Communities 1st’s Post

In the spirit of #WorldEmojiDay, we'd like to let you know how yesterday's #C1stConference went: 😍 💃 🎶 🕺 🫶 (But perhaps these pictures can speak for themselves.) Thank you to our wonderful speakers, stall holders, advice surgery hosts and delegates for coming along and getting involved! It was lovely to see you all again. We hope you had an informative and interesting day with us, in the beautiful surrounds of St Peter's Church. Special thanks to our wonderful keynote: ⭐ Emma-Jane Hampsheir-Gill from St John Ambulance And our excellent workshop speakers: ⭐ Alix Bedford from Zurich Municipal ⭐ Ben Jowitt from Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) ⭐ Frances Warwick from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales ⭐ Joel Hogan from Charity Digital ⭐ Sue Pearlman from Hertfordshire Community Foundation and Gary Bell and John Archer from Headway Hertfordshire Limited ⭐ As well as our very own Robert Varney ⭐ And Para Dance UK's Selina Johnson for the mini-dance break pre-AGM! Thank you to our knowledgeable 1:1 funding advice surgery hosts: ⭐ Hertfordshire Community Foundation ⭐ Hertsmere Borough Council ⭐ St Albans City & District Council ⭐ The National Lottery And brilliant stall holders: ⭐ Developwise CIC ⭐ Hertfordshire Mind Network ⭐ Herts Ability ⭐ Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership - Ageing Well ⭐ Hertsmere Borough Council ⭐ Health & Independent Living Support (HILS) ⭐ MCR Pathways ⭐ Mind in Mid Herts ⭐ Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care ⭐ St Albans Old People’s Trust ⭐ Sustainable St Albans and The Green House St Albans ⭐ St Albans & District Talking Newspaper It was fantastic seeing you all again. Thank you for your contributions to our conference.

Are you or is somebody you support job hunting this summer? Do you or they need support to apply for a dream role? On Fridays from 1pm - 3pm, we host Employment Support sessions at Your Community Hub in Borehamwood (WD6 4EB). Come along to a session for help with: - Creating eye-catching online job-seeking profiles - Designing epic CVs - Writing compelling cover letters and personal statements - Showcasing skills in interview prep. These sessions are FREE and everyone is welcome. If you'd like to bring a mobile device or laptop, you can. We also have computers that you are welcome to use. We look forward to seeing you soon!

We'd love to see you at our next Recruiting, Retaining and Managing Volunteers training course in September! This is perfect for organisations wishing to start their 6 Point Promise accreditation 🏆

📣 #MemberSpotlight 📣 Home-Start Hertfordshire is a charity that is dedicated to helping parents and their young children by providing much-needed emotional and practical support. The earliest years in a child's life make the biggest impact, and this charity makes sure that those years count so that no child's future is limited. Support is offered to families struggling with post-natal depression, isolation, physical health problems, bereavement, and many other issues. Through their advice and guidance, Home-Start Hertfordshire ensure parents have the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children. The charity is actively recruiting for the role of Volunteer Family Mentors. These individuals play a crucial role in empowering vulnerable families to overcome challenges and build a better future for themselves and their children. Following a comprehensive training program, volunteers will either go on to support families through 1:1 support in the form of weekly home visits, or they can become a group volunteer, supporting families attending weekly family groups. Interested in becoming a Volunteer Family Mentor? Click the link in the comments!

Have you completed our #C1stConference evaluation form yet? We'd love to hear your feedback, especially if there are any topics you'd like to see covered in future events. We're already planning next year's conference! 💡 Visit the link in the comments to complete the evaluation form, and click through this carousel to check out some of the lovely feedback we've already received. #VSFCE #conference #feedbackform

It's been just over a week since our annual #C1stConference and now the speakers' presentations are available to download from our website (via the link in our comments)! As a reminder, the conference presentation topics were: ⭐ Building Diverse Income Streams ⭐ Environmental Sustainability and the Role of the Voluntary Sector ⭐ Funding Challenges and Opportunities in 2024 and Beyond ⭐ How Local Businesses Can Help You ⭐ Keeping Your Charity Safe ⭐ The Relationship Between the CEO and the Chair On the page, you can also find the presentations for: ⭐ Chief Executive's Introduction ⭐ Annual General Meeting Thank you to everyone who helped bring this event together, especially the inspiring speakers: Emma-Jane Hampsheir-Gill, Sue Pearlman with Gary Bell and John Archer, Robert Varney, Alix Bedford, Ben Jowitt, Frances Warwick, and Joel Hogan!