Communities 1st

Also known as: Council for Voluntary Service for St. Albans District, Community Action Hertsmere, Community Central, Community Hertsmere, Hertsmere Community Transport

Communities 1st develops, connects and supports local voluntary and community organisations, helping to improve the quality of peoples lives across the districts of Hertfordshire and neighbouring counties. We are home to the local Volunteer Centre, providing support and guidance for those who want to become volunteers and those who want to recruit volunteers.

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Activities & Mission

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Show all 10 areas of operation

Local Authority

Barnet Bedford Cambridgeshire Enfield Essex Harrow Hertfordshire Norfolk Peterborough City Suffolk

Financial Information

Latest Income

£1,631,442

Latest Expenditure

£1,581,847

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 97.0%

% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 64% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 520). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 100.0%

% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 100% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 0.0%

Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 91% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £1,611,048

Charitable Activities £0

Other Trading £0

Investments £20,394

Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £1,581,847

Raising Funds £0

Governance £0

Grants to Institutions £0

Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.

Financial Year	Income	Expenditure	Charitable Spending	Net Assets	Reserves	Staff
2025	£1,631,442	£1,581,847	£1,581,847	£1,116,248	£875,232	51 / 400
2024	£1,352,470	£1,320,325	£1,320,325	£1,066,653	£886,286	46 / 400
2023	£1,765,510	£1,407,696	£1,407,696	£1,034,508	£900,508	46 / 400
2022	£1,372,749	£961,078	£961,078	£676,694	£661,194	50 / 1200
2021	£723,766	£564,043	£564,043	£265,023	£250,023	23 / 5000

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Communities 1st

What does Communities 1st do?

How much income did Communities 1st report in 2025?

Communities 1st reported total income of £1.63m and reported expenditure of £1.58m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Communities 1st?

Communities 1st has a program ratio of 97.0%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 64% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 520 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was Communities 1st registered as a charity?

Communities 1st was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 31 December 2019 as charity number 1187164. It has been registered for 7 years.

Who runs Communities 1st?

Communities 1st is governed by a board of 12 trustees. The chair of trustees is Jason John. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does Communities 1st operate?

Communities 1st operates across 10 areas, including Barnet, Bedford, Cambridgeshire and 7 others. The full list is shown on its profile.

Is Communities 1st a registered charity?

Yes — Communities 1st is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1187164.