Celebrating community and third sector collaboration: Highlights from the 3SG Volunteer Fair in Bath and North East Somerset
Two weeks ago, on Friday, October 18th, we had the incredible opportunity to attend and sponsor the 3SG Volunteer Fair, an event that brought together passionate individuals and organisations dedicated to making a difference in BaNES.
The fair was an amazing success, with 43 local charities exhibiting, such as Age UK Bath, Mind Bath and many more. It attracted over 300 people eager to learn about various volunteer opportunities and initiatives. Besides meeting potential volunteers, the fair also gave organisations the opportunity to connect and see how they can work together.
Networking breakfast
Our CEO and founder Paul Targett attended the Charity and Business Networking Breakfast before the fair opened. There, he talked about who we are and why we are supporting 3SG. There are increasing cost pressures in health and social care, and you will have heard much discussion on the news about how the third sector must get more involved in delivery. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the third sector. That’s why we’re supporting 3SG as they are the membership body for over 200 charitable organisations in BaNES.
Paul Targett during the Charity and Business Networking Breakfast. Photo by Suzy Slemen Photography.
Technology in volunteer engagement
Paul also had the honour of being part of a panel discussion to kick off the day. Together with James Levelle, Jon Reay and panel moderator/ Director of 3SG Becky Brooks, they discussed the role of technology in the volunteering sector.
The panel was a lively exchange of ideas, highlighting how digital tools can enhance volunteer engagement and simplify operations of the organisations. It was inspiring to see so many attendees engaging in the conversation, sharing insights and exploring innovative solutions to challenges in the volunteer space, such as making people aware of the volunteering opportunities and seeing how we can simplify the volunteering sign-up process.
Left to right: Becky Brooks, Jon Reay, James Levelle and Paul Targett. Photo by Suzy Slemen Photography.
RIVIAM on Radio Bath
In the lead-up to the fair, Paul was invited to join Steve Fountain on Radio Bath on Tuesday, October 15th. This was a fantastic opportunity to talk about our company and share why the 3SG Volunteer Fair is crucial for raising awareness about volunteering. The discussion provided a platform to delve into our mission of improving people’s lives through connecting NHS, social care and third sector, and the importance of volunteering. As a Bath-based company and our staff being local, RIVIAM really cares about what happens in the BaNES community. Listen to the interview here.
Steve Fountain (left) and Paul Targett (right) on Radio Bath.
Community spirit at the volunteer fair
The 3SG Volunteer Fair truly showcased the spirit of collaboration and commitment to volunteering within our community. We were delighted to meet so many enthusiastic volunteers and organisations, all striving towards a common goal of creating a better world. Two of our new RIVIAM employees, Vanessa and Cato volunteered on the day by handing out flyers in the surrounding area.
RIVIAM employees, Vanessa (left) and Cato (right), volunteering at the Fair.
Exciting times ahead
Thank you to everyone who attended the fair and made it such a memorable event! We look forward to continuing fostering connections and supporting the network of health and social care and third sector. In BaNES, RIVIAM supports the Community Wellbeing Hub (CWH) with our Multi-agency Referral Hub service. The CWH is a group of 28 commissioned organisations receiving and managing referrals.
Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on new projects and opportunities in the coming months!
Are you interested in learning more about RIVIAM? Send an email to hello@riviam.com to see how we can assist in improving people’s lives.
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