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The second round of Community Grants Fund 2020-21 will open next week on Tuesday 10th November and will close on Monday 11th January 2021.   We understand that due to changes to government guidance regarding Covid-19 and the lockdown starting on Thursday 4th November, there may be an impact on…

Footballer Marcus Rashford speaks for many when he says: “I have no interest in party politics. Letting millions of children in the UK go hungry at night is only an issue of humanity. We need to do better.” One of the main lessons from the pandemic is the importance of planning for…

Last month, the report, Levelling Up Our Communities: Proposals for a New Social Covenant, was published by Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP and former “civil society tsar”.  The report was commissioned in June by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with the aim of examining how the country could…

Covid-19 has caused pain and loss for all of us directly and indirectly. The response in communities is the adrenaline which kicks in and strengthens our ability to cope. We may not look back fondly on 2020 but there is a lot we can learn from it. Over the last few months, our voluntary, community…

Disability Awareness Day (DAD) is recognised as the largest annual event of its kind in the world. Due to COVID-19, the 29th event will be held virtually online via www.dadvirtual.org.uk it is totally free, and goes live at 10am on Sunday 25th October. A week of free,…

Safely coming out of lockdown The coronavirus pandemic, has meant that the majority of activities and services delivered by local voluntary sector members have either been suspended or dramatically altered.  As the government is beginning to inform us how they are removing the strictest…

Take time to look after yourself and each other As a sector we have been working harder than ever before to continue to provide support to those most in need.  For volunteers and volunteer leaders alike, it has been a very busy time, adapting to new circumstances and working with others to…

Take time to look after yourself and each other As a sector we have been working harder than ever before to continue to provide support to those most in need.  For volunteers and volunteer leaders alike, it has been a very busy time, adapting to new circumstances and working with others to…

Save the date for Communities 1st Voluntary Sector Conference and AGM We will be hosting three 2-hour zoom meetings over three days in early September for this year’s Voluntary Sector Conference and our AGM.  The theme for the conference this year is Sustainability and we have an exciting line…

Sharing the human spirit through friendship Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division - to confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms - the simplest of which is…

Almost a quarter of charity organisers believe that without additional support, their organisation would not last until this time next year.   Charities across the districts of St Albans, Hertsmere and Welwyn/Hatfield were invited to take part in the ‘Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS)…

Earlier this month, NCVO released their annual data snapshot of the charity sector, the UK Civil Society Almanac 2020. Although most of the data itself comes from the 2017/18 financial year, we can see some tell-tale signs about what the future may hold for charities post Covid-19 by analysing this…

Micro-volunteering can be beneficial to both volunteers and organisations Micro-volunteering opportunities are easy and often low-commitment actions and activities that can be done from home. Most of these can be completed in short time frames (less than 30 minutes) whilst others can harness high-…

How has volunteering been affected by the pandemic? During the last few months, as the country has gone into lockdown and we have all had to change the ways we live our lives, the volunteering landscape has also had to adapt the way volunteers support local organisations. Lots of community groups…

Supporting other charities to rebuild During late May and June, Communities 1st carried out its second survey of local voluntary and community organisations, in order to understand the sector further at almost 3 months in to lockdown. We aim to use the information to inform our work and target…

Celebrating Pride - Equality isn’t just for one month a year Every year, throughout June, there are Pride festivals and events across the world to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots.  As well as being a time for celebration, Pride Month also provides the opportunity to reflect on…

Our Tomorrow vs Your Tomorrow Together with COVID-19, there has been an unspoken mental health crisis sweeping through households across the UK, whose impact is greater on the most vulnerable. While many of us are flexing our muscles getting ready to hop back to normality, many people will remain…

Stronger Together As we’ve celebrated Small Charities Week, I’ve reflected on lessons learned during the pandemic. As we emerge into a new climate of uncertainty.  One key question that voluntary sector providers have to ask ourselves, is whether our organisation can quickly pivot and scale?…

Voluntary and community groups can now apply for grants of up to £5,000 from a fund operated by St Albans City and District Council. The money is intended to support projects and activities that benefit the whole community including the most vulnerable people. Priority this year is being given to…

Both during and beyond the coronavirus crisis, our voluntary sector is vital in providing services and support. As organisations look to move into a new era, possibly with more troubled service users, and often having witnessed huge loss of charitable income over the lockdown period, it will be…