You can make a difference - volunteer in your community.

Volunteering Bristol Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 3 December at 7 pm.  Contact us if your wish to attend

info@bristolvolunteers.org.uk  0117 989 7733

The British Red Cross introduces flexible online volunteering initiative through Facebook & Bebo
The British Red Cross has launched a new online volunteering initiative that will use social networks to create a community of ‘virtual volunteers’ who can support the organisation in their own time. 
Titled ‘Red Recruit’ (http://www.redcross.org.uk/redrecruit), the scheme will empower volunteers to act as advocates for the organisation and drive awareness of Red Cross campaigns across their Facebook and Bebo social networks.
Red Recruit’ will serve as an introduction to volunteering that allows young people to actively support the internationally-recognised organisation, and highlight the training and experience the Red Cross can offer them.
The Red Cross's own research showed that six out of seven potential volunteers would prefer to offer their services occasionally, or on a short-term basis. So they designed ‘Red Recruit’ to offer this flexibility. It provides an excellent opportunity for young people to test the waters, as it can be done at a time and place that suits them. It will also provide a stepping stone for those who wish to join our 25,000 ‘off-line’ UK volunteers.
To become a ‘Red Recruit’, volunteers can join via Facebook or Bebo ‘Red Recruit’ pages or the main Red Cross website.
The Red Cross is the largest volunteering organisation in the world, with nearly 100 million volunteers worldwide. A recent study by the Russell Commission showed that 52% of young people value volunteering for the impact it has on their career opportunities.

Have A Say in Local Health and Social Care!
Local Involvement Network for Bristol
Are you interested in having a say in health and social care locally?  You can become part of a new way for local people to have their say about the way local health and social care services are run and developed by joining Bristol Local Involvement Network (LINk).  Bristol LINk has recently been launched. It is a network of local people, organisations and groups that want to improve health and social care services. 
Pat Foster, LINk Manager explains, “Bristol LINk’s membership is small at the moment and urgently needs people from the local community who feel strongly about local health and social care services”.
Bristol LINk will be expected to represent everyone and will also work with health and social care professionals to make sure your voice is heard. It will not matter whether services are provided by the NHS, a local authority, private company, social enterprise or a charity, as long as they are paid for by the tax payer they will be covered by the LINk. This includes, for example, day centres and care homes, home care, family planning, hospitals and GP surgeries, as well as health promotion.
LINks do have teeth and have been given powers as part of their role. The LINk will be able to make reports and recommendations and get a reply within a set amount of time, go into some types of services to see what they do, comment on local services and receive a response from local authority commissioners and overview and scrutiny committees.
You can participate in the LINk as much or as little as you wish from receiving information regularly to being involved in working task groups. You can join the LINk as an individual or as a representative of a voluntary or community group.
For more information about Bristol LINk contact:
Caroline McAleese - Development and Information Worker for Bristol LINk
Tele:0117 9589347 
Email: carolinemcaleese@linkbristol.org.uk
Or write to the LINk at:
The Care Forum, Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue Bristol BS16 3JE