperson service. The second is to be part of the team of gardeners to create and maintain the gardens with the help of the community groups in the area. If you are interested in gardening, then we would love to hear from you!

Neighbourly Walks

We are looking for some volunteers who would like to support people through our Neighbourly Walks scheme. We know how beneficial walking can be for the mind and the body, and we want to support as many people in the community as we can to maintain their independence and get some fresh air while doing it. In particular we are looking for a volunteer who is trained in supporting individuals with visual impairments. The client would like support on a neighbourly walk twice a month, based in AL3 area.

Number Ninjas

The Multiply project aims to improve people's numeracy skills by offering maths-boosting sessions. On topics such as basic numeracy, Shopping on a Budget, and Family Budget, these sessions will help people in their everyday lives. We are looking for volunteers to become Number Ninjas.

Number Ninjas will help us:

Identify the learning needs of local residents
Engage and refer suitable candidates for tailored tutoring support.

TRUSTEE ROLES

Treasurer for St Albans Folk at the Festival

St Albans Folk at the Festival is a small organisation made up entirely of volunteers. It was set up to work with local folk music and dance groups to organise the annual St Albans Folk Festival. They are looking for a hands-on treasurer who enjoys folk music and dance and will join the organising group to take responsibility for their finances and prepare annual accounts.

Trustee with St Albans Shopmobility

Shopmobility are looking for a Trustee to join their team. The overall role of the Shopmobility Trustees is to contribute to the development of strategy, using skills and knowledge from their areas of expertise. They must also have a commitment to the Shopmobility ethos, museum and values, and act as a “Champion” on behalf of Shopmobility. The role of a Trustee may appeal to people from various backgrounds, with an interest in working as a member of a team as a committee member. Shopmobility is looking for people with experience in Finance and Accounting, Fundraising, Business Development, Social Care or Leadership and Management.

Trustee with Isabel Hospice

Are you a dynamic individual with legal experience? Isabel Hospice is seeking someone to join their Board of Trustees. They are looking to appoint a new trustee who can use their skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our vision of outstanding palliative care for all. Previous experience of hospice care is not required, and first-time trustees are encouraged to apply.

DRIVING ROLES

Transport Driver Volunteer with The Friends of Care Homes

The Friends of Care Homes is a registered charity that put-on music-based events every weekend for our seniors, the isolated and the lonely, plus anyone who enjoys music. They are looking for a bus support worker to support our driver in the Borehamwood area on Sunday Afternoons.

Volunteer Drivers with Hertsmere Mencap

Hertsmere Mencap support 250 children and adults with learning disabilities and their families and carers. They run a minibus service taking members to regular social clubs in Borehamwood, St Albans and Hatfield on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday evenings. You will only be expected to volunteer once every few weeks as part of a rota, an average of 3 hours per month. You will be assisting the driver collecting members, accompanying them to the local clubs, and helping with picking up from the club, taking them to their front door when necessary.

Volunteer Drivers for Minibuses or own vehicles

Drivers required to drive either their own cars or our MPV’s and Minibuses Volunteers are needed to help people in Borehamwood, Shenley and Potters Bar who are unable to use public transport, attend health appointments, and reduce social isolation. What are they looking for? Driving skills, clean license, roadworthy car, honest and reliable, good timekeeping. We’re always in need of people willing to help us deliver our transport service. Our new scheme supports the NHS locally to fulfil GP and vaccination appointments, as well as hospital visits. If you're willing to drive a larger vehicle, we also run a much-needed shopper bus service, other projects and trips. Expenses can be claimed at 45p/mile. Note, you may be required to travel further afield than your immediate local area.